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thesis entitled
AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED DIRECTING TEXTBOOKS

AND ALEXANDER DEAN'S

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF PLAY DIRECTING
presented by

Doug Weaver

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for

 

Masters (mgeeni Theatre-

 

 

 

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Date June 15, 1994

 

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To AVOID FINES Mom on or bdon dd. duo.

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AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED DIRECTING TEXTBOOKS
AND ALEXANDER DEAN’S
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF PLAY DIRECTING

BY

Doug Weaver

A THESIS
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Theatre

1994

ABSTRACT
AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED DIRECTING TEXTBOOKS

AND ALEXANDER DEAN’S
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF PLAY DIRECTING

BY

Doug Weaver

In 1941, The Fundamentals of Play Directing. y Alexander Dean,
was published for the first time. By any means of measurement, it
towers above the other textbooks in this field. Using a content
analysis derived from study in this area by previous scholars, and
taking six vital sections of the original text, nine newer
textbooks have been compared and contrasted to this seminal work.
By using such crucial ideas in directing as composition, movement,
rhythm, production and script analysis as comparison points; the
study comes to the conclusion that the state of directing textbooks
has not changed vastly in the fifty years since Dean’s momentous

publication.

Copyright by
Douglas Williams Weaver, Jr.

1994

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Dr. Dixie Durr for her encouragement

and her candor.

I would like to thank Dr. John Baldwin for his insight and

his good humor.

I would especially like to thank Prof. Frank Rutledge, without
whom none of this would have been possible. Thank you for your
intelligence, criticism and the occasional swift kick where and

when needed.

iv

Table of Contents

Introduction page 1
Purpose, Limitations, Criteria
Value & Significance, Organization,
Definition of Terms

\J

Chapter One
Dean’s The Fundamentals of Play
Directing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Two (The Early Texts) 22
Dietrich’s Play Direction
Gallaway‘s The Director in the Theatre 30
Canfield’s The Craft of Play Directing 38
Chapter Three (The Middle Texts) 47
Hodge’s Play Directing
Glenn’s A Director Prepares 55
Cohen & Harrop’s Creative Play Direction 62
Chapter Four (The Later Texts) 69
Kirk & Bellas’s The Art of Directing
Catron’s The Directorig Vision 76
Vaughan’s Directing Plays 84
Chapter Five Conclusion 92
Appendix A 96
The 4 Tables
Appendix B 100
Timeline
Bibliography 110

INTRODUCTION

 

In 1941. The Fundamentals of Play Directing was published for
the first time. Written by Alexander Dean and compiled by Lawrence
Carra. it was the first part of his syllabus for the three year
course in directing Dean taught at Yale University. It was
subsequently reissued in 1953. 1962. 1974. 1983 enui 1989 and
remains in print to this day. By any means of measurement, it
towers above the other textbooks in this field. With more copies in
print, more listings in bibliographies, and more schools using it,
it has set the standard for directing textbooks for the last fifty
years. Dean holds a place in the field of directing similar to the
one Drucker holds in management (Drucker, 1), Stanislavski in
acting, (Stanislavski, 1) and Hobbes in stage combat (Hobbes, 1).

In the last fifty years, over twenty new directing textbooks
have been written and published in this country. Out of this large
group of texts for such a specific field, over fifty percent are
still available. Of these, a smaller number seem to have found
their respective place in this crucial area of theatrical endeavor.
This study will compare and contrast nine selected directing texts
to the Dean text. An explanation of the differences will be

offered, as well.

IJ

Purpose

This thesis is an analysis of ten textbooks in the field of
theatrical directing. The Fundamentals of Play Directing by
Alexander Dean has been selected as a premiere textbook in
directing. Nine other textbooks will be compared and contrasted to
the Dean text in the following six areas:

1) Content

2) Structure

3) Script Analysis

4) Demonstrations

S) Illustrations

6) Production Procedure

Each area will be analyzed using two different methods. The
first methodology will be a quantitative scale using a percentage
of total pages. This method is modeled on the content analysis of
Lester Asheim’s dissertation From Book to Film (Ulrich, 3-4), and
adapted by Judith Ulrich in her dissertation on Tom Sawye .
(Ulrich, 1) It is a method that quantifies the content to reveal
the relative emphasis of each individual part of the whole. Each
half-pagecfi’a.section.is counted, then divided by the total number
of usable pages of text to ascertain a percentage. These numbers
will then be compared against the standard established by this
study in the Dean book.

The second method will be a description of the content; what

is contained in it, and how it compares to the Dean textbook.

The six areas are self-explanatory. Content will be a general
look at what is contained in the text. and its manner of
expression. Structure will look at the placement of the areas
emphasized in this analysis. Script analysis is that part or parts
concerned with plays as literature for the stage. Demonstrations
are exercises or examples for the teacher/reader, to activate the
lessons of the text. Illustrations include the kind and type of
photographs, figures and drawings used in each text.

The final area of comparison will cover each author’s approach
to the actual mounting of a production. Arguably the most important
area for a director to study, Dean has entitled this section
Production Procedure. In this section, he outlines a very simple
way to move from start to finish. The other texts will be measured
against this.

A conclusion may emerge that will lead to future study into

the craft of teaching directing.

Limitations

This study is limited to those discourses on directing which
are clearly written as textbooks. It omits general theories,
treatises, biographies and personal accounts (e.g., 0m Directing by
Harold Clurman, The Empty Space, by Peter Brook, and Stanislavski
Diggggs by Nikolai Gorchakov).

This study is also limited to the six areas of comparison I

have listed above. using the two methodologies described. No effort
has been made to critique the writing style of the authors, or to
assess their respective writing talents. The six areas are
considered. by the commonality of their inclusion. to be crucial to
the study of directing. Included in each chapter will be a

reference to the unique features of the respective textbooks.

Criteria

The criteria used in this study to select the other nine
textbooks was based on a point scale. There were two scales used;
one for in-print figures, and the other for bibliographic
references. .Each scale was weighted 1km? parity. The in-print
figures were obtained from publishers with the caveat that the
figures not be printed, but merely used to place the texts in their
proper positions. This is a courtesy used often in the publishing
industry for year end bestseller lists. (Publishers‘Weekly, 47—56)

For the bibliographic references, two seperate sources were
used. The first was references in other directing textbooks. The
second ‘was listings in other major theatrical textbooks and
publications. The scale was weighted heavier in the direction of
the directing textbooks, but both were used. This method reduced
the number oftextbooks, originally over thirty, down to the

necessary nine.

The final list is as follows:
The Fundamentals of Play Directing by Alexander Dean 1941

Play Direction by John E. Dietrich I953

 

The Director in the Theatre by Marian Gallaway 1963
The Craft of Play Directing by Curtis Canfield 1963
Play Directing by Francis Hodge 1971

A Director Prepares by Stanley Glenn 1973

Creative Play Direction by Cohen & Harrop I974

The Art of Directing by Kirk & Bellas 1985

The Director’s Vision by Louis E. Catron 1989

Directing Plays by Stuart Vaughan 1993

Value and Significance-

This study may assist teachers of directing in the selection
of a directing text. From this analysis, a teacherwill be able to
select a text that best suits his/her philosophy in the teaching of

directing.

Organization of the Study

1) Introduction
11) The Fundamentgls of Play Directing
A.brief history of Alexander Dean and his text, followed by an

analysis of the text in light of the six areas being investigated.

III) The Early Texts
Dietrich, Gallaway and Canfield
A brief history investigation of each text and an analysis of
material in light of selected areas of investigation.

IV) The Middle Texts
Hodge, Glenn, Cohen & Harrop
A brief history investigation of each text and an analysis of
material in light of selected areas of investigation.

V) The Later Texts
Kirk & Bellas, Catron, Vaughan
A brief history investigation of each text and an analysis of
material in light of selected areas of investigation.

VI) The conclusion

VII) Appendix A
Tables showing patterns in the analysis of the texts.

VIII) Appendix B
A publication timeline setting these textbooks in an
historical context.

IX) The bibliography

CHAPIEB ONE

The Fundamentals of Play Directing
By Alexander Dean Holt, Rinehart & Winston 1941
428 pages 5th Edition (Dean & Carra) 1989

Harcourt, Brace Publishers

A Brief History

Alexander Dean was born in 1893 and died, at the age of 46, in
Dallas in 1939. He was a student of the famous George Pierce Baker
at Yale, and then stayed on to teach there himself. Among his
students were Henry It .Boettcher, Lawrence Carra, Wilson Lehr,
Frank McMullan and Elia Kazan. Boettcher went on to head the
theatre department at Carnegie Mellon. Carra went to the University
of Texas, then followed Boettcher back to Carnegie Mellon. McMullan
followed Dean at Yale where he took over the directing program.
Kazan became one of the foremost practicioners of the director’s
art in both stage and film.

At the time of his death, Dean had almost completed a draft of
The Fundgmentahs of Play Directing. It was an expansion of the
first third of his "Syllabus of a course in Play Directing."
(Dean, vii) It constituted the first year of a three year course in
directing that he taught at Yale. (Dean, vii) According to Barbara
Rosenberg at Harcourt Brace Publishers, Lawrence Carra was asked to

remain at Yale after his graduation to help Dean compile his notes.

(Rosenberg, 1) Upon Dean’s death; Carra. with the help of Dean’s
wife, Virginia Dixon Dean and many former students (most notably
Boettcher, Lehr and McMullan), finished working on the notes and
published the book as a textbook in 1941. Since that time it has
gone through many printings, and is at present in it’s fifth
edition.

Before Dean, a directing textbook was published entitled
How’§_Your Second Act? Written by Arthur Hopkins in 1918, it was
heavily revised and reissued in 1931. This was a textbook purely
for the professional stage director, and although it contained some
fascinating passages, it did not remain in print long after the
second edition.

In 1928, John Dolman published a textbook entitled The Art of
Play Production. Although complete, and despite superb examples of
promptbooks and other directing tools, it didn’t have a strong
shelf life. Reissued in 1946, it went out of print shortly
thereafter.

In 1937, two other former students of George Pierce Baker,
Gilmor Brown and Alice Garwood, the founders of the Pasadena
Playhouse, published a directing textbook entitled: General
Principles of Play Direction. This text was also aimed primarily at
the professional, and it had a limited print run.

In 1938, Allen Crafton, the head of the theatre department at
the University of Kansas, published a book entitled: Play

Directing. This is the first text to approach the kind of structure

and information that Dean’s eventually would. It also was obviously
a teaching textbook, as opposed to the professional’s guide; but
more than half of the text was taken up with a discussion of
community theatre. It had a limited press run as well.

The.Dean textbook, has held a strong place among other writers
of directing texts. His text is quoted, and his book is listed in
every single bibliography. In Creating Theatre, August Staub had
this to say about Dean’s seminal work, "This work is, and probably
will remain, the classic discussion of the director in the
proscenium theatre." (Staub, 358) In The Art of Directing, the
authors Kirk & Bellas said of his text, "The original Dean text
(1941), a pioneer in the field of directing texts..." (Kirk 8:
Bellas, 214) In the new textbook (1991) Contemporary Stggg
Directing; by George Black, it says, "This book (Dean’s) is
recommended for serious directing students." (Black, 342-33)

The Fundgmentgs of Play Directirm has had a fascinating
printing history. Although no conclusions can be drawn from the
following facts, the timing of reissues and new editions has been
excellent. After it’s initial release, it was reissued in 1953, the
same year that John Dietrich released his directing textbook. The
second edition of the textbook was in 1962, just a year ahead of
both Marian Gallaway and Curtis Canfield’s texts. The third edition
of the Dean book, with additions by Lawrence Carra, came out in
1974. This was just after Francis Hodge released his directing

text, and in the same year as the text by Cohen and Harrop was

10

published. The fourth edition, expanded once again by Carra, was
issued in 1980. just ahead of five new textbooks on directing.

Alexander Dean was known for more than just his teaching of
directing. In 1926, he published a book entitled Little Theatre
Organization and Management. A detailed look on the setup and
running of what we now call a community theatre, this book stayed
in print for over forty years. It covered everything from setting
up the accounting books to how to make a handbill or program. There
is even a section that appears to be the foreunner of the
Production Procedure chapter in the directing textbook.

He also had some acclaim as a director, as well. In their
textbook on directing, Creative PlaymDirection, Cohen and Harrop
remember one of his most famous artistic endeavors.

"Alexander Dean, in a production of Pirandello’s Six

Character§;in Search of an Author... made use of the

fact that the scene shop was located immediately behind

the stage. He raised the huge loading door and then

opened the tiny door at the rear of the shop, more than

a hundred feet behind the curtain line. Through this tiny

door came the six characters, who walked mysteriously

into and through the shop, through the loading door, onto

the stage, and down to the curtain in a staging that has

been remembered ever since." (Cohen & Harrop, 98)

On the other hand, directorial acclaim is largely anecdotal.

Dean’s directing text, however, holds a very special place in the

11
pantheon cfl' textbooks ftn‘ the theatre. Dean’s book (nu) claim
something that no other directing textbook can: fifty years of use
by teachers of directing. It remains 1mg textbook for the teaching

of directing.

The Analysis

Lawrence Carra describes in the foreward of Dean’s book what
Dean wanted to do with his textbook on directing:

"To the author, play directing was not necessarily

either a divine or a mysterious gift but an art in

which, just as in other arts. certain principles

could be both perceived and taught. Without belittling

innate talent or claiming that an artist could be

created where there was no inherent flair for the art,

the author believed that the knowledge and application

of certain principles would avoid costly mistakes and

eliminate economic and artistic waste." (Dean, vii)

Content
A breakdown by percentage of the content of The Fundamentals

of Play:Directing in the four other main areas of analysis reveals:

Script Analysis 0%
Demonstrations 20%
Illustrations 10%
Production Procedure 6%

A total of thirty six percent of the book is spent on the areas we
are analyzing. In this case, though, it is perhaps misleading to

look at the content in this manner. It is more revealing if we

l3

examine the content in the order and manner that Dean arranged it.

[Note: For each of the succeeding texts, we will
examine the content in both ways. They will be compared

to Dean both by the four areas and by the arrangement.]

