Directing New Plays

Every theater director will oversee a new play process in their career: here is what to expect and how to prepare. Drawing from over 20 years of experience as a freelance director, and as the Artistic Director of LCT3 at Lincoln Center Theater, Evan Cabnet combines the creative with the pragmatic to provide an honest, useful, and entertaining look at the art of directing a new play. Integrating practical advice with personal experience, Directing New Plays demystifies the process of directing a new work. From developing a creative vision to navigating the challenges of collaborative art-making, this book offers a comprehensive look at the director’s role in the process and the tools they use at every step, including development (readings and workshops), pre-production (casting and design), rehearsal (staging, working with actors, rewrites, and run-throughs), tech, previews, and opening a world premiere production. Incisive, supportive, and clear, this book is an indispensable resource for theater directors looking to begin— or to sustain— a career in new play development.

Every theater director will oversee a new play process in their career: here is what to expect and how to prepare. Drawing from over 20 years of experience as a freelance director, and as the Artistic Director of LCT3 at Lincoln Center Theater, Evan Cabnet combines the creative with the pragmatic to provide an honest, useful, and entertaining look at the art of directing a new play. Integrating practical advice with personal experience, Directing New Plays demystifies the process of directing a new work. From developing a creative vision to navigating the challenges of collaborative art-making, this book offers a comprehensive look at the director’s role in the process and the tools they use at every step, including development (readings and workshops), pre-production (casting and design), rehearsal (staging, working with actors, rewrites, and run-throughs), tech, previews, and opening a world premiere production. Incisive, supportive, and clear, this book is an indispensable resource for theater directors looking to begin— or to sustain— a career in new play development.