DISCUSSION QUESTION

Directors are responsible for every aspect of the performance, from the theme to the conceptual design, to the pacing and rhythm of dialogue, language and music, to the costumes, set designs, blocking, acting, etc. They are responsible for interpreting what the playwright is trying to convey through the actor(s) and ultimately to the audience.

The director is an architect, because he creates a blue print, a foundation from which all other aspects of the theatrical performance is built upon.

Can you think of a production, (whether on stage and/or on screen) where the vision and concept of the director challenges us to think about story, theater and/or performance in a new and different way? For example, in Schindler's List, the entire movie is presented using Eastman's Black and White film. The only splash of color is the red coat worn by a young Jewish girl (no more than 4 or 5 years old) who walks abandoned and seemingly alone (though surrounded by hundreds) during the liquidation of the ghetto in Krakow, Poland during WWII.

Select a director that has done something entirely unique and groundbreaking in the theater and or film industry and convey why you have selected him or her for your discussion. Use examples from a production he or she has directed and elaborate upon their body of work. Expound upon how their vision and artistic direction has changed, challenged and or has elevated the world of art.

I selected Steven Spielberg because of his extraordinary talent, particularly in Schindler's List, which in my opinion, is one of the greatest historical dramas about the Holocaust and WWII ever made. I discovered this interview with Steven Spielberg, where he discusses the historical reality and truth behind Oskar Schindler and the Holocaust. During the interview, a substantial amount of information is provided about the making of the film. For example, how he was able to maintain a sense of composure, and stability, despite the graphic images and horrific atrocities that he had to capture and record on film. Also, during the interview, he discusses the Little Girl in the Red Coat, whom Oskar Schindler actually witnessed during the liquidation of the Jewish ghetto in Krakow, Poland. A truth and sad reality that Steven Spielberg captured so brilliantly in this extraordinary film.

The entire interview is approximately nine minutes, and twenty four seconds in length, but in my opinion, well worth the time, if you respect this director and his work. During the interview he states that in his opinion, Schindler's List is his greatest work of all, not only because of the film, but even more so for the educational foundation and survivor project that he created after the movie was completed.