In looking at the percentages this second time, it is important to
note that the demonstrations and illustrations do not have a
seperate section in this text. So, their thirty percent is
incorporated into these seperate sectional headings.

Dean’s Organization:

Introduction 8%
The Actor (The Actor’s Work) 22%
The Five Fundamental Elements 50%

(The Director’s Work)

Production Procedure 6%
Pictures 6%
Glossary 8%

Breakdown:

The Introduction, almost one tenth of the entire work, is
spent mostly in defining the role of the director; his function,
and the reasons that Dean believes the director exists. He also
provides a description of Art in general and the theatrical
director’s place in it. The writing style is antique, but the

feelings are fervent. This definition of art could be used in any

14

classroom about any form of art.

It is imperative to remember that in 1941, the director was
just gaining recognition as a theatrical artist. It was only within
the last one hundred years that the Duke of Saxe-Neinigen,
MacReady, Bearbolm-Tree, Irving, Belasco, Coupeau, Reinhardt and
others began the work of the modern director; so Dean may have felt
the need to justify the position. The later writers will feel that
need less and less.

Section two, The Actor, will for convenience sake, be called
The Actor’s‘Work. Each succeeding text has a different name for it,
but the basic content remains the same. In this chapter, over a
fifth of the book, Dean discusses actors and the myriad ways in
which a director can approach working with them. The emphasis is on
the physical work: exercises in vocal training and stage business.
No where is there a discussion of communication between director
and actor. That will come with later textbooks. This section reads
like a pre-Stanislavski beginning actor training text.

In section three, The Five Fundamentals of Play Directing,
Dean lays out his main thesis of what a director should and must
do. For future reference we will call this section The Director’s
Work. Later authors all, once again, call it by different names,
but the content remains very similar.

Dean provides the clearest explanation of this section:

"... we do not deal with the intellectual and

emotional concepts but merely with those elements

15

which furnish the means of conveying these qualities.

These means we shall refer to as the five fundamental

elements of directing. They are composition, movement,

picturization, rhythm, and pantomimic dramatization.

These constitute a five-note scale of play directing.

These in different combinations and degrees of emphasis

are the means by which a director may express the

emotional and intellectual qualities of a play."

(Dean, 32)

This section is the center of the book. It takes up fully one half
of the text, and contains a majority of the illustrations and
demonstrations. It is interesting to note that the concepts he
discusses here, are used in some form, by every other author in
their respective texts. They may lessen the emphasis or call it by
a different name, but the basics discussed here are the standards.

The section on rhythm, contained in The Five Fundamentals, was
not complete at the time of his death. It is included in the text
as it was found, in semi-outline form (Dean, 284). None of his
colleagues expanded on it, yet it is one of the most remarked upon
and heavily quoted sections in the text by succeeding teachers.

Section four, Production Procedure, will be covered under its
own heading later in the thesis.

The book closes with two appendices. The first is a section of
photographs, or plates, which are referred to in the text. The

second is a rather lengthy and full glossary. The glossary is

 

 

at

16

divided into such sections as technical. scenery, back stage, etc.
It is a well researched, technically accurate addition to this
textbook. Its only drawback is that many of the words are no longer

in use, and some of the descriptions no longer apply.

Structure

The structure of this book is straightforward. It has been
used over and over by the succeeding authors in their respective
texts. It is obvious from reading the text, and seeing how it is
laid out, that is taken from a class. It has a superb "teaching"
feel to it. You start with an introduction about the art itself
(the general) and move to the minute aspects of how to do it (the
specific).

The heart of the book, The Director’s Work (The Five
Fundamentals), is in the middle; a logical place for it to be. It
follows the section on the individual actor, so in essence you move
from learning about the actor to learning what to do with them.

The only problem with the structure is the fact that the
photos are collected in the back. This leads to alot of back and
forth while reading certain sections. The book might have been

better served by having them interspersed throughout the text.

Script Analysis
There is no separate section in this textbook on script

analysis. However, small sections of each chapter are devoted to

17

things that might be construed that way, yet there is no unified
study of that which we have come to know as script analysis. As
Dean said, in slightly different words, in the introduction to his
book; this would be about the mechanics of directing, not the

literary side.

[NotezIt will become apparent as we go further into this
study, that script analysis comes more into vogue

as the years move on. By the time we get to the
seventies, some texts devote up to a third of their

books to just this subject.-— Weaver]

Demonstrations
Taking up twenty percent of this textbook, demonstrations
incorporates three different categories in Dean’s book. The first,
which he calls demonstrations, are examplestean asks the reader to
do in order to comprehend what Dean is trying to explain. The
second, called exercises, are activities to assist the reader in
discovering something on their own. The third is comprised of the
texts he wants the reader to use in helping with both
demonstrations and exercises.
The Breakdown of the twenty percent is as follows:
Demonstrations 30%
Exercises 35%

Text 35%

18

These pieces are scattered throughout the book, although most ofthe
exercises and demonstrations are located in the chapter on The
Director’s Work. The only well known text he uses is Othello. This
is in sharp contrast to the succeeding textbooks which call almost
exclusively on "The Classics."

The best way of showing the differences between demonstrations
and exercises (according to Dean), is to give examples from both.
In The Director’s Work section, under composition, Dean lists the
following as it demonstration: "Place a figure (n1 stage; have a
second figure stand below and to the R, focusing on the first
figure. We have direct visual focus." (Dean, 156) The following
line from the same section, he lists as an exercise: "Work out the
different ways of varying the triangle, and devise forms additional

to those described. Use seven figures.‘ (Dean, 157)

Another excellent example of his use of demonstrations comes
in the section on movement. Through a series of demonstrations and
exercises about an army storming a castle, he proves to the reader
that, "... when the castle is on stage right the fighting is much
fiercer." (Dean, 231)

His use of demonstrations is one of the reasons that this
textbook has stood the test of time. These instruments or tools for

the director appear to be as valid today, (many show up in later

textbooks, only slightly disguised) as they were inventive then.

19
Illustrations
Taking Lu) twenty percent <Jf the book. illustrations are
divided into two parts; drawings, spread throughout the book, and
pictures (or plates) which are contained in the first appendix.
The Breakdown of the ten percent is as follows:
Drawings 40%
Plates 60%
The pictures at the back are photographs of scenes from productions
at Yale University. Each one has information below it corresponding
to the section of the book it is from. Things such as visual focus,
composition and picturization are the point of each individual
picture. Their effectiveness is limited by their placement in the
book.

The drawings are quite simplistic, and hard to imagine being

of much use. An example of what they look like is drawn below:

i //.. .\

I wish it were possible to say that the invention of high

 

technology has improved the look of the drawings in succeeding

texts, but such is not the case.

Production Procedure
This section, probably the most copied one, is in some ways
just a reworking of material in his previous book on little
theatres. It is a straightforward, step by step guide on the

process of "putting on the play." It takes up only six percent of

20

the entire book, but it is quite likely the most practical. It
surely is the part most young directors want to read and follow.
He has broken the procedure into three sections, each with

it’s own subheadings. The initial breakdown is as follows:

Tryouts and Casting 26%
Tryout Procedure 31%
Casting the Actor 39%
Casting Ensemble 30%

Rehearsals 43%
Organization 60%
Rehearsal Schedule 40%

Directing the Play 31%
Emotional Values 58%
Meaning of Play 10%
Procedure 32%

Almost half of this section is devoted to the organization of the
rehearsal process. He also makes a clear distinction between the
casting of actors in individual roles and the filling out of the
ensemble.

Included in this section is a mockup of a rehearsal schedule.
The schedule is predicated on having thirty rehearsals from first
reading to the final dress. In this mockup are such things as: "Day
12, adjustments and addition of simple business for Act III."
(Dean, 347), and "Day 25, rehearsal of climatic scenes for tempo

and ensemble playing." (Dean, 347)

The section on Directing the Play was first published as an
article in Theatre Arts Monthly. (Dean. 351) It is a quick way
U) look at the play itself. and might even be construed to be

somewhat like a script analysis section.

Conclusion
The sections on The Director’s Work and the Production
Procedure are as compelling today as they must have been fifty
years ago. The demonstrations, for example, are consistently used
as models for instruction. Even the glossary, outdated in some
ways, is usefull to the beginning director.
The drawbacks are the poor illustrations, the simplistic

approach to acting and the lack of script analysis.

Chapter Two

The Early Texts

 

Play Direction

By John E. Dietrich Prentice Hall. Inc. 1953
484 pages 2nd Edition (Dietrich & Duckwall) 1983
Out of Print Prentice Hall,Inc.

A Brief History

This textbook is considered the next major academic text on
directing. John Dietrich was a professor at the University of
Wisconsin when he began to develop ideas that would later be
published as a textbook. He then became the Director of Theatre at
Ohio State University when the book was first published. In 1959,
he went to Michigan State University to become Chairman of the
Department of Speech. By his retirement, he was the Assistant
Provost at Michigan State University.

After publication, the book went through eight printings by
1962. It was a standard directing text with a strong sales history.
In 1983, Ralph W. Duckwall, the chairperson of Theatre Arts at Cal
State-Long Beach, helped compile a new edition of the book and it
again underwent heavy usage. As of this writing, it is no longer in
print.

The book had many new things to offer the director, including
the motivational unit, and psychological interpretation of scripts.

Mostly, it had an abundance of information for the young director.

23

The Analysis
In his foreward to the book, Dietrich notes the idea behind
the text:
"Predicated upon a point of View somewhat different
from many of its predecessors, the book applies
psychological as well as aesthetic principles to
directing. The two never come into conflict. Psychol-
ogy and aesthetics go hand in hand in producing the
play. Psychology is brought into the foreground
because it provides a definite basis and starting
point for play production. Later, aesthetic principles
are used to implement and evaluate the expression of

the psychological forces." (Dietrich, vii)

Content
The breakdown by percentage (compared with the Dean book) in

the four other areas of analysis reveals:

Dietrich Dean
Script Analysis 9% 0%
Demonstrations 0% 20%
Illustrations 4% 10%
Production Procedure 21% 6%

A cursory view of the percentages shows that while Dietrich does
cover script analysis, he has no demonstrations and few pictures.

The time he spends on Production Procedure, though, more than

triples that of Dean’s.

The percentages done by Dietrich's organization reveals even

more.
Dietrich’s Organization:
Dietrich Dean
Introduction 14% 8%
Principles (Director’s Work) 26% 50%
Procedures (Production) 21% 6%
Problems (Actor’s Work & More) 34% 22%
Bibliography 2% 0%
Glossary 3% 8%
Breakdown:

The Introduction is lengthy, and covers much the same ground
that Dean’s did. There is justification of the position, and then
Dietrich goes into a long explanation of why people go to the
theatre. His introduction is more about theatre than Dean’s, whih
tended toward art in general.

In section two, The Director’s Workq Dietrich lays out what he
calls his Principles of Play Directing. These five principles,
along with the Motivational Unit, are the tools he believes every
director needs to use. He says that the director;

"... arranges his characters, moves them about,
provides them with things to do, selects and in—

tensifies the emotional expression, and determines

the time relationships. In more technical terminology,

25

he applies the principles of composition, movement,

business, emotion and key, and tempo." (Dietrich, 5)
These five, then, are the equivalent to the five fundamentals in
Dean’s book. Tempo aligns itself to rhythm in Dean’s book, but the
section is not nearly as specific. The same coud be said of the
entire Director’s Work section which takes up half the space it
does in the Dean book.

Three times longer than Dean’s, the production procedure
section is a thorough examination of the task of putting on a play.

Section four is entitled Problems of Play Directing. Included
in this section is what we have termed The Actor’s Work. It makes
up approximately twelve percent of this chapter, which is about
four percent of the entire book. Dietrich gives a much quicker, and
less specific acting lesson than Dean did. On the other hand, he
includes in this section information on working with designers,
floor planning, script analysis and directing comedy that are not
even mentioned in the Dean book.

There is an excellent bibliography in this book, including a
publishers list and theatrical supply information. Keep to the
newest editions for the most updated information. The glossary,

though not as voluminous as Dean’s, is accurate and useful.

Structure
Dietrich explains why he structured the book the way he did:

"The book is divided into four parts. The beginning

26

director who wishes to study in a logical order from

the philosophy to the execution should begin with Part

One (Introduction)... The director who has sufficient

background to understand what he is trying to do may

decide to begin with the study of the technical

principles... in Part Two..." (Dietrich, vii)
He goes on to explain that a director at whatever level can start
at a certain point in the book and get a great deal out of it.

This structure seems to lack ease of use for the teacher. Work
with the actor doesn’t appear until the fourth chapter, and even
then it is a smaller piece. He also covers producing the play
before he’s discussed solving directorial problems.

For the advanced student, or for the person learning on their

own, this setup might be a valuable source of help.

Script Analysis
Although there is not a specific section on script analysis in
this book, three sections listed in different chapters make up the
nine percent of the whole that Dietrich spends on script analysis.
Emotion and Key, Drama and the Playwright, and Interpreting the
Script; subheadings in three separate chapters, are all a part of
script analysis. The material is rudimentary, but obviously more

than the Dean book.

Demonstrations

There are no demonstrations included in this book. There are

27

times where the author will write something like. "you might try
this," or, "if you do this." but there is no formalized use of
demonstrations. He does, on the other hand. refer to many plays,
ranging from Doll’s House and The Importance of Being Earnest to

Born Yesterday and You Can’t Take It With You.

Illustrations
It would appear that in the twelve years from the publication
of Dean’s book to the publication of Dietrich’s book, the art of
illustrating directing textbooks changed minimally. Taking up only
four percent of the whole, similar to the Dean book’s drawings,
they are of no higher caliber or helpfullness than they were in the

previous text. An example is recreated below:

J‘

J?“-

As stated in the introduction to this section, there are no
pictures in this textbook. Some points might have been better

served with a picture or an appropriate illustration.

Production Procedure
This is a major section of this textbook. Lengthy and full of
SOOCIinformation, it stands as the heart of this book. Included is
4“! example of a promptbook, a rehearsal schedule (very much like

Dean’s), psychological information on the script, and what a

28

director should do during performances. A strong component, ia a
section on the evaluation of a performance. In it. Dietrich shows
how to take what you see and learn from it.

