Customer Reviews

A Sense of Direction: Some Observations on the Art of Directing

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mr. William Ball, the former artistic director and founder of The American Conservatory Theatre in San Fransisco, boils down almost forty years of teaching, acting and directing experience into possibly the most effective,educational and practical document about directing. I shudder to use the word text book as that term implies dry academia- an approach which leads to the the death of the theatre- but really this book is indespensable to any theatre director. Ball lays out in a logical, simple and jargon free manner the nuts and bolts of building a balanced right and left brained community which has complete and utter access to the creative impulse. Everything in Ball's book is transferable, practical (sorry about using that term again but it is true)and impeccably rendered. For any theatre director, I strongly suggest purchasing this book as the foundation of any library. Five out of five stars.

This is the best book on directing that I have read. Not only is this an excellent book for directors, but also the chapter on OBJECTIVES is a MUST read for every actor.

Bill Ball gives a step by step process from beginning to end on the art of directing. From blocking, objectives, subtext, and helping the actor to create the inner life of their character to fittings, production meetings, and working with designers, the information you will find in this book is invaluable! No longer do you have technical rehearsals that are disasters. By introducing all sound cues, including music, early on in the rehearsal process, the "Kinks" are worked out at a very early stage. Tech rehearsals then become run throughs--building upon what was done in rehearsals and providing the actors with a non-stop run through, which is so vital for the actors in order to maintain the sense of the through-line of their character.

BUY THIS BOOK! YOU WON'T BE SORRY!

A wealth of practical insight. It could serve as a model for all "how to" books: utterly clear, in stark, spare prose that nevertheless conveys enormous passion for the art. I picked it up as part of a workshop at the Yale Drama School, and have reread it many times. It's a kind of checklist of decisions that must be made by the director, from the most profound philosophical ones to the nuts and bolts of costume design. Mr. Ball's voice here is the one that any director would want to provide his actors in rehearsal: calm, clear, thoroughly informed, and obviously in command.

One of the clearest, most useful books on theatre ever written. You will find yourself constantly going back to read parts of it over and over again. It is simply and elegantly written with mind-bogglingly appropriate examples. One of the 5 best "how to" books on theatre ever written.

SENSE OF DIRECTION is a text every director will want to take a look at, even if, years later, some of Ball's advice seems dated (or too expensive-he was not a man to shy away from large budgets and extended rehearsals if he thought them necessary.) In person he could be rather abrasive, to the point of being ridiculous, like Ross Hunter in a caftan. But on the pages of his book, he exhibits a warm, spiritual nature, almost like a priest. Since the days of the Chekhov dynasty, the director has of course assumed near divine proportions in the theater and you get the feeling Ball enjoyed that role, but he is often very courteous towards his actors. He even goes so far as to say that "one of the director's most important qualifications is knowing when NOT to interrupt his actors."

He was a professional director and the book covers every contingency from "first reading to opening night." Some of Ball's advice is not going to help you if you are an amateur. He gives the advice that actors, like cattle, can't hold too many ideas in their heads at one time so he urges the director to come up with a shorthand of small verbs or nouns with which the actor might make himself aware at all times. "Seduce," for example, might be his direction to the actor playing Cleopatra. Sounds elementary, but it works! After all, he was the man who boasted that he discovered Annette Bening.

He notes that often, for the first ten minutes of a play, the audience finds itself uncomfortable, with a marked realization of the artificiality of theater. They are sitting in a dark room and watching a bunch of people all lit up pretending to be real. As directors our job is to make those first ten minutes fly by so that the dream can swamp the audience and take them along with us on our journey. In passages like this one, he writes beautifully. Within a year or two after completing his book he was summarily fired from ACT and not long after that he had left this world for another, behind the curtains of life. Sad ending for what was once a glorious if eccentric career.

In this lucid and engaging book, Mr. Ball illuminates the amazing collaborative process that theatre is. His clear vision of the director's role: the person who must unleash and nourish the creative energy of his cast and crew. Anyone interested in the creative process or bringing out creativity in others will find it hard to put this book down.

This book has opened my eyes to a greater view of the audition process as an actor. It has also awakened a fire in me to direct. I am planning on directing my first play this coming Fall, and I really feel prepared with this book and the class I'm taking now. A great text for discussion for directing classes.

Engagingly written.

excellent book; covers material well; easy reading and good value. A nice student hand book. Recommended to all public

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I bought a copy of this book for myself and also one for my daughter who is about to embark on a Masters Degree in Directing and Theatre Studies. SHe is also currently directing a production for the Wellington Fringe Festival (NZ), and is finding William Ball's book fits her needs perfectly. She is raving about it, and is already putting his methods into practise. I am also loving the book, as it teaches me not only about directing but also about acting - what a practical, down-to-earth book! Fantastic!

Good book! Highly recommended by the instructor of our director's class for community theatre.