Step1
Be clear in your own mind about your role as director and then stick with it. Some directors take on many roles during a production: teacher, mentor, friend, parent, counselor as well as director. Others are more comfortable keeping an emotional distance from the performers and focusing strictly on the tangible elements of the production. Most directors fall somewhere in the middle, striving for an excellent production and nurturing the actors toward that goal. Before any rehearsals take place ask yourself exactly what you want your role to be. You will work closely with these people for several weeks and they will probably know if you are false in your behavior, so be sure you promise only what you can really give. One you’ve decided, stay with your plan. The production needs your steadying influence so be consistent.
Step2
Be sure the actors understand what your role is and is not. The best way to do this is probably the most direct: tell them. At your first rehearsal have a frank talk with your cast. If you want be a teacher or mentor to them during your shared experience, tell them. If you need more distance than that in order to do your best work explain that you are not being unfriendly, just professional. You’ll be asking them to open up emotionally during the rehearsal process so it’s fair for them to expect you to reciprocate in this way. Be honest and open and once you’ve made yourself clear get down to work.
Step3
Be sure the actors understand your vision of the production. This may be the most critical part of your job. Your actors need to know what you expect from them and that is directly connected to what you see as the essence of the play. I’ve heard it described as a circle: the play’s message starts with the playwright and flows to the director, who conveys it to the cast and crew. The actors send the message to the audience and if everything is working perfectly the audience sends it back to everyone involved in the production in the form of their honest response. None of that will happen if the actors do not see the vision you see. Make them see it.
Step4
Listen to the actors. This doesn’t mean allow the actors to make changes at will or redesign any part of your production. It does mean that the actors, especially if they are experienced, will often have good insights that might be worth exploring. Conversely, if an actor is inexperienced, he might be asking for help in an indirect way, so listen fully and respectfully. Mutual respect between actors and their director creates a safe environment in which to experiment, which in turn can lead to an extraordinary production.
Step5
Try hard not to act out the performance for the actor. When you have tried to explain what you want to see over and over and the actor still does not grasp it, it’s tempting to resort to showing the actor exactly what it “should” look like. But “resort to” is the operative phrase here. When you have to do that, something in your direction has failed. A performance is always better when the actor is building her character from something inside and not just from your head. When you finally give up and act out some speech or movement or emotion, pay attention. It means you have work to do on your own directorial skills.
Step6
Don’t indulge your own emotions. This is tricky. If you are a stage director, emotions are very familiar to you and probably very comfortable. You don’t see them as threatening and you allow them to show. However, venting your own anger or frustration during a rehearsal more often than not has the effect of dampening the emotions of your actors. The tendency after a director has exploded is for actors to keep a low profile and they will almost certainly not feel comfortable trying something new or adding power to their performance. So once you have let your emotions escape, be prepared for some tentativeness or uncertainty for a while. Lower the tension and keep things moving until the atmosphere clears.
Step7
Give criticism carefully and praise freely. Acting is scary work. When the curtain rises on opening night the director’s job is done while the actors shoulder the vision and step into the glare of lights, trying to move an audience with words and actions. Remember that as you work with actors during rehearsals. They are doing something brave-help them get it right.
Novice 
