The Art of the Artistic Director

Every theatre is different – its programming particular, its space idiosyncratic and its place in the market distinctive. Thus the demands for the management of any theatre will be unique to that building’s practical and artistic needs. The artistic director is at the helm of this delicate balancing act, weighing up the commercial and creative imperatives in a constant effort to maintain a successful producing house. The job can’t be taught, necessarily, but there is a lot to be learned from those working in that role at some of the world’s most important theatres. In The Art of the Artistic Director, Christopher Haydon (Artistic Director of the Gate, “London’s most relentlessly ambitious theatre” – Time Out) compiles a unique set of interviews to get to the heart of what it is to occupy this most unique of roles. Providing short contextual essays outlining the importance and ambitions of each interviewee, the author interviews 20 of the most prominent and successful artistic directors in the US and UK including Oskar Eustis (Public Theater, New York), Diane Pulus (American Repertory Theatre, Boston), Rufus Norris (National Theatre, London) and Vicky Featherstone (Royal Court Theatre, London), uncovering the essential skills and talents that go into making an accomplished artistic director. The only book of its kind available, The Art of the Artistic Director includes a foreword by Michael Grandage, former Artistic Director of the Sheffield Crucible and the Donmar Warehouse in London.