I've been a stage manager, it's not my forte but it's one of the ways I learned how to direct, and I don't have a ton of patience for directors who don't get that the care and feeding thing needs to go both ways with a good SM.

I realize that some very talented directors just can't do communication and people and really, really need to rely on a good SM to translate, but the people who just sort of intentionally cultivate this removed presence as a director? Not helpful. Like there is a necessary remove, to retain authority and to set yourself up as someone the actors want to please and because you're juggling a lot of shit. But despite being someone who spends a lot of time being all "being an artist is a burden *whine* *whine* *whine*" for fuck's sake, it's my burden, not that of my actors or my crew.