In a 1990 interview, she praised Ford as a masterly director who needed just a few words to inspire actors and give them the right clue or insight for a scene.

The masterly director Jeremy Sams orchestrates a fine-tuned ensemble that includes Patti LuPone, Peter Gallagher, Faith Prince, Richard Easton and a dazzling comic bombshell named Katie Finneran.

Joe Mantello is the masterly director (1:30).

His idol is Billy Wilder, the masterly Vienna-born director of comedies.

The professionalism of such stylish actors, under a masterly director, provides assurance that live theater keeps on living.

Mr. Zaks, a masterly director of warm, funny plays ("Six Degrees of Separation" most recently), seems to have lost control of this nasty musical rather than to have found a style for it.

In this respect this masterly director is following the tradition of another master, Yasujiro Ozu, whose films are the ne plus ultra of lean, dry family drama (though dry literally isn't the word to apply to this film).