James W. Rodgers, Ph.D., teacher, director, and published playwright, has taught for more than 35 years and serves as a department chair in colleges and universities in Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, and Kentucky. He is currently a full professor at the University of Kentucky. Wanda C. Rodgers has taught in five states and in a variety of schools. She is currently teaching Drama, English, and Communications at Woodford County High School in Versailles, Kentucky, where she has been names Outstanding Teacher of the Year for Woodford County.

• About the Authors. PROLOGUE. "Welcome to the Theater". What You Can Expect from This Resource. ACT ONE: PLAY SELECTION. 1. "Magic to Do" Understanding Your Role as Director. 2. "One Brick at a Time" How to Get Started. 3. "Open a New Window" Other Options. 4. "Something Sort of Grandish" How to Select the Right Play ACT TWO: PRE-PRODUCTION CONSIDERATIONS. 5. "A Puzzlement" How to Unravel a Play s Meaning. 6. "Putting It Together" How to Lay Out a Rehearsal Schedule. 7. "Pick-a-little;Talk-a-little" How to Work With a Set Designer. 8. "Pretty Little Picture"What You Need to Know About Stage Properties. 9. "Let the Sunshine In" What You Need to Know About Stage Lighting. 10. "The Sound of Music" What You Need to Know About Sound and Special Effects. 11. "Put in Your Sunday Clothes"What You Need to Know About Costuming. 12. "Put on a Happy Face"What You Need to Know About Makeup. 13. "A Little Brains, A Little Talent" What Your Stage Manager Needs to Know. 14. "I Hope I Get It" How to Conduct Auditions. 15. "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" How to Make Intelligent Casting Decisions ACT THREE: REHEARSALS & PERFORMANCES. 16. "It's a Simple Little System" How to Get the Most Out of Rehearsals. 17. "Every Little Movement" How to Stage, or Block Your Play. 18. "Happy to Make Your Acquaintance" How to Help Actors Develop Characters. 19. "You've Got to Have Heart" How to Work with Actors. 20. "Agony" How to Direct Period Plays. 21. "With a Little Bit of Luck" How to Direct Your First Musical. 22. "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat"How to Run a Smooth Production ACT FOUR: AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT. 23. "Who Will Buy?" What You Need to Know About tickets. 24. "You've Got to Have a Gimmick" What You Need to Know to Sell Your Production. 25. "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" What You Need to Know About the Media. 26. "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" What You Need to Know About Programs. 27. "Bea-u-ti-ful People of Denver" What You Need to Know About Audiences EPILOGUE: DIRECTORY. 28. "Life on the Wicked Stage" Acting/Directing Terms. 29. "Drop That Name" Odd Names for Technical Things. 30. "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This" Theater Spaces. 31. "Perpetual Anticipation" Stages of the Production Process. 32. "Try to Remember" A List of Theatrical Forms. 33. "Let Me Entertain You" A List of Contemporary Plays for Beginning Directors. 34. "Losing My Mind" More Terms About Parts of Plays. 35. "The Little Things We Do Together" Players in a commercial Theater Organization. 36. "Who Can I Turn To?" A Selected Reading List for Beginning Directors.