Turning The Page: Directors by Susan Beth Lehman

The ability to look at something from a different perspective usually results in more insight and understanding.  Such is the case with Susan Beth Lehman who examines what it takes to be an effective director by interviewing those who have been able to crossover from theatre to film and television.  In the Preface of Directors: From Stage to Screen and Back Again, the author who is an Assistant Professor of TV and Film at DeSales University writes, “Into the second century of film so many of the film greats like Otto Preminger, Sydney Pollack, Michael Gordon, and so many who made the transition from stage to film are no longer with us to tell their story.  This Text is designed to cull knowledge and experience from some of the many successful film directors who began their careers in theatre, and how they found the magic in both.”  True to her words, Lehman adopts a conversational approach with the likes of Paul Aaron (A Force of One), Rob Marshall (Chicago), Neil LaBrute (In the Company of Men), Lenore Dekoven (Tremors), Oz Scott (Bustin’ Loose), and Matt Shakman (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) which allows for an in-depth exploration of the subject matter.

To put the content in the proper context Susan Beth Lehman includes a chapter titled Brief History of the Modern Director where she credits Konstantin Stanislavsky as being the innovator who transformed the craft into the profession it has become today.  Stanislavsky served as the director of the Moscow Art Theatre and published in 1936 the influentialAn Actor Prepares which ushered in the era of “realism” where inner emotions are channelled, thereby, resulting in a more believable performance.   Before each interview, which is laid out in the question and answer format, there is a career retrospective.  A significant topic of conversation is the ability to collaborate with actors and technology; the latter of the two is not a factor with theatre but each remains extremely relevant when making big and small screen productions.  “A theatre director’s skill is working with actors,” states Rob Marshall.  “When jumping into something like Pirates of the Caribbean, which is huge technically, one of the most important elements for me was to make sure that the work with the actors didn’t get lost.”

Directors: From Stage to Screen and Back Againis in essence an instructor manual framed by personal anecdotes which results in an informative and entertaining reading experience.

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada.