What are peoples thoughts on a writer directing their own work?...from experience.

Hi Rebecca, I'll be honest, as an actor, I'm always a little cautious about writer/directors. If it's just a developmental read through or showing and the writer wants to steer the ship then that's probably reasonable. Not so keen on the writer directing the work as a season however. Good writers don't automatically make good directors and vice versa. Sometimes even in the face of dramatic and structural problems with a script, writers can often either be too blinded or protective of their work to allow it to be changed. Sometimes a desire to control the writing and direction can also leak into other aspects of the production eg. set design, sound, costumes etc etc. A desire to hold all the reins can only be detrimental to an artistic production and certainly not a sustainable or healthy situation for a single person to manage either. It's not a very motivating situation for a cast either if there is a feeling that one person has all the control and that no-one has any opportunity for creative input. Can anyone think of any great writers who have also directed their work to great success? Be interested to know. Tulipa