director

In the theatre, film, or television, a person who conducts rehearsals for actors and coordinates other aspects of production. In early periods of theatre, rehearsals were conducted by the dramatist, the leading actor, or a prompter. From the late 19th century the role of the director in coordinating performance with scenic design, and in providing a stylistic discipline for the actors, became paramount. The director is also expected to provide an interpretation of the theatrical script, and in the cinema may be regarded as the ‘author’ of the film (see auteur theory).