"Based on nearly twenty years of directing and teaching experience, Thinking Like a Director is a practical handbook that aims to convey the experience of directing and the theatrical mindset that successful directors possess. More than a mere set of guidelines, Michael Bloom's book details a comprehensive technique that covers every stage of a production - from the director's first reading of the play through the final rehearsals.

Bloom reveals that the key to directorial thinking is a dual-perspective vision, an ability to focus both on the characters' (internal) lives and on the structural (external) elements of a play. In this manner, all of the key elements for dramatic interpretation and working with actors are integrated into a single method. Bloom illustrates his techniques by utilizing one of America's most accessible and popular plays, The Glass Menagerie, as his primary touchstone.".

"Concise and engaging, Michael Bloom's book is for anyone who has ever uttered the phrase, "But what I really want to do is direct.""--BOOK JACKET.