director's chair

American  

noun

1. a lightweight folding armchair with transversely crossed legs and having a canvas seat and back panel, as traditionally used by motion-picture directors.

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director's chair British  

noun

1. a light wooden folding chair with arm rests and a canvas seat and back

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Etymology

Origin of director's chair

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

But you don’t have to play every role yourself—take the director’s chair, define the scenes, and choose your cast from the parts of yourself that serve the story you truly want to tell.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

Between movie and TV shoots, Ehrenreich hopes to take a seat in the director’s chair for a reading himself.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2025

During our "Salon Talks" conversation, Stiles shared the new experience of stepping into the director's chair, after decades of being an actress since her teens.

From Salon • Jan. 21, 2025

He also returned to the director's chair in 1990 with the film Frankenstein Unbound.

From BBC • May 12, 2024

He barely made a dent in the director’s chair.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri