In a world of mass media, where movies are available in your hands and individuals can program their own video and audio playlists, is there really a place for the communal experience of live theatre? John Ahart writes A Different Direction from the refreshingly rare place of both skepticism and hope. He suggests major renovations to the very institution he has called home for so many years and provides tools to both reimagine and reinvent this amazing living human resource.

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Reviews for A Different Direction

“A Different Direction captures some of what made John Ahart such a great teacher — his influence remains with me to this day. Written in his unmistakable voice, backed by his many years of experience, this book will hopefully inspire a whole new generation to nurture the precious essence of theatre: that unique moment of community between a particular group of actors and spectators at a particular time—never repeated but, with John’s mix of practical advice and passion, perhaps endlessly renewed.” — Ang Lee, Oscar-winning film director

“Ahart is really getting at the essence of what makes the shared experience between performer and audience compelling and only possible when both are in the same room at the same time. A book every director should make his bible.” — Larry Wilker, Tony Award-winning producer

“It seems we need to be reminded again and again what is most important in theatre. I turn to John Ahart for my inspiration in this. Now readers of this book can do the same.” — Myrna Selkirk, Director and Associate Professor, McGill University

“This compelling work is inspiring to theatre professionals, theatre teachers, and to all who love the American theatre!” — Carolyn Anderson, Director and Professor, Skidmore College

Can a theater class textbook be both inspirational and informative? Yes! This holistic book on directing and acting does it all. Students will keep it as a lifelong career reference on how to make things work. Written subjectively, it’s based on nearly a half-century of teaching and directing. A text that compels involvement in all layers of creating memorable theatre. Thirty-five chapters in seven sections with assignments and convenient section summaries make a complete semester course. This text is far more than “how-to;” it’s a narrative about artistic discovery. Experientially it reveals how to jolt lagging imaginations into an ensemble of lively and involved performers. Adaptable for use by student directors and actors from secondary to graduate level. Recommended by leading theatre educators as the text they’ve been waiting for.

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Reviews for The Director’s Eye

“I’ve read Clurman and Brook but no text has the depth and breadth of John Ahart’s The Director’s Eye. …It will shake up many conventions that work against the immediate theatrical experience. Just one example is the way Ahart advises having actors memorize their lines — a seemingly banal task few have investigated.” — Paul Swanson, Chicago

“Thirty chapters on everything from imparting the style and content of a play to the special challenges of comedy and other formats. A ‘must’ for aspiring directors.” — Midwest Book Review

“Along with William Ball’s superb A Sense of Direction, John Ahart’s The Director’s Eye stands as the finest book ever written about the art of directing.” — J. Remington, Adams, Oregon