Director
What does a Director do?
What does a Director do?
The DIRECTOR provides the guiding creative vision for all members of the production. The DIRECTOR takes the lead in putting together the entire creative team and managing the overall staging and artistic vision of a production.
Skills
Ability to create a collaborative environment |Attention to Detail | Clear communication | Lead a process | Work with a creative idea/vision in mind | Unify different artistic perspectives
Pathways
Degree in direction and/or performance | Assistant Director | Shadowing | Fellowships | Apprenticeships | Initiate artistic projects
How to become a Director
How to become a Director
Many colleges and universities offer degrees and concentrations in direction as well as opportunities to direct student productions. Broadway directors often begin as assistant directors, transitioning to the director role as they gain experience working with other directors, playwrights, performers, and crew. Those just starting out may want to explore and take advantage of assistant opportunities, as well as any fellowships, apprenticeships, and peer-produced opportunities available in their region for training and experience. Some begin by creating their own work in an effort to bring others in to see their product.
Union/Organization Affiliation
Resources
- Playbill’s “Stage Directions: Tina Landau Gets Real About Being a Director Who Plays and Explores”
- Playbill’s “How Casey Nicholaw Became the King of Musical Comedy”
- SDC Foundation’s Stage Directors Handbook
- Harold Clurman’s, On Directing
Spotlight on Broadway’s “Julie Taymor Director”
Spotlight on Broadway’s “Jerry Zaks Director”
Playbill’s “Directors’ Roundtable: The 2018 Tony-Nominated Directors of a Musical”
CNN Official Interview: Theater is life: Kenny Leon
Artist to Artist: George C. Wolfe and Joe Mantello on Success and Failure as Directors
Jerry Mitchell, Director and Choreographer for Kinky Boots