Changing Direction: A Practical Approach to Directing Actors in Film and Theatre

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The Text and the Throughline

The Text

In the beginning there is the word—and the text is always the beginning for a director. Every choice we make, every character outline, design element, staging idea, and so on derive from the play or screenplay. So the first order of business is to examine the material thoroughly. I have always found that it takes at least three readings of a script to conduct that initial examination.

The first reading should be accomplished as one would read a novel: purely as entertainment and to experience the work without jumping to any quick conclusions or making any snap judgments. Once familiar with the story line, the second reading can provide the opportunity to identify more ...