He has broken this section into three parts, similarly to

Dean. The percentages reveal:

Dietrich Dean

Play Selection & Interp 27% 31%
(Directing the Play)

Tryouts and Casting 31% 26%

Rehearsals and Performance 42% 43%
You can tell by the similarity in the numbers, that Dean’s book

must have had some influence here, but Dietrich has added many good

things to this section.

Unique Feature
"The Motivational Unit has been defined as the
smallest integral scene in the play... it is
an integral scenic unit in which the motiva-
tional pattern remains unchanged." (Dietrich, 71—73)
This unique feature could be defined for the layman in many ways.

It is a type of script analysis, yet it can also be used to help

With blocking and picturization.

Its main purpose is as a tool for the director to trace what

it is the playwright intended, by using his own words and actions.

It lareaks each scene down, in essence, to its smallest component,

29

making it easier for the director to understand and interpret the
moment.

This is the only text I found that uses this method. It is
quite often mentioned in succeeding texts. even renamed and redone
slightly in one, and it is found in many glossaries. But, Dietrich

seems to be its originator.

Conclusion

This is a strong textbook, with many good points. It is one of
the first textbooks to delve into the realm of the psychological,
and to make interpreting the script an important tool for the
director. It has a strong section on putting on the play and its
motivational unit is a unique and valuable addition to any
directors "kit bag."

Its drawbacks are that it has a awkward structure and doesn’t
have much to say about the actor/director relationship.

It is a good directing text that stands on its own, or fits

nicely as a supplement to the Dean text.

30

The Director in the Theatre
By Marian Gallaway The MacMillan Company 1963

386 pages Out of Print

A Brief History

This textbook had a fairly short. but interesting publishing
life. The author was the Director of the University Theatre at the
University of Alabama when the book was published. She had
previously published a highly regarded textbook on playwriting in
1950 entitled Constructing the Play, a book that is still in print.
She has also done a lot of work on the vocal training of actors.

This particular textbook is mentioned in other texts as well.
In August Staub’s excellent bibliography, he says, "(Gallaway) pays
considerable attention to script analysis;... an appendix that
serves as a model for a detailed production schedule." (Staub,
358) Kirk and Bellas, in their own annotated bibliography, had this
to say of Gallaway’s text; "Emphasizes the practical aspects of
play production..." (Kirk & Bellas, 215) The book is mentioned or
referred to in every other textbook until the late 1980’s.

The Gallaway textbook is of interest for one major reason. It
is the first directing text to overtly use the Stanislavski acting
books as a starting point. While some previous texts may have been
influenced by these books, Gallaway is the first to make a point of
stating their great influence on her work. Later publications will

do the same.

31

[Side Note: This is the only directing textbook I can find
written by a woman. While drawing no conclusions about this
information, it is fascinating to think about what this could
be saying about the state of directing (or the teaching of

directing) in our country.]

The Analysis
In the preface to her book, Gallaway gives the appropriate
rationale for the writing of this textbook. She says:

"Since several excellent texts on directing

already exist, a new text must justify itself

by presenting new material or a new point of

view. I hope that I have done the latter, in

emphasizing the director as a person dealing

with people." (Gallaway, iii)

My major source, I suppose, is Stanislavski, though

I particularly treasure his own statement that to

found a method was not part of his intent, but that

he expected the actors and other directors to adapt

his teaching to their own needs and personalities,"

(Gallaway, v)

The first intention is evident in every chapter of the book,
obviously communication plays a large part in the text. The second

conveys her feelings, in no uncertain terms, about Stanislavski and

his influences on her writing.

Content
The breakdown by percentage of the content in the

areas of analysis reveals:

Gallaway
Script Analysis 10%
Demonstrations (Assignments) 5%
Illustrations 7%
Production Procedure 37%

four main

20%
10%

6%

It is readily apparent that the percentage of script analysis is

going up in each text. Gallaway has spent another percentage point

more space on it than Dietrich. It is also true that Gallaway

spends over a third of the book on Production Procedure. As a

matter of fact, the entire text reads like one long Production

Procedure manual. Demonstrations, having fallen to 0% in the

Dietrich book, are back up to respectable numbers.

The percentages of Gallaway’s organization, reveal this:

Gallaway
Introduction 4%
Preliminaries (Promptbook, etc.) 15%
The Director’s Work 40%
The Actor’s Work 39%

Glossary 2%

Dean

8%

0%

50%

22%

8%

33

Breakdown:

The introduction is much shorter than in previous books. There
appears to be less need to justify the role or task of the
director, and so this introduction becomes more personal. There is,
though, still a section on what theatre is and why people go. It is
reminiscent of Dietrich’s introduction.

In section two, Gallaway discusses what she calls the
preliminaries. In it are things like play selection and promptbook
work. The guidelines for selecting the play are excellent,
incorporating things like what the audience will appreciate and
financial considerations. The promptbook section is superb, by far
the most complete yet.

In section three, called Absorbing the Play (The Director’s
Work), Gallaway describes what she feels the director’s job is. She
says, "The main function of the director in producing a play is to
make bridges between the playwright’s conception (as understood by
the director) and the eventual sharers (audience, designers, cast
and crew)" (Gallaway, 10).

There are still five areas on this section, and they equate to
the five fundamentals in the Dean book. Some differences do exist,
though. Script Analysis takes one of the spots (remember in the
Dietrich book it was spread throughout), so this is its first
appearance in The Director’s Work section. Gallaway has also
telescoped movement, picturization and composition into one

section- movement. She has a section entitled the Dynamic Unit,

34

which ackowledges Dietrich’s Motivational Unit. that incorporates
rhythm into it.
The breakdown of the section known as the Director’s Work is

as follows:

Script Analysis 20%
Movement 30%
Dynamic Unit (includes rhythm) 20%
Character 10%
Setting 20%

It has a very even distribution, with the new additions of
character analysis and setting analysis.

In section four, The Actor’s Work, Gallaway covers what is
really Production Procedure. It has a similar setup to the Dean
book. Inside, though, is an excellent section on training the actor
and the voice; obviously heavily influenced by Stanislavski.

The text includes a short but accurate glossary. There is also
tuiexcellent bibliography that runs throughout the textbook. At the
end of each chapter is a list of books that pertain to the subject
discussed. This is a new and interesting way to do a bibliography

in a directing textbook.

Structure
It is obvious that a teacher wrote this book. It moves fluidly
from one subject to the next. Anyone reading it for the first time

‘Would be able to discover the process in a simple and

35

straightforward manner. Ending each chapter with assignments and
bibliographies lends itself structurally to teaching ease.

The minor drawbacks to the structure are that you are taught
to do a promptbook before you really know what it is for, and this

same happens for some other things as well.

Script Analysis
Taking up ten percent of the book, Gallaway’s section on
Script Analysis is broken down into three parts. Their percentages

are as follows:

Evaluating the Play 26%
Analyzing the Play 37%
Sample Analysis 37%

The section itself is rather simplistic. It will be ten more years
before script analysis comes into the twentieth century in these
textbooks, but it is :1 far cry from Dean’s complete lack of a.
section. She does have an excellent idea, later incorporated by
other authors. She includes, in the text, a sample of the analysis
she did for a production of Playboy of the Wgstern World. Done in

great detail, it’s suggestions are superb and extremely helpful.

Demonstrations
In this book, Gallaway calls demonstrations "Assignments."
It means the same thing. They are positioned at the end of each

chapter and relate back to the previous information. The following

36

is an example of an assignment at the end of a section on The
Setting:

"2. Find one scene in The Glass Menagerie the you

think should be played upstage. Why? Arrange the

furniture in such a way that this scene would not

be obstructed." (Gallaway, 160)
The assignments, although simple. seem to perform the function they
were intended to. They are not, though. on the level of the one’s

in the Dean book.

Illustrations
The illustrations quality has not improved, but they are
plentiful and appear to do the job they were intended to do. There

are no pictures. The following is a reconstruction of some of the

it i

illustrations:

Production Procedure
Although the entire book seems to be one long production
procedure, there is a specific section that fulfills that purpose.
It is entitled WOrking With the Actor. Gallaway spends thirty seven

percent of the book on this section, as opposed to six percent for

37

Dean, yet the interior breakdown is remarkably similar.

Gallaway Dean
Casting and Tryouts 14% 26%
Rehearsals 53% 43%
First Rehearsals 21%
Details 39%
Last Rehearsals 40%
Directing the Play 31% 31%

In the middle of the rehearsals section is a superb part on
training the actor, which equates to the Actor’s Work section of

Dean’s book.

Unique Feature
Gallaway’s work with the "method" of Stanislavski is at this
point in time (1963), very unique to directing textbooks. Although
earlier texts have seemed to be influenced by his work, she is the

first to quote him, and to use his work as a jumping off point.

Conclusion
A simple, straightforward text, this book has a strong
structure that lends itself to use as a teaching tool. Although no
longer in print, most libraries seem to carry it, and it would

serve any director well to have it in their collection.

38

The Craft of Play Directing
By Curtis Canfield Holt, Rinehart & Winston 1963

349 Pages Out of Print

A Brief History

This book has a long and distinguished life as a textbook on
directing. Written by Curtis Canfield and published when he was the
Dean of the Yale School of Drama, it remained in print for over
twenty years. In talking with a select group of teachers of
directing, it seems to hold a special place in their collections.

Dr. Canfield began his career at Amherst, where he taught for
over ten years. It was there that he began to compile notes on the
craft of directing. After Amherst, he moved on to Yale, where he
taught for many years before becoming the Dean. He is also a past
president of the National Theatre Conference. Aside from this
volume, he has published a large group of books; including many on
Ireland and Irish theatre, a specialty area of his.

Although no longer in print, the book is still available in
libraries. It is listed in most theatre book bibliographies through
the late 1980’s. Fellodeirecting textbook authors had these things

to say about it: emphasis on the importance of analysis..."
(Kirk & Bellas, 213) and "Stresses preparation, analysis and

craft..." (Staub, 358).

39

The Analysis
In the preface to this textbook, Canfield says the following:
"This is a book about the stage director’s craft. Little
attempt has been made to deal with the mystiques of the
art of creation... before he (the director) can take
those all-important steps that will lift his production
to the plane of art. the director must posses craftsman—
ship... If he doesn’t know how to control his chosen medium
of expression, all the artistic imagination in the world
will be of little use to him, as little as it would be to
a sculptor who could not put mallet to chisel without
splitting the block." (Canfield, v)
This preface sounds amazingly like the one in the Dean book; both
explain the idea that the manual labor of directing can be taught,

the flights of creativity cannot.

Content

One of the best written of these directing textbooks, Canfield
writes expressively in the manner that a good writer of fiction
does. They flow, one into the other, in a way that neither jars or
makes you feel like you are reading a textbook. The interesting
aspect of this is that, as the reader, you tend to think that what
the writer is saying is correct, whether it is or not.

The percentages in the areas of analysis, in this book by

Canfield, reveal the following:

4O

Canfield Dean
Script Analysis 13% 0%
Demonstrations 0% (*) 20%
Illustrations (includes photos) 8% 10%
Production Procedure 18% 6%

We can see that script analysis has become even more important.
This is also the first book since Dean’s to include pictures or
photos. Production Procedure still plays an important role,
although no one has been able to do it with as concise a feel as
Dean.

*The fact that there are no demonstrations in this book, is a
bit misleading. The entire book reads like one long demonstration.
Thirty one percent, a full one hundred and five pages of the text,
is given over to the reprinting of various scripts for various
purposes. Plays like A Doll’sAHouse, Wintersgm, and Murder in the
Cathedral are reprinted to aide in the explaining of things such as
promptbooks, script analysis and character analysis. So, even
though there are no actual demonstrations, Canfield seems to regard
their idea as highly as Dean did.

The percentages of Canfield’s organization reveals the
following:
Canfield Dean
Introduction (Chaps 1&2) 10% 8%

Script Analysis (Chaps 3&4) 13% 0%

41

Director’s Work (Chaps 5-8) 50% 72%

includes actor’s work

Production Procedure (Chaps 9&10) 18% 6%

Collegiate Theatre (appendix) 7% 0%

Glossary 2% 8%
Breakdown:

The introduction takes up two chapters, slightly more space
than in the Dean book. Canfield. though, assumes the director’s
position and seems to feel no need to justify it. His time is spent
discussing the director himself, how he views things and the needs
of a modern director.

The script analysis section takes up two chapters and is the
most in-depth look yet at this subject. Told well, this section
covers just about everything. It includes detailed study of scripts
and uses examples to explain their study. It is the section often
remembered by teachers when talking about this book.

Section three, the director’s work, also incorporates the
actor’s work and covers four chapters. The part on bdocking is
especially well-written and thorough, one of the best sections in
this text. This book, though, assumes a large amount of previous
knowledge. In these chapters particularly, Canfield makes large
assumptions about the student’s information, and proceeds
accordingly. It is not for the beginner.

Section four is the production procedure section. It takes up

two chapters as well, almost a fifth of the book, and is

painstakingly minute in it’s detail. This one section. along with
the blocking part of section three, are the areas that Canfield
goes furthest from his writing style in the rest of the book.

The book closes with a section on Collegiate Theatre, a unique
feature of this book. Following that is a small, rather fair,
glossary. It is a bit of a letdown after the high quality of the

rest of the book.

Structure

The following statement from the preface is Dr. Canfield’s own
description of the structure of his book:

"A step-by-step progression is followed from the

director’s first reading of the manuscript, through

the several stages of preparation to final

performance." (Canfield, vi)
He goes on to say that his book is, in reality, just two basic
parts. He says, "Part one considers the play itself... Part two is
confined to the actual problems of putting a play on stage."
(Canfield, vi) However, the text reads like a good history or
novel, executed well and structured like a story. The problem may
be, if there is one, that students are not used to textbooks being
written this way.

Attacking script analysis up front, right after the
introduction, seems advantageous. Most scholars believe, that

before anything else in the theatre, there is the script. Canfield

43

obviously agrees.

Script Analysis

This is the first text to mingle the physical and emotional
work into a coherent whole. It is also one of the most remembered
and used sections in this textbook.

