Plays are delicate things.  And Directors have to treat them like priceless antiquities.

Doug Hughes has one of the smartest and most sensitive touches of any Director around, which is why he has directed dozens of dramas on Broadway, from the incredibly successful Doubt to Oleanna (which I produced) to this season’s highly anticipated Junk (which I have tickets to in just a few weeks!).

What surprised me about this podcast, was how Doug didn’t start off wanting to be a Director or even in the theater at all (despite the theatrical heritage he comes from) . . . and how coming about his career as a last resort helped him develop even greater skills than studying it from birth.

Listen in to this podcast to hear Doug talk about that, as well as:

• Why his research for plays gets him a lot of frequent flyer miles.
• How directing a play is like a lawyer trying a case.
• What his biggest responsibility is when working with Actors.
• How he gets feedback, and what he does with it, including sometimes ignoring it.
• How being a scientist is like being a Director.

And more.

If you’re a writer, then you know that getting a Director is one of the most important parts of your developmental process.  Doug’s process for picking up a play is one of the greatest focus groups you could ever ask for . . . because it’s all about what really makes a play work.

And he reveals it all in this podcast.

So listen in.

Listen to it on iTunes here. (And if you like the podcast, give it a great review, while you’re there!)

Download it here.