As a self-styled director in training, I’m always trying to learn as much as I can from other shows I’m involved with. As a public service, I’d like to share some of the more tech-oriented tips I’ve picked up recently that other directors could do well to heed.

  • Doors, walls — all solid objects, really — are opaque. That means if you put actors behind them, the audience can’t see them.
  • In a production meeting, it shouldn’t take nametags for people to know who the director is.
  • If you’re new to a particular space, pay attention to the advice of people who know it. They know the sightlines better than you, I promise.
  • “Tech stuff” generally can’t all happen at the same time. Hanging lights overhead while people are onstage doing other stuff is a Bad Idea.
  • Designers can’t do their best work in a vacuum. It’s your responsibility to make sure they are in sync with the creative direction, and that your plans are technically feasible.

I don’t think any of these should be particularly earth-shattering revelations.