There is a type of brutal honesty about the descriptions in
this chapter. Rather than pretend that each play is the same, and
to be treated as such, Canfield comes out at the beginning of the
chapter and makes his feelings known. He says:

"The director must decide where the main strength

of a script lies and make creative capital of it.

If there are deficiencies he must take steps to

conceal them and divert the audiences attention

to stronger values." (Canfield, 37)

These two chapters, taking up thirteen percent of the whole,
are broken down this way:

What the play contains 30%

Structure and Meaning 70%

As you can see, the emotional content is still lesser to the
physical content. Words and phrases such as "feelings" and "gut-
reactions" won’t come into the theatrical vocabulary until the
seventies.

This section also contains a large group of script parts used

as examples.

44

Demonstrations

There is included in this textbook, a thirty page section of
The Doctor’s Dilemma by George Bernard Shaw. It has all of the
Canfield blocking and incorporates his notes on the analysis of
character and text. Thus, although this book has no specific
demonstrations, the entire book could be looked at as one long
demonstration. It consistently illustrates the author’s meanings
with sections from his own work. So, while the reader is never
specifically asked to do anything, Canfield does get to the strict

language of the Dean definition of demonstrations.

Illustrations

Although the illustrations have not improved, theline drawings
and set models are eXpertly done. Drawn by W. Oren Parker of Yale
University, they have
a clarity and simplicity
missing in the previous GOD
efforts. 0n the right you
will see an example, though,
of the people drawn in this book. There is also superb use of

pictures incorporated into the text.

Production Procedure
This section, although well written, is a little confusing

structurally for those who might have read the other texts first.

Taking up eighteen percent of the book. Canfield includes things
like cutting the script and a seperate section for the first
rehearsal.

The percentages reveal:

Canfield Dean
Cutting the Script 13% 0%
Casting and Tryouts 10% 26%
First Reading 8% 0%
Rehearsals 69% 74%

(includes directing the play)
It is apparent that Dean puts more stock in the old maxim, casting
is everything, than Canfield does. It is also a shame that no one
has taken Dietrich’s advice about evaluation after the

performances.

Unique Feature

Canfield’s appendix on the Collegiate Theatre is interesting.
All of the previous authors were teachers in universities, yet
Canfield is the first to address the problems inherent in directing
in academia.

In this section, he discusses many of the problems in being
both director and teacher. To his credit, he also comes up with
more than one solution to this sidebar in theatrical work.

This appendix takes up seven percent of the book, a large slice for

an appendix to a textbook.

46

Conclusion

Easily the best writing of this group, the text reads like a
good storyu 'The sections (n1 script analysis. blocking inui the
Collegiate Theatre are particularly good. It is easy to see why
people value this book.

The problems of this textbook are twofold. It is definitely
not a textbook for beginners since it makes large assumptions about
previous knowledge. The second is, that although well-written, it
has neither the amount of information, nor the breadth of
information that the Dean book does. Ultimately, this may have been
a contributing factor for why such a popular textbook is now out of

print.

47

Chapter Three

The Middle Texts

Play Directing
By Francis Hodge Prentice Hall 1971

383 Pages 5th Edition Prentice Hall 1994

A Brief History

This textbook, published in 1971, is presently the most used
directing textbook in the country. It is second to the Dean book in
number of copies in print, and has just gone into it’s fifth
edition. Stressing director/actor and director/designer
communication and script analysis, it has carved a strong niche for
itself in the theatrical academic world.

The author, Francis Hodge, has had a long and distinguished
career in the university theatrical world. Granted his PHD from
Cornell in 1948, he went to the University of Texas in Austin as a
professor in 1949. He spent the next thirty years there as a
teacher, working with such theatrical luminaries as.Oscar Brockett,
Coleman Jennings, Lucy Barton and Araund Harris. He retired as

Professor Emeritus in 1979.

The Analysis
The subtitle of this textbook seems to relay the author’s
feelings about what directing is about, "Analysis, Communication

and Style." In the introduction to this text, Hodge states:

48

directing is not merely a director’s own doing
but his stimulation and arrangment of the doing of
others, a very complicated process requiring many
exceptional skills of its own. This book therefore
rests on the premise that a high level of specialized
training is absolutely neccessary..." (Hodge, 1)
In the introduction he goes on to say:
"The purpose of this book, then, is to lay out the
director’s job as specifically and completely as
possible. If the work seems to extensive, if it seems
to invade fields, such as acting and designing...
you may be thinking of directing in a much too limited
way. There are no halfway measures about this job."
(Hodge, 2)
The book goes on to back this up with extensive sections on work
with the director’s many co-workers, including actors and

designers.

Content
The breakdown of percentages in the four areas of analysis

compared to Dean reveals:

Hodge Dean
Script Analysis (2 sections) 38% 0%
Demonstrations 9% 20%

Illustrations 10% 10%

49

Production Procedure 2% 6%
The script analysis in this text comes from two different sections,
in two seperate areas of the text. The demonstrations are called
exercises in this text and Hodge gives them great credence. He also
is the first since Dean to be concise and simple in his production
procedure section. Although quite different from the Dean book in
many ways, these numbers show more similarities than is at first
apparent.

The breakdown of Hodge’s organization reveals the following:

Hodge’s Organization:

Hodge Dean
Introduction 4% 8%
Script Analysis 13% 0%
Actor’s Work 31% 22%
Director’s Work 21% 50%
Production Procedure 2% 6%
Script Analysis 25% 0%
Future of Directors 2% 0%
Glossary 0% 8%
Bibliography 2% 0%

The Breakdown:

The introduction is short and straightforward. Hodge tries to
seperate his text from previous ones, and even includes a set of
exercises to introduce the reader to his style.

The first script analysis section uses worksheets to inhance

50

understanding. It includes worksheets (”1 play analysis. script
analysis and one on diagnostic criticism. It is a very thorough
section.

The next two sections come under one heading in this text,
Communication. The first part breaks down into The Actor's Work.
and the second part is The Director’s work. The first, taking up
thirty one percent of the book. is mostly concerned with actor
communication. Lt also includes references 11) composition and
movement. The second part, twenty one percent, is concerned with
the director’s communication with a designers preparation of
groundplans and promptbooks. It is a very thorough examination of
the director’s job, told mostly through ideas of how to
communicate.

In the next section, called Play Production, is a simple
deliniation of "doing" a play. Equating to Dean’s Production
Procedure, it is simple. maybe too much so, but fairly clear.

The final script analysis section is mostly about style work
and finding a director’s point of view. It also contains
worksheets, as did the first section.

Next is a small section on the future of directing, followed
by a complete bibliography. It fails to mention other directing
textbooks. For example, Peter Brook’s Empty Space and Harold
Clurman’s On Directing are listed under directing, but no other

directing books are cited.

51

Structure

Hodge suggests that his textbook can be used for a two year
course in directing. He states:

"A suggested approach for the first year is to work

through parts I and 11 within a period of several

weeks, with a live directing project... working

through part III... to the end. The second year can

be focused on part IV." (Hodge, 2)
He further notes:

"Some will think that the process of study outlined

in this book is a too artificial approach to directing,

but all beginning education in any field must build

from the ground up." (Hodge, 3)

Although at times hard to follow, the text does move in an
orderly fashion. The only discordant note is the strange splitting
up of the script analysis section. Maybe looking at it as a second

reminder of it’s importance makes more sense of it.

Script Analysis
This is by far the most complete treatment of this subject by
any of the authors to date. Over a third of this text is taken up
with script analysis, and in essence it begins and ends this book.
The sections are in-depth and give plenty of examples to help the
reader discover the uses of analysis.

The use of worksheets seems to be helpful, although the

ability to put them into practice will depend on the teacher. An
example of a Play Analysis Worksheet follows:
"V. Idea

A. Meaning of the title

B. Philosophical statements in the play.

C. Implications of the action.

D. For the scene in preparation: Cite it’s purpose and

use in the play." (Hodge, 64)

Other headings in this worksheet are GivenISircumstances, Dialogue,
Dramatic Action, Characters, Tempos, and Mood. Hodge also makes a
distinction between interpretation and analysis, one being

emotional and the other physical.

Demonstrations

Called exercises in this text, they are scattered throughout
and are used to a fuller advantage than any author since Dean. To
give a feel of them, the following are three examples from three
totally different sections of this text. The first is from the
introduction, the second from the script analysis section and the
third is from the actor’s work.

"1. What is a dramatic poet? Why is a modern writer

of drama in prose also a dramatic poet?" (Hodge, 12)

"6. Analyze the principal characters in a study play

by applying the technique that has been suggested:

desire, will, moral stance, decorum, summary

53

objectives, character-mood-intensity." (Hodge. 46)
"3. What is the basic meaning of the full—back position?
The full-front? Either profile?" (Hodge, 97)
The, exercises are fullsome. and quite at feur bear a striking

resemblance to the ones found in Dean’s book.

Illustrations
The illustrations in this book have not improved on the
previous texts. Out of the ten percent illustrations take up in
this book, the breakdown is as follows:
Drawings 60%
Pictures 40%

Below is an example of the drawings:

The pictures used are excellent and interspersed to great effect

   

throughout the book. This text has the best use so far of photos to

illustrate a point.

Production Procedure
This section draws on a lot of information already discussed
in earlier sections. It’s focus is mostly on the director/designer
relationship, trying to build the director’s ability to be a

designer. Of all the texts, this one focuses least on this area.

Unique Feature

The extensive use of worksheets is the most unique feature of
this textbook. The worksheets take up three percent of the book.
and add quite a bit to the information imparted. An example of a
worksheet was recorded earlier, but in all there are eight separate
ones.

Their greatest use is as a supplement to the teacher. They can
be lifted from the text and used later by the student who is now a
director. They are a major factor in the broad appeal of this

textbook.

Conclusion
Seemingly the most different from the Dean text of all the
books so far, this textbook actually owes a lot to the original.
Its strengths are the script analysis section, the worksheets and
its insistent desire to instill communication.
The rambling structure seems to belie Hodge’s statement about

its usefullness to beginners. Hodge also slights actual production.

The information contained, though” is a match for Dean’s book.
If you can sort out the structure, the knowledge gained will be

quite useful.

55

A Director Prepares
By Stanley L. Glenn Dickenson Pub. Co. 1973

249 Pages Out Of Print

A Brief History

This textbook had a very short life in print. Its total copies
in print was not very high either. Its inclusion in this thesis is
on the strength of its bibliographic referals. It is mentioned in
every bibliography, both directing texts and others, through the
late eighties, long after the book had gone out of print.

Written by Stanley Glenn. a professor of theatre at the
University of California at Santa Barbara, it has a unique approach
to the task of teaching directing. August Staub, in his text on
directing, had this to say about the book, "A basic approach to
directing for the beginning director. Emphasizes the work of the

director prior to rehearsal." (Staub, 215)

The Analysis
Taking the point of view that a large part of the director’s
work comes before the first rehearsal, Glenn has tried to write a
book that would fulfill a need in directing textbooks, not replace
any. Almost in direct contrast to Hodge, Glenn says in his preface:
"The contention of this book is that the director’s

obvious work at rehearsals is but the tip of the

56

iceberg in relation to his total effort to ready

a play for it’s audience... This book attempts to

reverse the emphasis so that the director’s means

of expression become a natural outgrowth of his

analytical explorations... it should be viewed as

an effort to balance the scales in the literature

of directing theory." (Glenn. i)
He also spends a lot of time speaking of and quoting Stanislavski,
and was heavily influenced by his work; as can be evidenced by the
title of his book. a direct homage to An Actor Prepares. He quotes
Stanislavski about the teaching of craft. not inspiration, a nod to

Dean and Dietrich’s introduction as well.

Content

The breakdown of percentages for the Glenn book are as

follows:
Glenn Dean
Script Analysis 39% 0%
Demonstrations 0% 20%
Illustrations 16% 10%
Production Procedure 29% 6%

(includes Actor’s Work & Director’s Work)
This text has the highest percentage of script analysis use in all
of the textbooks. It also uses illustrations frequently and in a

different way than other texts. The high number for production

procedure is an anomaly due to where director‘s and actor’s work
are put. There are no demonstrations. but suggestions run
throughout the book.

The breakdown by percentage of Glenn’s organization compared

with Dean’s reveals:

Glenn Dean
Introduction 7% 8%
Script Analysis 39% 0%
Director/Designer Work 24% 0%
Production Procedure 29% 78%

(includes Actor’s Work & Director’s Work)

Bibliography 1% 0%

Glossary 0% 8%
The Breakdown:

The introduction includes the function of the director and a
small section on the evolution of the modern director. It has a
more personal feel than many of the previous texts.

The section on Script Analysis is complete and comprehensive.
It covers areas not mentioned in preceeding;directing textbooks. It
will be covered in more detail later.

The next section covers the director/designer relationship. It
has parts about groundplanning, rendering and prop work. It is a
well-written part, unlike many in the previous textbooks.

Production Procedure covers not only putting on a play, but

the actor’s work and the director’s work.

Structure

Set up like the approach a director takes when tackling a show
for the first time. this structure is unique, and possibly quite
useful. The first sixty three percent of the book is taken up with
work before the first rehearsal. This is laid out in a
straightforward and effective manner.

The text is also heavily footnoted. over three percent is
taken up with just footnotes. These are interspersed throughout and
emphasize the learning process. They do tend, though, to break up
the flow.

As with some previous texts, Glenn leads off with script
analysis. This has become the trend and lends itself to excellent

progression through the text.

Script Analysis
A lengthy section, this is the best thing the text has to
offer. Glenn is the first to go into detail on the importance of
research. He discusses research into the author, the time period
and the style of the piece. The footnoting helps in this process,
presenting other areas of research for the reader.
The thirty nine percent that this section takes up is broken
down the following way:
Internal 75%
External 25%

These numbers are almost opposite those of the Canfield text,

59

which placed ttm: most emphasis on the external. The internal
includes plot. character. style and language. External involves

research, punctuation, vocabulary and milieau.

Demonstrations
There are no demonstrations in this text. Many times Glenn
makes suggestions. tun; not in :1 formal way. 1k: does include.
though, nuuur tables and worksheets. Things like a promptbook
section, a cost estimate worksheet. an audition form, and a twelve
page part of his own promptbook for MacBeth including his subtext.

