As a director, we face many challenges. What show to do. What our budget will be. Do we have enough crew to cover all the lighting and sound cues we want/need? Is the stage big enough? Do we want it to be a detailed set or a minimalistic set? However, the hardest challenge is who to cast in the show.

Having the right cast is everything. Imagine if the "Friends" director, did not cast Matthew Perry as Chandler. Or what if Leonardo DiCaprio was never cast as Jack in "Titanic." It's extremely hard to imagine, isn't it? The shows would not have had the same effect. The work of one outstanding actor never goes unnoticed. In fact, these characters are often appreciated because the actors brought their characters justice.

Nothing is more irritating than finally finding a perfect or close to perfect script, but not having equally as "perfect" actors audition. How can you cast the most mesmerizing, yet relatable lead now? You can't, so you'll have to settle for second best. This is not my vision, this is not what I had in mind. I know, I know however, chances are you will never match exactly what you have had pictured in your head for so long, but you will come pretty close.

Once you have actually picked a cast, the second hardest part is agreeing on a rehearsal schedule. If you aren't a critically acclaimed director, chances are good you will have a hard time agreeing on a good rehearsal schedule that will allow everyone to make it. Having almost all of the cast every rehearsal day is better than having none of the cast.

Even though we directors go through many struggles, we can all agree that hard work really does pay off. Once the show hits the final night, that means no more struggles. But no more struggles also mean no more meeting with the small family you have created, which means you will have to say goodbye to each other for now.