Mis-Directing the Play: An Argument Against Contemporary Theatre

Arguing for a radical reorganization of the stage director's view of his role, Terry McCabe challenges the notion that a play is the director's vehicle for self-expression. The idea of the director as centerpiece of the theatre, he declares, distorts plays and oppresses the actors. Mr. McCabe explores what it means to direct a play when directing is properly understood as a process of self-effacement and faithfulness to the playwright's vision. An eminently sensible polemic delivered with cogent examples and equally cogent arguments. —Nicholas Rudall. A call to responsibility and—dare I say it?—adulthood. It is also the fuel for what could be some constructive arguments among colleagues. —Jeffrey Sweet