Publication Date
2025
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
College of Music & Performing Arts
Department
Theatre and Dance, Department of
Student Level
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor
Dr. James Al-Shamma
Presentation Type
Article
Summary
The Shifting Power Dynamic: How the Director’s Role Redefined Collaboration with Playwrights
Riley McConnell
For much of theatre history, playwrights held primary authority over productions, shaping not only the script but also the staging and interpretation of their work. As theatrical production became more complex during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, however, the role of the director emerged as a central creative force. This essay explores how the development of the modern director transformed the collaborative relationship between playwrights and directors. By examining the historical rise of directing, influential collaborations such as that between Anton Chekhov and Konstantin Stanislavski, and theoretical perspectives on interpretation and authorship, the paper investigates how directors moved from organizers of performance to interpreters of theatrical meaning. The essay also considers cross-cultural perspectives, including traditional Chinese xiqu, where directing developed differently. Through historical analysis and contemporary examples from rehearsal practice, this paper argues that modern theatre relies on an evolving collaboration between playwright and director, in which artistic authority is negotiated rather than fixed.
Recommended Citation
McConnell, Riley K., "The Shifting Power Dynamic: How the Director’s Role Redefined Collaboration with Playwrights" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 706.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/706
