Kazan on Directing

DIRECTOR'S REFLECTIONS

A landmark compilation of personal writings from one of the most influential directors in theater and film history. Through letters, notebooks, and interviews, Elia Kazan details his innovative approach to directing across both mediums. As co-founder of the Actors Studio and director of groundbreaking works like A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront, Kazan shares his methods for uncovering a script's essence, working with actors, and transforming text into compelling drama. His candid insights on directing legends like Marlon Brando and James Dean offer invaluable perspective on the craft of directing and the evolution of modern performance.

Elia Kazan was also very close to Sanford Meisner, to whom he proposed to become director of the Actors Studio when he left NYC to pursue his directing career in LA, an offer Meisner refused. Many of the famous actors “from the Actors Studio” that he worked with were also trained by Sanford Meisner.

"Take it from a director: if you get an actor that Sandy Meisner has trained, you’ve been blessed."

• Elia Kazan