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Stage Directors

Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits

There is no clear career path for stage directors. Individuals need experience in theater, which they may gain by working as assistant directors. Others began their careers as actors, actresses, stage managers or even playwrights.

Stage directors must be creative people with a vision. They need to guide actors and actresses in their speech and physical movements. A knowledge of theater, staging, and acting is imperative. Knowing stage jargon is also necessary.

Directors must be good at coordinating the various aspects of preparing a production since most of their job is spent doing that. They need to be detail oriented and have the ability to manage many aspects of a production at one time.

Directors need to have a lot of patience as they must constantly explain their creative vision to those interpreting it. They must also be determined and be patient when working with people.