Rob Langeder

I have known Miles Phillips for many years now - sharing the stage with him as a fellow actor, crafting characters under his trusted guidance as a director and toiling side by side with him when he served as the Artistic Director of The Hot Spot Theatre Company. In Miles Phillips, we have a director with the uncanny ability to channel the various aspects of his life experience into a laser beam focus of artistry.

In the pre-production and casting phases, Miles displays remarkable clarity of vision. Yet he instinctively knows when to bend that vision in order to maximize the strengths of what other directors might call 'constraints.' Miles thinks both inside and outside the box with equal facility. His capacity for the instant recall of historical, critical, artistic and literary references is absolutely encyclopedic. And his senses of logic, style and taste render the use of superlatives into gross understatement. Calling Miles Phillips 'insightful' is like referring to the Taj Mahal as 'a quaint little cottage.'

Then, likely informed by his years working in design, Miles creates natural, unforced, yet well-composed stage pictures that further illuminate the core ideas of the playwright. Miles possesses an intimate
understanding of spatial relationships and the significant psychological impact they have on the subconscious mind.

And, finally, during the rehearsal process - drawing from his experience as a classically trained actor - Miles knows exactly what to say to encourage the deepest possible connection to character. He is an inspired acting coach and equally adept at directing classical, contemporary and musical theatre.  Because he himself is a critically acclaimed vocalist with a passion for singing intelligently, Miles hears both the song inherent in speech and the speech inherent in song. I have seen Miles coax enjoyable performances from the novice actor and finely-wrought, subtly nuanced performances from the seasoned professional.

For these reasons and countless others, I heartily recommend Miles Phillips without hesitation.

Actor/Director/Producer