This volume assesses the work of Meredith Monk, Richard Foreman, and Robert Wilson, three artists who have revolutionized the craft of directing and the art of theatre in both related and unique ways. Though their early artistic backgrounds differ, ranging from architecture, music and dance to writing, they are similar in that none of them began their career as a director per se or received formal training as such. They each assumed the director-s role based on the demands of their complex artistic visions, which combine art forms, but resist synthesis, finding expression in the differences and tensions between the forms. The essays in this volume explore how these auteur directors combine text, movement, film, sound and music, installation and visual arts to achieve their visions, employing multi-perceptual modes to evoke full and rich theatrical experiences. The Great North American Stage Directors series provides an authoritative account of the art of directing
