Artful Making: What Managers Need to Know About How Artists Work

A Director on Management

Abigail Adams is not only the senior director of People’s

Light and Theatre Company, she is also the CEO, though she

doesn’t use that title. As CEO, she is responsible for manage-

ment tasks like those of any business. Her approach to direct-

ing guides her understanding of her business duties:

There’s tremendous overlap between managing and directing.

It makes perfect sense to me that what I am doing when I am

“administering” is really very similar to what I’m doing in the

rehearsal room. You get as many people as possible under-

standing what it is you’re doing

together. You make sure everyone

understands the larger picture. At ...