These things could be thought of as demonstrations.

Illustrations
Easily the best use of illustrations in comparison to the
other texts analyzed so far, Glenn uses many different types. He
includes renderings, photos of original works and theatres, photos
of productions and line drawings. They are scattered throughout and
enhance the seperate sections greatly.
The illustrations themselves are still of the same caliber as

previous texts. Below is an example:

07 z

60

Production Procedure
The breakdown by percentage of the sections of the twenty nine

percent this part takes up is as follows:

Glenn Dean
Casting 18% 26%
Rehearsal Organization 10% 26%
Directing (includes Dir. Work) 65% 48%
Performance 7% %

The section on directing incorporates actor’s work and director’s
work. The equivalent of the five fundamentals are covered here,
using production as the guidepost. Working and communicating with
actors also exists in this section.

Although cumbersome because of its size, and limited as well
because of its size, this is at least a new way to think about the
work of the director. It does tend to muddy things like a rehearsal
schedule, because it is so inclusive.

Glenn has taken a page from Dietrich by suggesting ways to
evaluate the performance to help in the next attempt. This is a

welcome addition.

Unique Feature
Included in the middle of this textbook, is a ten page section
of MacBeth, with dialogue side by side with Glenn’s look at the
subtext. It is an excellent look at approaching Shakespeare. and

although a little advanced for beginning directors, it is a helpful

61

look at an important part of script analysis.
An example follows:
MacBeth
And Thane of Cawdor too. Went it not so?
Subtext
They also said "Cawdor." Think it's a joke?
(Glenn, 68)
It takes up almost three percent of the text, but appears to be

useful and an interesting addition to this book.

Conclusion

Even though this text had a short time in print, it is a
unique attempt. Its strengths are tfll excellent script analysis
section, strong illustrations and a different view of directing
than put forth before.

Its weaknesses are a strange structure and a lack of work with
the essentials; for example, composition, movement, and other
director’s tools.

Its uniqueness would suggest that it would be a good

supplement to more mainstream textbooks.

Creative Play Direction
By Robert Cohen & John Harrop Prentice Hall 1974

299 Pages 2nd Edition Prentice Hall 1984

A Brief History

Published originally in 1974. this text has been a strong
seller for twenty years. One of the co—authors, Robert Cohen has
sustained a reputation in academic publication. He wrote Acting
Professiongjly in 1972. a book in it’s fifth edition at present; he
also wrote the acting text, Acting,Power, in 1977. It too, is still
in print and used consistently around the country.

Dr. Cohen received his DFA from Yale University (where one of
his professors was Curtis Canfield) in 1965. He then became a
professor at the University of California in Irvine, where he has
remained to this day. In 1974, he joined with John Harrop, a
theatre professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara,
to publish this directing text.

In their preface the authors say, "Finally. while both authors
of this book are responsible for generating every word herein, the
sections on interpretation and composition were first drafted by
Robert Cohen. and those on acting and style by John Harrop."

(Cohen & Harrop, x)

63

The Analysis

In the preface to their book. the authors say the following:

"This book examines and illuminates the art and process

of play directing, not as performed by any single

director or school of directors. but from a creative

approach, with an eye to a wide variety of options.

We believe that directing is a creative rather than

an imitative act... The quality of the director is

ultimately determined by the choices he makes, not

by the precepts he follows." (Cohen & Harrop, ix)
Although they talk about creativity instead of craft, they harken
back to Gallaways quote from Stanislavski about not creating a
method. This text also follows Dean quite closely, closer than any

other previous text.

The Content

The breakdown by percentage in this text are as follows:

Cohen & Harrop Dean
Script Analysis 8% 0%
Demonstrations 0% 20%
Illustrations 18% 10%
Production Procedure 8% 6%

The script analysis section is short and to the point, as is the
production procedure area. There are no demonstrations, but the use

of illustrations is heavy and good.

64

The percents for the organization of the text reveals:

Cohen & Harrop Dean
Introduction 7% 8%
Script Analysis ’% 0%
The Director’s Work 40% 50%
The Actor‘s Work 16% 22%
Style 20% 0%
Production Procedure 8% 6%
Glossary 0% 8%
Bibliography 1% 0%

The Breakdown:

The introduction goes back to the idea of defining theatrical
art. It also includes a history of the modern director, and a
description of his function.

The script analysis section is called interpretation. It is a
precise section, well thought out and simple.

The director’s work here is called composition. It
incorporates most of the five fundamentals under the subheading
blocking. There is a nice section on rhythm, the best since Dean,
under the subheading audial composition.

The actor’s work section is called the actor. Most of it’s
space is givenover to the different styles of acting that have
grown up over the years. In essence, the entire section is about
communicating with actors.

The section entitled style discusses the different types of

O.
U]

theatre that can be done. Realism. naturalism. historical plays.
and others styles are discussed in great detail.
Production Procedure is an appendix, straightforward and

simplistic. but very useful.

Structure
In their preface. the authors describe the structure of their

book:

"The book is divided into an introduction, an

appendix. and four central parts, which deal in

turn with interpretation, composition, acting, and

style. Although these may be distinguished as the

four central concerns of play directing, no academic

organization should obscure their total interdepen-

dence. The order in which topics are discussed is

customary, but certainly not sacred. (Cohen & Harrop, ix)
Although this seems to be rationalizing their structure, it is, in
fact, a solid one. Setup much like the Dean book, we go from the
general to the specific. The hardest thing about the structure is
in the naming of the subheadings. The vocabulary they use is new,
making the areas hard to find. There will be more discussion of

vocabulary later.

Script Analysis

Called interpretation. this section is one of the weaker in

66

this textbook. It rambles from one topic to another. and doesn‘t
fIOW' well. The vocabulary they use is often antique, using
intrinsic and extrinsic rather than internal and external. merely
blocks the point rather than illuminating it. This is definitely

not a section for the beginner.

Demonstrations
There are no demonstrations in this book, and it reads far
more like a lecture than a discussion. Using no worksheets or
tables lends itself to the effect of a teacher lecturing to a
class. The authors do use script passages, especially from Hamlet,

which appears helpful.

Illustrations
The illustrations in this text are almost exclusively
pictures, ground plans and renderings. While there are no line
drawings, the authors effectively use photographs for that purpose.
The photographs serve to illustrate focus, composition and blocking
better than line drawings can. This is one of the true strengths of

this textbook, taking up almost one fifth of the book.

Production Procedure

This section appears to lack impact since there is no single

vocabulary. The information given is valid, for the most

part. but the manner of it's expression is confusing. There is an
excellent mock rehearsal schedule given, with an interesting
comment section following it. Things like casting. auditioning and

production meetings are included. as well.

Unique Feature

The section entitled working with actors, is a very
interesting part of this textbook. In it. the authors examine the
many different styles of acting that have cropped up in the last
one ‘hundred years. Among the (iifferent acting theorists they
discuss are: Stanislavski. Craig, Meyerhold, Coupeau, Artaud,
Brook, Brecht and Grotowski.

Their reason for doing this is to give the director a better
understanding of the things the actor may be doing. As the authors
say in the introduction to this section:

"The most obvious function of the director is to

supervise the rehearsal and performance of the

actors. In some cases this function is only modestly

creative, and in others the creative options are

enormous." (Cohen & Harrop, 169)

Their belief is that the work with the actors is crucial, more so
than any other function the director has.

This section takes up over eleven percent of the entire text.

They, at least, back up their belief with commitment.

Conclusion

This book is still in print and still in use. The sections on
composition and style are quite well done. and the incorporation of
photographs is a definite plus.

The things that detract are the odd vocabulary and the lack of
depth of information.

While it is a legitimate directing textbook, the lack of solid
information. and the author’s desire not to take a stand, rank it

below the Dean book. as well as many of the other texts.

69

Chapter Four

The Later Texts

The Art of Directing
By John W. Kirk & Ralph A. Bellas Wadsworth Pub. Co. 1985

237 Pages New Edition Ad Hoc Prods. 1990

A Brief History
Originally published in 1985, this textbook has a strong
history of use in undergraduate programs. A straightforward look at

the director’s "art.' it was published in a new edition by a new
publisher in 1990.

John Kirk and Ralph Bellas, at the time of publication, were
teachers at Illinois State University. John Kirk was granted his
PHD from the University of Florida in 1962. In the following thirty
some-odd years, he has been a playwright, teacher, director and
actor. In 1985, he teamed with Ralph Bellas to put into words the
information he had gathered. The result was this textbook, still
in-print, still in use.

This text was mentioned in the bibliographies of every
directing textbook published after it, including updates of the
Dean book and the Dietrich book. It also garnered listings in many
of the other theatrical textbooks following its publication.

Following the Dean book and the Hodge book, it appears to be the

most used in this country’s directing programs.

70

The Analysis

The authors note in their preface that:
" in the theatre today we see an almost desperate
need for a serious study of the theory of drama and
for the application of sound theory to practices. The
theory must be comprehensive and infused with a phil-
osophy that will guide directors in staging any play.

This book intends to meet that need. It proposes
to lay the foundations for successful directing by
examining the nature of drama and by determining ’how

a play happens’ before an audience in the theatre."

(Kirk & Bellas, xi)

Content

The breakdown of the percentages in this text in the areas of

analysis reveals:

Kirk & Bellas
Script Analysis 19%
Demonstrations 2%
Illustrations 6%
Production Procedure 20%

Dean

0%

20%

10%

6%

In this textbook, the demonstrations are called exercise, and while

few, they are superb. The illustrations are a mixed bag.

production procedure section is long and involved.

The

71

The breakdown of the portions in the organization by Kirk &

Bellas reveals:

Kirk & Bellas Dean
Introduction 10% 8%
Script Analysis 19% 0%
The Director’s Work 18% 50%
The Actor’s Work 16% 22%
Production Procedure 20% 6%
"Hello Out There" 8% 0%
Bibliography 3% 0%
Biographical Notes 3% 0%
Glossary 3% 8%

Breakdown:

The introduction is the most informative and interesting since
Dean’s. There is the question of what a director does, but even
better is the section on the drama itself. In a section reminiscent
of Smiley’s playwriting book, the discussion is about action. It is
well done and a great addition to the book.

The section on script analysis is complete and adds to the
knowledge we have already gained.

The next section, the author’s call Action in Time and Space,
is what we have come to call The Director’s Work. It covers
movement, blocking, and composition adequately, but there is no

part on rhythm. This section seems brief.

The following section is what we call The Actor’s Work. The

1le

The

\J
to

section has a superb part on actor communication. This is an area
that has expanded in the last few texts. Once again, they ground
the work back in the idea of "action."

Production Procedure will be covered later. The same holds

true for the remainder of the text.

Structure

The book’s structure is much like that of the previous texts.
Beginning‘with script analysis and moving through to the production
procedure section. No one else has utilized the idea of covering
the actor before the director, as Dean did, but this text follows
a strict patter.

The authors say the following about the books structure:

"The book has five chapters, which should be studied in

sequence. Chapter 1 develops a theory of the nature of

the dramatic form. Chapter 2 introduces a system of play

analysis... Chapter 3 examines the director’s challenge

to design a production that reveals dramatic action in

time and space. Chapter 4 deals with the director’s

efforts to help actors in their search for character.

Chapter 5 focuses on various phases of the production

process..." (Kirk & Bellas, xii)

The structure of this textbook is very simple and straightforward.

Script Analysis
Nineteen percent of this book is taken up with script
analysis. Along with production procedure. this section takes up
the biggest part of the book. and it is one of the most
informative.
It comes at the problem of analyzing a script from the point
of view of action. from the structure... from what they call the

7

"root conflict.’ The authors use this term and Kenneth Burke’s
"Pentad" to help the director focus on the action of the play. The
words at times sound new, but the vocabulary is filled with older

words like "crises," "inciting incident.‘ and "climax."
The authors include an excellent play analysis form and use
"Hello Out There," by William Saroyan to their best advantage.

Definitely a strong section in this book, they have done for script

analysis what Dean did for Production Procedure.

Demonstrations

Called exercises in this book, the demonstrations take up only
two percent of the text. At times reading like test questions
rather than like helpful hints, they do convey the authors desire
for knowledge. The appear to need written response more often than
on your feet work.

The following are two examples from the text. The first is
from the script analysis section. the second from the blocking

(Director’s Work) section.

"5. How does crisis differ from catastrophe?"
(Kirk & Bellas, 61)
"6. Why is a character upstage of another perceived
to be in the stronger position?"
(Kirk & Bellas, 105)
It is a question of preference. but the idea expressed by Dean that

a demonstration should get you up off of your seat is a sound one.

Illustrations
Taking up six percent of the book, the authors may have found
a way to have line drawings be effective. Silhouettes are used to
indicate the relationship and position of the actors.
There are no pictures, but many forms and other helpful things

are to be found in this textbook.

Production Procedure
An excellent section, this one follows a strict course. It
begins with the analysis and concept for the play. This is the

first text to mention "concept,' a term that has come into heavy
use in theatrical vocabulary. Then it moves from tryouts through
rehearsals to performance. It also includes something that Dietrich

first raised, a post-performance evaluation.

The breakdown of percentages within this section reveals:

75

Kirk & Bellas

Prework (Analysis & Concept) 50%
Tryouts and Casting 13%
Rehearsals 26%
Performance and After 11%

This section, like almost everyone before it. also includes a

rehearsal schedule.

Unique Feature
The best way to describe the unique feature of this textbook

is "the extras.‘ Included in the text are valuable forms, a five
page prompt book section. the complete text of "Hello Out There,"
and a biographical section at the end. The text also contains,
scattered throughout, quote boxes with helpful quotes pertaining to
the section at hand.

The biographical section contains information on theatrical

personages from Aristotle through TennesseeMWilliams. Auuseful tool

for beginning directors, the bios are concise and informative.

Conclusion

An excellent text for beginning directors, this book is a

strong addition to the group of texts we have talked about. It’s

strengths are good organization, a strong script analysis section

and the many useful extras. The only drawback is the quantity of

information given is not quite up to the Dean standard.

