Abstract

In this article I investigate the role of instructions in the work of directors during productions. The focus is therefore on the artistic working process, the oralisation process, in fact, and not on the final artistic product. The directing process is a complex creative activity and giving instructions is an essential, but also observable, part of that process. Using recordings I have made of interactions between directors, actors/actresses, and other participants during radio-play productions, I examine what specific types of directing instructions can be identified, and how they are used by individual directors. <p>I also consider the extent to which directing practice is culturally specific or can be understood in a context that is more independent of local traditions and norms. My general approach is a combination of discourse analysis and genetic criticism, and within this framework I treat directing as a form of artistic spoken discourse.</p>