The director's companion

by Mel Shapiro

Mel Shepiro, the author says in the Introduction of the book (p. xiii): "This book does not intend to supplant other directing books that stress mechanics, theory, style, or concepts of directing. This book is about the practicalities of directing, born of many years' experience, and as such, it can be a companion to any text or any teacher's methodology. // This book is a thinly veiled autobiography posing as a textbook. I believe that much of art is autobiographical and that directing is as personal an act as writing or acting. ... Now, we have ask certain questions about the subject itself. What is a director? What does a director do? How is it done? This book is divided in five parts, exploring answers to those three questions. Part 1 is "The Director as Storyteller." This is the heart of the matter. ... Part 2 is "The Director as Interpreter." ... Part 2 also deals with language. ... Part 3 adds another element to the director's job description "Must collaborate." "The Director as