From time to time on the Brand Autopsy blog, I share "money quotes" from business books I've recently read. This presentation shares "money quotes" from NOTES ON DIRECTING (Hauser & Reich). This is not a business book. Instead, it’s a book about how a playhouse director should go about doing their business. The approach of managing a stage production with actors, stagehands, and a script is not unlike managing a project with core team members, ancillary employees, and a project plan. You’ll have to connect some dots. Do just that and you’ll be a smarter business manager.

2. THE
DIRECTOR’S
ROLE
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 9

3. “Being a director
means cracking that code,
interpreting, not to demonstrate
how clever you are, but to get
out of the way, to let the actors
show the play in clear to
the audience.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 79

4. “Your job is to prevent
any changes in the script unless
you are honestly convinced by
repeated change that
change is essential.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 79

5. No. 15
You are the
Obstetrician.
“You are not the parent of this
child we call the play. Your job
most of the time is simply
to do no harm.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 9

6. No. 17
Don’t always
connect all the dots.
“Give the audience a role
in filling in what‟s happening.
That is, give them all the dots
they need but don‟t connect
all the dots for them.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 10

7. No. 21
Don’t expect to
have all the answers.
“You‟re the leader, but
you are not alone. The other
artists are there to contribute
as well. Use them.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 11

8. No. 28
“Actors and others will
follow you even if they disagree
with your direction. But they
will not follow if you are
afraid to lead.
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 14

9. No. 29
Directing is mostly
Casting.
“Some say directing is
60 percent casting, others say
90 percent. Regardless,
it‟s a lot.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 17

10. No. 29
Directing is mostly
Casting.
“There is not a more important
single decision you will make
during the production than
who you put into a role.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 17

11. No. 47
Don’t bury your
head in the script.
“Watch as much as possible.
When you‟re running an act,
and even more the whole play,
don‟t sit taking notes all
the time.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 29

12. No. 56
Every actor
has a tell.
“A tell is what an actor does
when he doesn‟t know what to
do. It is a habitual behaviour
that is completely irrelevant to
the task at hand …”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 35

13. No. 56
Every actor
has a tell.
“… and reveals itself at times
of insecurity, fear, or lack of
focus or imagination.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 35

14. No. 56
Every actor
has a tell.
“Discovering [your actors‟ tells]
can be a valuable diagnostic
indicator of when intervention
is needed to clarify the
character‟s situation.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 36

15. No. 61
Sincerely praise
actors.
“Rather than correcting your
actors all the time, get in the
habit of frequently telling them
what they are doing right.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 40

16. No. 70
Please, PLEASE
be decisive.
“As the director, you have three
weapons: „Yes,‟ „No,‟ and „I
don‟t know.‟ Use them. Don’t
dither; you can always change
your mind later.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 45

17. No. 72
Correct actors in
private.
“This will not only prevent
damage caused by
embarrassing them in front
of others, it will make them feel
good to get individual
attention.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 46

18. No. 76
Introduce bad
news with “and”
not “but.”
DON’T: “The costume looks
great, but you‟re not keeping
your hat up, and we can
see your face.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 47

19. No. 76
Introduce bad
news with “and”
not “but.”
DO: “The costume looks
great, and when you keep your
hat up, we can see your
gorgeous face.”
NOTES ON DIRECTING p. 47