The Director’s Vision
By Louis E. Catron Mayfield Pub. Co. 1989

Pages 344 Still in Print

A Brief History
Written by professor of theatre at William and Mary College,
Louis Catron, this big, sprawling textbook has gotten some
favorable reviews from teachers around the country. Focusing on the

t

the book travels from what the subtitle terms-

!

director’s "vision,'
- "Analysis to Production."

Louis Catron was granted his PHD from Southern Illinois
University in Carbondale in 1966. Since that time he has been a
professor at William and Mary. He is the author of a previous
theatrical text on playwriting, Writing, Producingm_pnd Selling
Your Play. Published in 1984 by Prentice Hall, this text is still
in print and a widely respected book on the craft of playwriting.
He is also a working playwright, publishing many works since his
early days at William and Mary. His one act play, Where Hgye All
The Lightning Bugs Gone? is a staple at one act festivals and in
high schools around the country.

Still too new to have a record as a textbook, it is mentioned
in two newer directing texts and in the newest editions of two
respected Introduction to Theatre texts. It also is mentioned in

the newest edition of the Dean textbook.

The Analysis

From his preface. Catron explains his desire for this
textbook:

"As we accumulate experience we learn that there is

no single way to direct, no set of iron-clad rules

that guarantee we will achieve a quality production,

and no assurance that what satisified us with our last

production will be satisfactory with the next. But with

experience we learn a methodology, which is one

essential focus of this text." (Catron, viii)
In words that vary considerably. this statement is not really so
far from what Dean talked about when he said the idea was to learn

how to do it and the creativity would take care of itself.

Content
The breakdown by percentage of the areas of analysis in the

Catron book reveals:

Catron Dean
Script Analysis 31% 0%
Demonstrations 6% 20%
Illustrations 19% 10%
Production Procedure 17% (50%) 6%

The production procedure section really takes up half of the book,

but the author has put both the director’s and the actor’s work

section inside this one, so it is possible to deliniate which is

which. The percentage of script analysis is comparable to those
directing textbooks representative of the early seventies era.
Demonstrations and illustrations both play an important part in
this text.

The breakdown by organization compared to the Dean text is as

follows:

Catron Dean
Introduction 10% 8%
Script Analysis 31% 0%
Production Procedure 17% 6%
The Actor’s Work 13% 22%
The Director’s Work 14% 50%
Problem Solving 6% 0%
Bibliography 5% 0%
Glossary 4% 8%

The introduction provides the neccessary definition of
"vision," as Catron sees it. It also contains ideas about the
function and responsibility of the director. He even has a play on
the Dean text by using the five functions of the director, lumping
the five fundamentals into one category. According to Catron, the
five functions of a director are:

"Artistic Unification

Representing the Playwright

Representing the Audience

Organizing a Working Process

Working with Performers"
(Catron, xi)
These are analagous to other terms that we have used, such as
analysis. director‘s work and actor’s work.

The script analysis section is very complete. It is followed
by what could loosely be called production procedure, a full half
of the book. But it is easier to break it into its seperate
categories.

The actor’s work section comes before the director’s umrk
section, just as it did in the Dean book. It relies heavily on
communication. similarly to the Hodge book. The director’s work
section includes a five page part on rhythm. Not as in depth as in
Dean, it still is the first attempt in a while to tackle that
subject. The text ends with the unique feature of this book, a
section on problm solving.

The bibliography and the glossary are easily the best we have
encountered. The bibliography is complete and deliniated.
mentioning the Dean, Dietrich, Glenn, Hodge, Cohen & Harrop and
Kirk & Bellas texts favorably. The glossary is the best one to
date, both up-to—date and concise, it would be valuable for any

theatre artisan.

Structure

The structure of this text is unique. The production

80

procedure follows analysis and leads into the actor's and
director’s work. This comes from the fact that both of those
section fall inside the large production procedure section. You can
see where this might work for a more advanced director, or for

someone who is going to direct a show with little or no experience.

Catron says about his own strucutre, the following:
"Part One begins an examination of fundamental
definitions and the director’s responsibilities...

Part Two offers a logical method for analyzing a play...
Part three discusses aspects of pre-planning... Part

Four describes working with actors... (Catron, viii)
Another thing that Catron believes is that the book needs to be a
mere guideline. In the preface he says, "You will want to shape

this book to your particular theories and approaches." (Catron,

viii)

Script Analysis
This section, very deep and thorough, is broken down into six
areas. Catron has used the following subheadings to discuss script
analysis; Action, Character, Thought, Language, Sound and
Spectacle. These are the original Aristotelian words and Catron is
the first to use as part of his basic idea about analysis. Others
have refered to them obliquely. but he is the first to use them as

the basis of his work.

Cf.)
.—

He also incorporates at the end of the section. a small part
about different styles. very reminiscent of Cohen and Harrop.
An excellent section. it could be pulled out and used in a

playwriting class, as well as in most any other theatrical class.

Demonstration

Called exercises in his text. Catron uses them fully
throughout the text. They appear to be a mix of lecture, test-type
questions. and get up off of your seat ones. Every chapter ends
with a selection of exercises.

The followng two quotes are from seperate exercises. The first
is from the Spectacle section of script analysis and the other is
from the rhythm section of the director’s work section.

"5. Can the play take place in an environment other

than that specified by the playwright, or is that

particular environment essential? What other environment

is possible or why is that particular environment

essential?" (Catron, 137)

"3. Practice tapping a pencil against a desk until you

believe you have discovered the rhythm of the play you

are directing. Take that rhythm into rehearsals and

communicate it to your performers." (Catron, 292)

The demonstrations are thorough and a superb addition to this text.

They are the best of what both Dean and Kirk & Bellas had to offer.

Illustrations
This book is ilul (of mostly pictures. photographs used to
illustrate the points the author is trying to make. Their use is
superb. The illustrations in this text. though. are very similar to

the previous texts. An example is drawn below:

 

The textbook uses many renderings and ground plans as well.

Production Procedure

This section takes up a goodly portion of this book. Even if
you take out the director and actor’s work section, it is almost
one fifth of the entire textbook. It is well thought out, and a
very complete section. In it are examples of promptbooks, rehearsal
schedules and other informative things.

It’s placement is interesting, as well. Coming right after
script analysis gives it a stronger emphasis than in other texts.
The opposite also holds true, in burying the actor and director’s
work sections inside here, the author has deemphasized them.

The breakdown of percentages within that seventeen percent is
as follows:

Catron

Tryouts 25%

Casting 40%

83

Rehearsal Planning 35%
The most fascinating thing about this section. is a form the author
has included. It is called “A Guideline For Fairness in Casting."
This is a first for these textbooks. Catron is also the first to

include a sound plot in his textbook.

Unique Feature

This textbook includes a problem solving section. following
the rest of the text. Taking up six percent of the book, it is an
interesting addition to this textbook. Set up in a question/answer
format, it tackles such problems as overrehearsing, vocal problems
and lack of actor contact.

This is one of the best of the unique features in all of the
textbooks. It’s setup is strong, and it makes you wish other

previous texts had used this idea.

Conclusion

A big, sprawling work, this text contains more information
than most of the books we have dealt with. It has a strong script
analysis section, excellent use of photos, and an interesting
problem solving section. It’s structure is also a point in it’s
favor.

It’s only problem may be that there is too much information
dispensed for the beginning director. A strong editing job would be

needed for the teacher of a directing class.

U— -

Directing Plays
By Stuart Vaughan Longman Press 1993

355 Pages Still in Print

A Brief History

This recent textbook. published last year, is the first
textbook we have analyzed by a working professional, not a theatre
professor. There have been others by professionals. Arthur Hopkins
and the Gilmor and Brown texts, and many of the teachers have
worked in the professional theatre. But, Stuart Vaughan is the
first to write one from the professionals point of view.

Stuart Vaughan was the original Artistic Director of the New
York Shakespeare Festival, and later was it’s resident director. He
has directed all over the world. and was the artistic director of
the famed Phoenix Theatre for many years. He has taught at
colleges, as well, including the University of Alabama and Florida
State University. He is a playwright as well, publishing many
scripts and some translations of Ibsen. Goldoni and Feydeau.

The subtitle of this textbook is "A Working Professional’s
Method." It is too early for it to have a sales history, use
history, or bibliographic references; but the early response from
teachers has been positive. Only time will tell the place it will

hold in the pantheon of directing textbooks.

00
U:

The Analysis
Vaughan says quite a bit about directing in his introduction.
Among the things he says are:
"The director is the one person in the theatre who
can have a successful career without knowing his job."
(Vaughan. 1)
"The director's work takes place during the preparation
and rehearsal process. and no one can discern from viewing
the finished product... what the director’s contribution
really was." (Vaughan, 2)
"The directing skills I attempt to codify here are simply
tools, to help those who have some talent for this most
complex of crafts to achieve more immediate access to
their own gifts and to employ them to even better effect."
(Vaughan, 7)
This text then, while so very different in many ways, harkens back

to Dean in it’s desire to teach the tools of directing.

Content
Because of the unique structure to this book, deliniating the
various sections was difficult. Having said that, the percentages
in the areas of analysis reveals:
Vaughan Dean
Script Analysis 19% 0%

Demonstrations 3% 20%

86

Illustrations 22% 10%
Production Procedure 27% (83%) 6%

The entire book is set up like a pmoduction procedure. so that
number is suspect. The illustrations are profuse and helpful. The
script analysis section is well done.

To break the text down into it's omganizathni was also a
difficult task. Some of the sections wrap around others. or might
be included in seperate sections. The breakdown of percentages. as

accurate as possible, reveals:

Vaughan Dean
Introduction 6% 8%
Script Analysis 19% 0%
Design Work 8% 0%
Production Procedure 27% 6%
The Director’s Work 14% 50%
The Actor’s Work 12% 22%
Directing For The Theatre (Career) 3% 0%
Appendix 11% 0%
Glossary 0% 8%

The Breakdown:

The introduction includes a personal history of why the author
got into the theatre. It also includes the requisite answers to
function and responsibility questions.

The section on the director’s work includes composition,

blocking and other of the five fundamentals, but they are only

87

quickly covered. The actor’s work includes a section on two very
popuhar newer words. the ”technical actor" versus the "nmthod

actor.’ It also leans heavily on communication.
The appendix includes everything from promptscripts to prop
lists. It is the unique feature, other than the structure, of this

text and will be covered more later.

Structure

Easily the most unique of all the textbooks we have covered,
the structure of this book is like one long production procedure.
In order, Vaughan goes from analysis, to casting, staging,
rehearsals, through to the performances. Each of the individual
sections needs to be pulled out of this structure to be dealt with
seperately.

While this structure lends itself to the person trying to
mount a production for the first time, it’s use to a teacher is
more suspect. Yet, it covers the ground thoroughly, the only caveat
being the teacher would have to make of their own mind about

whether the order fits their needs.

Script Analysis
Included in this section are areas about types of drama,
different styles and the differences between clssical and modern

plays. The actual work on analyzing the script is weaker here than

in the previous textbooks.
This text does include 21 good section (M1 the selection of
scripts. harkening back to this type of work in the Gallaway text.

The breakdown of the nineteen percent is as follows:

Vaughan
Selection 15%
Types of Drama 37%
Styles of Drama 15%
Analysis 33%

As you can see, only one third of this section is devoted to

the actual analyzing of a play.

Demonstrations
Vaughan says this about the use of demonstrations (exercises)
in his own text:
"I hope that instructors and students will find the
text enhanced by the exercises. created by my colleague
Alexander Brietzke from the New York Shakespeare Festival,
which appear thoughout. These exercises follow a single
play, Samuel Beckett’s WaitingyFor Godot; they are designed
to allow students of directing to apply the concepts and
guidance provided in the text itself..." (Vaughan, 5)
The demonstrations are fine for what they do, but to take a play
like this one, so difficult to understand in the first place, and

use it for students, may make it tough for beginners to use these

89
exercises.

Illustrations
The most profusely illustrated book of all the ones we have
looked at. it includes everything from line drawings to pictures;
from renderings to ground plans. It's use of actual scripts and
photographs remain a great asset to the book. The illustrations. on
the other hand. still bear a remarkable resemblance to the very

first we looked at in the Dean text. An example is below:

A Q

Production Procedure

Since the entire book is set up like a production procedure.
it is easy to see that this is the most important section in the
book. Even when you break out the subsections likedirector’s work
and actor’s work, it still takes up over a quarter of the book. It
is full of anecdotes, information and actual examples from
Vaughan’s directing past. A completely thorough and exhaustive
study on the directing of a play, it tops all of the books in this
important area.

The breakdown of percentages in the twenty seven percent we

are calling production procedure reveals the following things:

90

Vaughan
Casting 23%
Pre-rehearsal 21%
Rehearsals (First Week) 19%
Rehearsals (The remainder) 18%
Techs. Dresses & Performance 19%

As you can see. an even examination of all phases of the production

process. 13K: work takes in) five chapters :hi the text, spread

around, though. not coming consecutively.

Unique Feature

The appendix to this book, taking up eleven percent of the
whole, includes working copies of many things the director will
need. Vaughan has used actual copies from his productions of 1p;
Tempest and King John. Included are a prompt script, rehearsal
schedule, costume plot, sound plot, lighting plot, prop list and a
ground plan.

This feature is an excellent tool for young directors, being
a true example of the director’s work. taken from someone working
in the professional theatre.

Vaughan also includes a short section on stage directing as a
career. He covers everything from educational theatre. through
community theatre on to professional directing. It is simple, but

informative, even if a little naive about educational theatre.

91

Conclusion

Vaughan's approach is different from the other textbooks that
have been analyzed in this study. This textbook has a strong
section on production procedure. an interesting structure. and far
more anecdotes than any of the preceeding textbooks.

It’s only drawback is the rather cumbersome nature of it’s
structure. While fascinating to the professional. within an
educational setting. this textbook might be better suited as a

supplement to another directing textbook.

Chapter Five

Conclusion

 

The texts covered in this thesis range over a period of fifty
years. All save the last one were written by practicing teachers of
the craft of stage direction. Similarities in the texts are
strikingly evident.

