Directing Shakespeare in America

In this first substantive study of directing Shakespeare in the USA, Charles Ney compares and contrasts directors working at major companies across the country. Because of the complexities of directing Shakespeare for audiences today, a director's methods, values and biases are more readily perceptible in their work on Shakespeare than in more contemporary work. Directors disclose their interpretation of the text, their management of the various stages of production, how they go about supervising rehearsals and share tactics. This book will be useful to students wanting to develop skills, practitioners who want to learn from what other directors are doing, and scholars and students studying production practice and performance.

Charles Ney is a professor and Head of Directing in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Texas State University, USA. He has been artistic director at Manhattan Clearing House Contemporary Performing Arts Center, Idaho Repertory Theatre and Mary Moody Northen Theatre. Other directing credits include New York City's Working Man's Clothes Theatre, the Kennedy Center, Illinois Shakespeare Festival and Texas Shakespeare Festival.

Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The Directors and their Aesthetic Sensibilities Chapter 3: Developing an Approach Chapter 4: Research and Analysis Chapter 5: Preparing the Production Text Chapter 6: Working With Designers Chapter 7: Casting Chapter 8: Rehearsals Chapter 9: Table Work Chapter 10: Staging the Play Chapter 11: Speaking Shakespeare's Language Chapter 12: Middle Stage Rehearsals Chapter 13: Other Thoughts on Rehearsal Chapter 14: Tech and Dress Rehearsals Chapter 15: Adding the Audience