I have never worked with an assistant director before. I thought it would be great having one, but am finding it difficult to work with her. I value her advice, but I believe that, as the director, I have the ultimate responsibility and can take or leave her suggestions (which are usually made to the actors, not to me.)

Perhaps I am a "control freak," but the tension between us is making my job much harder. Any suggestions on how to deal with this? Thanks, 

 There is only one way to handle IT Bets - Direct!
Get your whole production team together & give a brief of what you expect of each, as a member of the team, their positions & responsibilities.
Allow & except their input - but let them all know & understand-
 that always the final decision is in your domain.
An assistant Director is really serving an apprenticeship & if she has to be a general dogsbody - Anyhow IT is good for her soul!

Chookas

Joe

Bets,

  I guess that the first thing that you would have to decide is this person an Assistant Director or an Assistant to the Director.  We tend to use the latter.  It needs to be made clear from the very beginning what their responsibility is.  Ours leads warm-ups, makes contact sheets and rehearsal schedules, writes down the blocking, and follows book.  As far as having "ultimate responsibillity", I think that the producers would grin at that! 

Gary, it depends on the organization... that's the way we run a show, with the producer answerable to the Director... been doing it that way for 50 years and it works for us.

Bets, if you're uncomfortable with the AD working directly with the actors, have them work through you. I work with my ADs this way until I'm sure that we're on the same page. Remember, it's your show, your vision. We use the AD slot to train and evaluate new directors and the best way to do that is to communicate with them. Talk over their notes and make sure they're in keeping with what you want, explain why or why not, then let the AD deliver the notes you agree with to the cast.