Despite their (jifferences i1) style aunt time ‘period. each
includes much the same information. The respective authors call
them by separate names, but areas such as composition, movement,
blocking and rhythm have not changed. Some books have compacted
them or put them together; but when it comes to using the triangle,
blocking a violent scene or adjusting the rhythm of a scene, the
basic ideas remain the same. The concerns labeled The Director’s
Work, whether taking up fifty percent of the text as in Dean, or
fourteen percent as in Catron, have not altered in content.

While content remains the same, there has been a remarkable
expansion of the treatment of script analysis: from the lack of
coverage in the Dean book, to the almost forty percent in the Glenn
book. This increase can be attributed to two reasons.

The first is due. in part, to the phenomenal success of what
is known as "The Method" school of acting. The impact that this
acting style has had on American theatre cannot be underestimated.
It has caused an entire generation of actors to go back to the text

and ask the simple question "why?" In so doing. it has compelled an

93

entire generation of directors to do the same. Rather than be faced
with telling an actor "I don’t know." or "because I told you to."
(not as uncommon as it might sound) the modern director has found
the need to go back and truly study the script as literature. Thus.
the need for script analysis has grown with the rise of "The
Method."

The second reason is due to the way we teach young directors.
Until fifty years ago, or so, directors were taught the way actors
were. They watched their older, more experienced brethren do the
work, then imitated it. Apprentices watched the masters work. then
took over the job at the appointed time. When the teaching of
directing became the job of academics, a.more organized pedogogical
model was adopted. Since dramtic literature had long been neglected
by academic methodologies, it seemed appropriate to subsume these
techniques into the study of texts for directors. Plays as
literature became the director’s domain.

Further; the three textbooks that remain at the top of the use
list; Dean & Carra, Hodge, and Kirk & Bellas, all have something
vital in common: a simple structure. From point A to point Z, they
follOW'like a prescription the structure of the original Dean book.
They read like a primer. easy to use for the classroom, with very
few deviations from the original source.

There has also been a complete lack of growth in the area of

illustrations. In pointing out the basic illustrations used in each

text, I have tried to show that even with the advance in media

94

technology. directing textbooks have IMJI come into tin: present.
With IJKE future possibilities cfl‘ holograms cn' high definition
pictures. perhaps directing textbooks can incorporate these
advances into future publications.

With the concentration of the teaching of directing in the
universities. the textbooks have become more like handbooks. The
task of teaching many of our young directors has fallen to the
textbook itself. and the handbook approach seems to fill this need.
It is also, quite possibly. the easier way to write a text. This
may make directing more accessible, but it also may make directing
more rigid.

The final point to be made, is that with all of the
information handed out in these textbooks. the authors still talk
about theatre as if it were all being done on a proscenium stage.
Carra added a chapter in the newer additions on Arena staging, and
Dietrich touched on the same in the middle of a chapter, but the
general concensus is that all of these texts are for the proscenium
director. Guerilla Theatre, Environmental Theatre, Arena Theatre,
and even Thrust Staging are an integral part of the modern
theatrical landscape, yet none of these writers affords space to
this kind of work.

It would be easy to dismiss this point and say that anyone
could adjust their work 1x) fit these other spaces, but the
mindset for environmental theatre is completely different from that

of the picture frame stage. Further study could

95

concentrate on the differences in directing for alternate spaces.

The next stage in the study of the art of directing. is to
find a way to activate it : taking the knowledge gained in this
analysis of directing textbooks, I would like to generate
information on the actual teaching of directing. Combining the work
in the classroom with a study of how other teachers assault this
tough area. could uncover exciting results. More than once during
the course of my research. I heard the phrase. "You can’t teach

H

directing. I believe the time spent in researching the possible
truth of this statement, from differing viewpoints, would be time

well spent.

On a personal note, I have found during this study, a growing
(albeit a grudging) respect for the textbook writer. I began my
work with a strong opinion about the art of directing, and the
craft of teaching it, but very little regard for the writing of
it’s textbooks. In this process, I have come to understand that
writing a "good" directing textbook, may be as tough as directing

a "good" production.

Script Anal. Demos
Dean 0% 20%
Dietrich 9% %
Gallaway 10% 5%
Canfield 13% 0%
Hodge 38% 9%
Glenn 39% 0%
Cohen & Harrop 8% 0%
Kirk & Bellas 19% 2%
Catron 31% 6%
Vaughan 19% 3%
Median Numbers 19% 5%
Categories: Script Analysis, Demonstrations,

96
Appendix

TABLE 1

Areas of Analysis

A

and Production Procedure.

Illus.

10%

Q'
/0

\J
3‘!

8%

10%

16%

18%

6%

19%

22%

12%

Prod. Pro.

6%

18%

2%

29%

8%

20%

17% (50%)

27% (83%)

19% (27%)

Illustrations,

Dean

Dietrich

Gallaway

Canfield

Hodge

Glenn

Cohen & Harrop

Kirk & Bellas

Catron

Vaughan

Median Numbers

97

TABLE 2

Structural Content Analysis

Intro

8%

14%

4%

10%

4%

7%

7%

10%

10%

6%

8%

Dir.

50%

26%

40%

30%

21%

19%

40%

18%

14%

14%

27%

Work

Work

22%

31%

2%

16%

16%

13%

12%

18%

Glos.

8%

0%

0%

0%

3%

4%

0%

2%

Bib.

0%

2%

1%

1%

3%

5%

0%

1%

Categories: Introduction, Director’s Work, Actor’s Work, Glossary,

and Bibliography.

98
TABLE 3

Total Director's Work Percentages

Dir. Work + Script Anal. = Total %
Dean 50% 0% 50%
Dietrich 26% 9% 35%
Gallaway 40% 10% 50%
Canfield 30% 13% 43%
Hodge 21% 38% 59%
Glenn 19% 39% 58%
Cohen & Harrop 40% 8% 48%
Kirk & Bellas 18% 19% 37%
Catron 14% 31% 45%
Vaughan 14% 19% 33%
Median Numbers 27% 19% 45%

Categories: Director’s Work and Script Analysis

99
TABLE 4

Unique Feature Table

Unique Feature Percent
Dietrich Motivational Unit 4%
Gallaway Stanislavski Method —--
Canfield Collegiate Theatre 7%
Hodge Worksheets (8) 4%
Glenn MacBeth Script w/subtext 3%
Cohen & HarrOp Acting Style Descriptions 11%
Kirk & Bellas Biographical Information 3%
Catron Problem Solving Section 6%
Vaughan Appendix Info 11%

(Worksheets, ground plans, etc)

Median Number 6%

Appendix A
Publication Timeline

This timeline will surround the directing textbooks with other
publications that had influence in that time period. Most of the
books listed are theatrical texts, but some are outside the realm
of theatre. Yet each one has had an effect on theatre.

All ten of the directing textbooks dealt with in this book
will be in bold face. Other textbooks specifically about directing
will be marked. Major reissues are also included in this timeline.

Note: The publication dates are as accurate as possible in a
terribly inaccurate field, and they are of the English language
version of the book.

The Early Years
1800’s to 1920

 

 

l§2§
S. H. Butcher "Aristotle’s Theory of Poetry and Fine Art"
1299
Sigmund Freud "The Interpretation of Dreams"
L913
E. K. Chambers "The Medieval Stage" (2 vols.)
1910
Brander Matthews "A Study of the Drama"
George Bernard Shaw "The Quintessence of Ibsenism"
1911
Edward Gordon Craig "On The Art of the Theatre"
1913

Lane Cooper "Aristotle on the Art of Poetry"

101

1913 (con°t.)

 

 

 

 

Henri Bergson "Laughter"

Edward Gordon Craig "Towards a New Theatre"
1918

* Arthur Hopkins ”How’s Your Second Act?" *

1919

George Pierce Baker "Dramatic Techniques"

David Belasco "Theatre Through the Stage Door"

1921 to 1930

1_9_2-1

E. K. Chambers "The Elizabethan Stage" (4 vols.)
_1_9_2_£1

Constantin Stanislavski "My Life in Art"

Reissue of Craig’s "On the Art of the Theatre"

 

122;
Barrett H. Clark "European Theories of the Drama"
1229 .
*Alexander Dean "Little Theatre Organization and
Management" *
lilfi
George Bernard Shaw "The Art of Rehearsal"
* John Dolman "The Art of Play Production" *
1931 to 1940
1221
Allardyce Nicoll "Masks, Mimes, and Miracles"

Stanley McCandless "A Syllabus of Stage Lighting"

 

 

 

 

102

Lee Simonson "The Stage is Set"

Harley Granville-Barker "The Prefaces to Shakespeare"

(2 vols.)

Richard Boleslavski "Acting: The First Six Lessons"

Harley Granville-Barker "A Study of the Drama"

Constantin Stanislavski "An Actor Prepares"

Morris Houghton "Moscow Rehearsals"

Allardyce Nicoll "The Development of the Theatre"

Gilmor Brown & Alice Garwood "General Principles of Play

Direction"*
Lucy Barton "Historic Costume For The Stage"

Allen Crafton "Play Directing" *

1941 to 1950

Alexander Dean "The Fundamentals of Play Directing" *

Mordecai Gorelick "New Theatres For Old"

Robert Edmund Jones "The Dramatic Imagination"
George Freedley & John Reeves "A History of the Theatre"

Richard Corson "Stage Makeup"

 

 

 

 

103

Harold Clurman "The Fervent Years"

Reissue of Stanislavski’s "An Actor Prepares"

Ben W. Brown "Upstage-Downstage:Directing the Play" *

Reissue of Granville-Barker’s "Prefaces to Shakespeare"

Reissue of Clark's "European Theories of the Drama"

Milton Smith "Play Production" *
Milia Davenport "Book of Costumes" (2 vols.)

Reissue of Dolman’s "The Art of Play Production" *

Francis Ferguson "The Idea of a Theatre"
Constantin Stanislavski "Building a Character"
Rudolph von Laban "The Mastery of Movement on the Stage"

1951 to 1960

Margo Jones "Theatre-in-the-Round"

Reissue of Stanislavski’s "My Life in Art"

Major Dawley "Directing is Fun" *

John Dietrich "Play Direction" *

John Gassner "Producing the Play" *

 

*

 

 

 

104
(con’t.)

First Reissue of Dean’s "The Fundamentals of Play Directing"*

Suzanne Langer ”Feeling and Form"

Michael Checkov "On The Technique of Acting"

C. Walter Hodges "The Globe Restored"

Nikolai Gorchakov "Stanislavski Directs'

Charles McGaw "Acting is Believing"

Reissue of Craig’s "On the Art of the Theatre"

Antonin Artaud "The Theatre and it’s Double"

Robert Lewis "Method- or Madness"

Bernard Hewitt "Theatre USA: 1668-1957"

A. S. Gillette "Stage Scenery"

Tyrone Guthrie "A Life in the Theatre"

Reissue of Corson’s "Stage Makeup"

Adolphe Appia "A Work of Living Art"
(translated by H. Albright)

1961 to 1970

"A History of the Greek and Roman

Theatre"

Margarete Bieber

Martin Esslin "Theatre of the Absurd"

 

 

*-

 

 

105
(con’t.)

Constantin Stanislavski "Creating a Role"

Reissue of Dean’s "The Fundamentals of Play Directing" *
Edwin Duerr "The Length and Depth of Acting"

Reissue of Gorelick’s "New Theatres For Old"

Curtis Canfield "The Craft of Play Directing" *
Marian Gallaway "The Director in The Theatre" *

Reissue of Stanislavski’s "An Actor Prepares"

Viola Spolin "Improvisation for the Theatre"

John Gielgud "Stage Directions"

Toby Cole & Helen Chinoy "Directors on Directing"
Toby Cole & Helen Chinoy "Directing the Play" *
Frank McMullan "The Director’s Handbook" *
Robert Brustein "Theatre of Revolt"

Marshall McLuhan "Understanding Media"

Bertolt Brecht "Brecht on Theatre"

Michel St. Denis "Theatre: Rediscovery of Style"
Jan Kott "Shakespeare Our Contemporary"

William Hobbs "The Stage Fight"

1968

 

*

 

 

106

James Roose—Evans "Directing a Play" *

"Scene Design and Stage
Lighting"

W Oren Parker & Harvey Smith

Oscar Brockett "History of the Theatre'

Peter Brook "The Empty Space"

Jerzy Grotowski "Towards a Poor Theatre"

Reissue of Esslin’s "Theatre of the Absurd"

William Goldman "The Season"

Albert & Bertha Johnson "Directing Methods" *

A. H. Maslow "Motivation and Personality"

1971 to 1980

Francis Hodge "Play Directing" *

Sam Smiley "Playwrighting: The Structure of Action"

Hardi Albright "Stage Direction in Transition" *

Harold Clurman "On Directing"

Robert Cohen "Acting Professionally"

Stanley L Glenn "A Director Prepares" *

August Staub "Creating Theatre" *

Gilbert Gordon "Stage Fights"

Douglas Russell "Stage Costume Design"

 

 

(con’t.)

Uta Hagen "Respect For Acting"

Cecily Berry "Voice and The Actor"

First Issue of Dean & Carra’s ”The Fundamentals of Play
Directing" *

Robert Cohen & John Harrop "Creative Play Direction" *

Dukore

Bernard "Dramatic Theory and Criticism"

Glynne Wickham "Medieval Theatre"

Lawrence Stern "Stage Management"

Robert Benedetti "The Actor at Work"

Donald Oenslager "Stage Design"

Kristen Linklatter "Freeing the Natural Voice"

Danny Newman "Subscribe Now!"

Morris & Hotchkiss "No Acting Please"

Michael Shurtleff "Audition"

Betty Edwards "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain"

Reissue of Dean & Carra’s "The Fundamentals of Play
Directing" *
Douglas Russell "Period Style for the Theatre"

Robert Lewis "Advice to the Players"

 

.1981

1.983

1.984

1.5985

108

(con't.)

