The great stage directors

What is the common perception of a stage director? A dictator and tyrant? An aloof impresario? A self-indulgent artist? An enigmatic choreographer of words and movement? A skillful diplomat negotiating the egos and whims of producers, playwrights, and actors? The guiding force in a collaborative endeavor? In fact, the stage director is all these things and more, one who labors to present his or her dream to the world by deploying a unique ensemble of stage professionals. The great stage director is one who creates a legacy of inspirational theatrical productions. Stage directors come from a variety of backgrounds and employ diverse working methods. Henry Irving began his career as an actor; Martha Clarke was an acrobatic dancer; Guthrie McClintic worked as an assistant stage manager; George Bernard Shaw was a critic and playwright; and Orson Welles, a child prodigy, co-edited three of Shakespeare's plays shortly after he was graduated from high school. Some directors attempt to imbue a "creative state" in their actors (e.g., Konstantin Stanislavsky), some dictate every movement and inflection (e.g., Richard Foreman), and others try to find the "magic point" in a production (e.g., I