Directors in the Theatre: Then and Now, and What Does it Mean?

In this research presentation I will explore the history of the role of the director in the theatre, comparing the responsibilities and expecatations to that of a contemporary director today. I will take a closer look at each of the threatre artists who were considered to be the first to take on these responsibilites, including: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, The Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, and Constantin Stanislavsky. Then, I will look at some of the most influential contemporary directors of today in order to compare the kinds of things that were most important to them, as opposed to some of the first directors. I intend on focusing my attention on what it takes to be a director, how that opinon changes over time, and why it matters