Directing Shakespeare in America - by Charles Ney (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

[Ney's] research is impressive and unique.
Times Literary Supplement

Charles Ney's Directing Shakespeare in America: Current Practices is an illuminating and much-needed resource for directors, scholars, students, and Shakespeare aficionados ... Ney demonstrates a remarkable ability to curate this wealth of wisdom in a way that is compelling and easy to follow ... The book is engaging as a straight read-through, but it's equally useful for the reader that wants to skip ahead and explore concise essays on various topics, such as approaches to table work, or how to navigate tech and previews. These practices are invaluable for directors of Shakespeare, but can be more broadly applied as resources for directing any kind of live theatre ... Ney's book astonishingly avoids privileging one approach over another. This is a study that attempts to truly capture diverse approaches and contextualize them ... This book is an effective snapshot of an incredibly diverse body of work and a must read for Shakespeare directors, scholars, and enthusiasts.
Journal of American Drama and Theatre

Mr. Ney sets a new standard for the study of directing Shakespeare in the USA, deftly interviewing leaders in the field and opening up the remarkable visions, unique processes and historical research that drives the production of the Bard's work in festivals and theatres nationwide. . . . No doubt, Directing Shakespeare will be a welcome text for classrooms worldwide providing students with the "best practices" of notable directors . . . It's also a great read for seasoned professionals seeking a glimpse into the personalities and process of many of America's most successful directors.
Quarto

About the Author

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.