9

Reissue of McGaw 5 "Acting is Believing"

1981 to the Present

Reissue of Benedetti's "The Actor at Work"

First Issue of Dietrich & Duckwall’s "Play Direction" *

Reissue of Cohen & Harrop’s "Creative Play Direction" *

Ronald Harwood "All The World’s a Stage"

Reissue of Goldman’s "The Season"

Marvin Carlson "Theories of the Theatre"

John Kirk & Ralph Bellas "The Art of Directing" *

Robert Benedetti "The Director at Work" *

Lawrence Carra "Controls in Play Directing" *

Glynne Wickham "History of the Theatre"

Kenworthy & Grose "A Mirror to Life: A History of Western

Theatre"
Jonathon Miller "Subsequent Performances"
"The Director as Artist" *

RH O’Neill & NM Boretz

Reissue of Hodge’s "Play Directing" *

 

109

"The Fundamentals of Play
Directing" *

Reissue of Dean & Carra’s

Louis E Catron "The Director’s Vision" *

Reissue of Kirk & Bellas’ "The Art of Directing" *

George Black "Contemporary Stage Directing" *
Felicia Londre

"History of the Theatre"

Stuart Vaughan "Directing Plays" *
Reissue of Hodge’s "Play Directing" *

Reissue of Stanislavski in new translations- "An Actor
Prepares" and "Building a Character"

110
BIBLIOGRAPHY

PRIMARY SOURCES

Canfield. Curtis. The Craft of Play Directing OP
Holt. Rinehart & Winston. New York: 1963

Catron, Louis E. The Director’s Vision
Mayfield Publishing Co. California: 1989

Cohen, Robert & John Harrop. Creative Play Direction
Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1974

Dean, Alexander. The Fundamentals of Play Directing
Holt, Rinehart & Winston. New York: 1941, 1962
(With Lawrence Carra in 1974, 1980)

Dietrich, John E. Play Direction OP
Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1953
(With Ralph W Duckwall in 1983)

Gallaway, Marian. The Director in the Theatre OP
MacMillan & Co. New York: 1963

Glenn, Stanley L. A Director Prepares OP
Dickenson Pub. Co. California: 1973

Hodge, Francis. Play Directing
Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1971

Kirk, John W. & Ralph A Bellas. The Art of Directing
Ad Hoc Prod. Inc. Illinois: 1990
(originally Wadsworth Pub. California: 1985)

Vaughan, Stuart. DirectingyPlays
Longman. New York: 1993

SECONDARY SOURCES

Albright, Hardi. Stage Direction in Transition
Dickenson Pub. Co. California: 1972

Benedetti, Robert L. The Director gt Work
Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1985

Black, George. Contemporgry Stage Directing
Holt, Rinehart & Winston. Florida: 1991

Brown, Ben W. Upstage-Downstgge: Directing the Play
Walter Baker. Boston: 1946

111

Brown, Gilmor & Alice Garwood. General Principles of Play

 

 

 

Direction. Samuel French. New York: 1937
Carra. Lawrence. Controls in Play Directing
Vantage Press. New York: 1985

Cole, Toby & Helen K. Chinoy. Eds. Directing the Play
Bobbs—Merrill. New York: 1964

 

Crafton. Allen. Play Directing
Prentice Hall. New York: 1938

 

Dawley, Major Herbert M. Directing is Fun
Samuel French. New York: 1952

Dolman. John. The Art of Play Production
Harper & Row. New York: 1928

Gassner, John. Producing the Play
Holt, Rinehart & Winston. New York: 1953

Hopkins, Arthur. How’s Your Second Act?
Samuel French. New York: 1918

Johnson, Albert & Bertha. Directing Methods
A S Barnes & Co. New York: 1970

McMullan, Frank. The Director’s Handbook
Shoe String Press. Connecticut: 1964

O’Neill, R H & N M Boretz. The Directorgps Artist
Holt, Rinehart & Winston. New York: 1987

Roose-Evans, James. Directing a Play
Theatre Arts. New York: 1968

Smith, Milton. Play Production
Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc. New York: 1948

Staub, August W. Creating Theatre
Harper & Row. New York: 1973

The books listed on the following pages were used for various
reasons. Some were for reference. some for their bibliographies and
the rest as cross-reference with the texts in the thesis itself.
have separated them into categories that are extremely general, yet
I hope list is helpful to those who wish to continue study of the

theatre in whatever area interests them.

112
On Directing

Bartow. Arthur. The Director’s Voice
TCG. New York: 1988

Brook. Peter. The Empty Space
Atheneum. New York: 1968

Brook. Peter. The Shifting Point
Harper & Row. New York: 1987

Clurman, Harold. On Directing
MacMillan a C0. New York: 1972

Cole. Toby & Helen Chinoy. Directors on Directing
Bobbs—Merrill. New York: 1964

Gielgud, John. Stage Directions
Random House. New York: 1963

Gorchakov, Nikolai. Stanislavski Directs
Funk and Wagnalls. New York: 1954

Grube, Max. The Story of the Meininger
University of Miami Press. Florida: 1963

Guthrie, Tyrone. A Life in the Theatre
McGraw Hill. New York: 1959

Guthrie, Tyrone. In Various Directions
MacMillan & Co. New York: 1965

Houghton, Norris. Moscow Reheprsals
Harcourt, Brace & Jovanovich. New York: 1936

Houseman, John. Front and Center
Simon & Schuster. New York: 1979

Hunt, Hugh. The Director in the Theatre
London: 1954

Jones, David Richard. Great Directorsgpt Work
University of California Press. California: 1986

Miller, Jonathon. Subsequent Performances
Viking. New York: 1986

Schneider, Alan. Entrgnces
Viking. New York: 1986

Acting 113

Adler. Stella. The Technique of Acting

 

Bantam. New York: 1988
Benedetti. Robert. The Actor at Work

Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1981 3rd Ed.
Boleslavski. Richard. Acting: The First 6 Lessons

 

Theatre Arts Books. New York: 1933

Chaikin. Joseph. The Presence of the Actor
Atheneum. New York: 1972

 

Chekhov. Michael. To The Actor On The Technique of Acting
Harper & Row. New York: 1953

Cohen. Robert. Acting Power
Mayfield. California: 1978

Cole. Toby Ed. Acting: A Handbook of the Stanislavski Method
Crown. New York: 1947

Cole, Toby & Helen Chinoy. Actors on Acting
Crown. New York: 1980 Rev. Ed.

Hagen, Uta and Frankel Haskel. Respect for Acting
MacMillan. New York: 1973

Hagen, Uta. A Challenge For the Actor
Scribners. New York: 1991

Lewis, Robert. Method or Madness
Samuel French. New York: 1958

McGaw, Charles. Acting is Believing
Holt, Rinehart & Winston. New York: 1980 4th Ed.

Redgrave, Michael. The Actor’s Waysggnd Means
New York: 1979

Saint-Denis, Michel. Theatre: The Redipcovery of Style
Theatre Arts Books. New York: 1976

Spolin, Viola. imporvisation for the Theatre
Northwestern University Press. Illinois: 1963

Stanislavski. Constantin. An Actor Prepgres
Theatre Arts Books. New York: 1936

Stanislavski, Constantin. Building a Character
Theatre Arts Books. New York: 1949

The Business of Acting 114

 

 

Cohen. Robert. Acting Professionaliy
National Press. California: 1972

Hunt. Gordon. How to Audition
Dramatists. New York: 1977

Shurtleff. Michael. Audition
Walker. New York: 1978
Costuming/Makeup

Barton, Lucy. Historic Costume For The Stage
Baker’s Plays. Boston: 1938

Corson. Richard. Stage Makeup
Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1981 6th Ed.

Davenport, Milia. The Book of Costume
Crown. New York: 1948 2 vols.

Laver, James. Costame Through the Ages
Simon & Schuster. New York: 1963

Russell, Douglas. Stage Costume Design
Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1973

Russell, Douglas. Period Style For The Theamre
Allyn and Bacon. Boston: 1980
General

Appia, Adolphe trans H. D. Albright. The Wopk of LivingaArt
University of Miami Press. Florida: 1960

Artaud, Antonin. The Theatre and it’s Double
Grove. New York: 1958

Bentley, Eric Ed. The Theory of the Modern Stage
Penguin. Baltimore: 1968

Brecht, Bertolt. Brecht on Theatre
Hill and Wang. New York: 1964

Brustein, Robert. Theatre of Revolt
New York: 1964

Clurman, Harold. The Fervent Years
Knopf. New York: 1945

115
Craig, Edward Gordon. On The Art of The Theatre
Theatre Arts Books. New York: 1957

 

Goldman. William. The Season
New York: 1969

 

Gorelik. Mordecai. New Theatres For Old
Samuel French. New York: 1941

Grotowski. Jerzy. Towards a Poor Theatre
Simon & Schuster. New York: 1968

Jones, Margo. Theatre—In—The-Round
HRW. New York: 1951

Jones. Robert Edmund. The Dramatic Imagination
Theatre Arts Books. New York: 1991 Rev. Ed.

Simonson, Lee. The Stage is Set
Theatre Arts Books. New York: 1963

Stanislavski, Constantin. My Life in Art
Meridian. Boston: 1956
History (American)

Hewitt, Bernard. Theatre USA
McGraw Hill. New York: 1959

Quinn, A. H. A History of the American Drama
Harper and Row. New York: 1936 2 vols.

Taubman, Howard. The Making of the American Theatre
Coward, McCann. New York: 1965

Vardac. From:Stage to Screen

History (World)

Bieber, Margarete. History of the Greek and Roman Theatre
Princeton University Press. New Jersey: 1961

Brockett. Oscar. History of the Thaatre
Allyn and Bacon. Boston: 1968

Freedley, George and John Reeves. History of the Theatre
Crown. New York: 1968 3rd Ed.

Harwood, Ronald. All The World’s a Staga
London: 1984

116
Hartnoll, Phyllis. The Theatre

 

 

Thames and Hudson. New York: 1987

kenworthy and Grose. A Mirror to Life: History of Western Theatre
London: 1985

Londre. Felicia. History of the Theatre

 

New York: 1991

Nicoll. Alardyce. The Development of the Theatre
Harcourt. Brace Jovanovich. New York: 1966

Wickham. Glynne. History of the Theatre
New York: 1985
Introduction and Reference

Corrigan. Robert. The World of The Theatre
WMC Brown Pub. Iowa: 1992 2nd Ed.

Hartnoll, Phyllis. Oxford Companion to the Theatre
Oxford. New York: 1972

Kernodle, George. Invitation to the Theatre
Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich. New York: 1967

Mordden, Ethan. Fireside Cpmpanion to the Theatre
Simon & Schuster. New York: 1988

Ommanney, Katherine & Harry Schanker. The Stage and School
McGraw Hill. New York: 1972 4th Ed.

Sporre, Dennis. The Art of Theatre
Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1993

Wilson, Edwin. The Theatre Experience
McGraw Hill. New York: 1994 6th Ed.
Lighting

Bellman, Willard. Lighting the Staga
Crowell. New York: 1974 2nd Ed.

Bentham. Frederick. The Art of Stage Lighting
Theatre Arts Books. New York: 1976 2nd Ed.

McCandless, Stanley. A Syllabus of Stage Lighting
Drama Books. New York: 1964 11th Ed.

Palmer, Richard H. The Lighting Art
Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1985

117
Sellman, Hunton & Merrill Lessley. Essentials of Stage Lighting
Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1982

Movement

Laban. Rudolf. Mastery of Movement on the Stage
McDonald and Evans. London: 1950

 

Lessac. Arthur. Body Wisdom
DBS Pub. New York: 1981

 

Shawn. Ted. Every Little Movement
Dance Horizons. New York: 1968

Stransky. Judith & Robert Stone. The Alexander Technique
Beaufort Books. New York: 1981

 

Playwriting

Archer, William. Playmaking
Small. Maynard. Boston: 1923

Bentley. Eric. The Playwright as Thinker
Atheneum. New York: 1967

Cole, Toby Ed. Playwrights on Playwriting
Hill and Wang. New York: 1990 Rev Ed.

Gallaway, Marian. Constructingaa Play
Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1950

Lawson, John Howard. Theory,and Technique of Playwriting
Hill and Wang. New York: 1960

Smiley, Sam. Playwriting: The Structure of Action
Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1971
Scenic Design

Bay, Howard. Stage Desigp
Drama Books. New York: 1978

Burian, Jarka. The Scenography,of Joseph Svoboda
Wesleyan University Press. Connecticut: 1971

Gillette, A. S. An Introduction to Scene Design
Harper & Row. New York: 1967

Motley. Theatre Props
Drama Books. New York: 1978

118
Oenslager. Donald. Stage Design
Viking. New York: 1975

 

Parker, W. Oren & Harvey Smith. Scenic Design and Stage Lighting
Holt. Rinehart & Winston. New York: 1985 5th Ed.

Simonson, Lee. The Art of Scenic Design
Greenwood. New York: 1973
Stage Combat

Blackmore, Howard. Arms and Armour
London: 1965

Gordon, Gilbert. Stage Fights
London: 1973

Hobbs, William. Stage Fight
Theatre Arts Books. New York: 1967

Wise, Arthur. Weapons in the Theatre
Longmans. London: 1968
Theory and Criticism

Brockett, Oscar & Robert Findlay. Century of Innovation
Prentice Hall. New Jersey: 1973

Carlson, Marvin. Theories of the Theatre
New York: 1984

Clark, Barrett. European Theories of the Drama
Crown. New York: 1947

Dukore, Bernard. Dramatic Theory and Criticiam
New York: 1974

Esslin, Martin. Theatre of the Absurd
Knopf. New York: 1969

Gassner. John & Ralph Allen. Theatreaand Drama in the Making
Houghton Mifflin. Boston: 1964 2 vols.

Kerr, Walter. Tragedy and Comedy
Simon & Schuster. New York: 1967

Nicoll, Alardyce. Theayregand Dramatic Theory
Barnes and Noble. New York: 1962

119
Vocal Work

Berry. Cecily. Voice and the Actor
Harrap. London: 1973

Blunt. Jerry. Stage Dialects
Chandler. California: 1967

Craig. David. On Singing Onstaga
Schirmer Books. New York: 1978

Lessac. Arthur. The Use and Training of the Human Voice
Drama Books. New York: 1967‘

Linkletter. Kristen. Freeing the Natural Voice
DBS Prod. New York: 1976

There are, of course, many more titles than this available.

was merely intended as a beginning.

OP means out of print.

This

HICH

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