DT, I'd recommend "Directing Actors" by Judith Weston, published by Michael Wiese Productions. Full of insights and clues about directing and acting. You'll learn things you weren't even aware you didn't know. I certainly did.

 

(One quibble; she uses the personal pronouns, "he" and "she" arbitrarily, apparently to avoid alienating either male or female readers. It occasionally makes the text jarring and inaccessible. Just when you think she's speaking to you, you find out she's speaking to the opposite gender. Unnecessary, and annoying.)

 

But still, her book is a good resource for any budding Director. 

 

You're welcome.

 

   Here is a book that I would reccommed to you very highly.  It is simply  titled  "GUIDE TO DIRECTING" and it is published by the magizine staff at Stage Direction magazine.   This book covers just about ever area of directing that you can possibly think of and is perfect for the new director.

 

And, good one, Topper!  The hallmark of a good director is to be prepared for anything.

Somebody will probably tell me this isn't the place for a conversation on what's PC and what's not,  but come on, why do you think that the author by addressing both male and female readers is not speaking to you? Seems to me it's an effort to be inclusive which means s/he is INCLUDING you... Welcome to the modern world.

 

Kathy, to me it's a question of good writing, not political correctness. A good writer tries not to confuse her readers, doesn't he? A good female author knows that he should address his lines to men like himself as well as women such as him.

 

Confused? 

 

That's how I am when I read the book. If she was trying to be inclusive, she got it all wrong. There is a method available, (in this modern world), to authors faced with this PC dilemma. They simply include a statement like this one, at th beginning of their book:

 

 

It shows that the author has equal regard for both genders. And more importantly, it shows respect for the intelligence of the people who have paid money to read the author's book. 

 

And it sure beats using "s/he" every time! Ain't no such animal!

 

General Principles of Stage Direction by Gilmor (published by Samuel French in the 1930's.  It's out of print, but you can probably find it on EBay or in a used bookstore near a college)

 

Directing for the Stage:  42 Exercises (the intro is quite boring, but the exercises are great!)

 

 

Okay Topper - this made me laugh out loud and has co-workers wondering what i am doing.

 

Anyway.....

 

he best book I have read is Jon Jory's TIPS FOR DIRECTING (or is it TIPS FOR DIRECTORS)  Something like that.  It is what it says it is.  Just a book full of tips on everything from casting, to pacing to differing styles of comedy to dealing with the difficult actor......it's very, very practical and I highly recommend it.

 

 

 

Being a huge fan of The Short Form, and specifically the ten-minute play format, I do love me some Jon Jory!  The guy is brilliant and I had no idea he wrote a book on directing.  I'm all over it!

 

For the somewhat advanced director looking for ways to communicate more effectively with (and get more out of) actors, I recommend Michael Shurtleff's AUDITION.  A little out of left field, I know, considering not only is it not a book about directing, it's not even a book about acting!  It's a book about auditioning!  But I've found it immeasurably helpful in both preparing a role (when I tread the boards myself) and as a director (which I do much more frequently these days).

 

Tools to help your actors (and you) find the gold on the pages.  Wrap your mind around concepts like Moment Before and Opposites and Mystery and Secret (and ALL the other Guideposts) and you've got a whole new vocabulary with which to steer your cast.

 

And buy the Jon Jory book.  As I said, I haven't read it...but I'm not going to let a small detail like that stop me from recommending it!