The first time for

Abstract

Directing a play is like architecture: one constructs a "building" from sketches made by the "client." The client--in this case, the playwright--expresses his or her wishes, but the architect/director has to make sense of those wishes: placing the plumbing and wiring; planning the layout of the rooms (making sure the second floor--or second act--fits on top of the first); and all the time keeping the general wishes of the client in mind.