Methods
Early on in the directing process, often before a production team or cast has been assembled, I create a pinterest board to represent the things I see and feel when I read a play. Below are the first few pins on a board created for the production of Peter and the Starcatcher I directed in 2020. See the full board here. Other examples of image boards created for directing projects can be found here (Constellations, 2021) and here (36 Questions, theoretical 2021 production).
Before I begin to read a play, I open and format a spreadsheet. I list and color-code the characters, scenes, and areas of design. As I read, I note everything the playwright says about how the scene looks, how it sounds, how it feels, disassembling the play as I consume it. Once I am finished, I look back through the spreadsheet with the grand and exciting task of putting it all back together. An example of one such spreadsheet, from Peter and the Starcatcher, can be viewed at the bottom of this page, as well as here (act 1, act 2).
