Directors’ theatre

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One of the most important characteristics of Modern Drama is the influence of famous directors on the way in which the theatre is used.

It is only since the very end of the nineteenth century that the director has become such an important figure in the development of drama. Prior to that, plays were either directed by a leading actor, known as an Actor Manager or, possibly, by the playwright.

The concept of a figure that imposes a 'governing artistic idea' on the production of a play is relatively recent and all the plays that will fall under the general heading of Modern Drama will have been affected in some way by this development.

You will find your study incomplete unless you familiarise yourself with some of the great directors of the modern age and with their ideas. Fortunately, a number of them have produced what amount to manifestos of their ideas and you might like to consult some of the following:

My Life in Art by Constantin Stanislavsky
The Theatre and its Double by Antonin Artaud
Towards a Poor Theatre by Jerzy Grotowski
The Messingkauf Dialogues by Bertold Brecht
The Empty Space by Peter Brook

There are many editions of these classic titles and we should warn you that they do not all make particularly easy reading. However, it is well worth the effort to sample some of this material because these ideas have permeated the way in which playwrights approach their craft.

This content has been written by Ken Pickering, author of Studying modern drama