Douglas Hughes is an American theatre director. He has directed both Off-Broadway and on Broadway. Hughes worked for 12 years as the associate artistic director of Seattle Repertory Theatre, from 1984 to 1996. As a Resident Director of the Roundabout Theatre, he has directed many plays for the Roundabout, including The Big Knife and Mrs. Warren's Profession. He directed Doubt: A Parable Off-Broadway and on Broadway, for which he won the 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play, and the 2005 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play. Other directing credits include Death Takes a Holiday, Inherit the Wind, Outside Mullingar, The Father, and Junk: The Golden Age of Debt.
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.
The War of Art is a terrific book by Steven Pressfield. It’s about overcoming resistance, and getting down to your business, which is the business of art. One of Steven’s key points was how you should become a “pro.” The difference between an amateur and a pro is all about the attitude of the professional, and it made me think of our own site, The Producer's Perspective Pro, which we just revamped. Check it out at theproducersperspectivepro.com and make sure you read The War of Art.
Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway