DIRECTING

THA 70A – 1

Monday: 2:00 – 4:50 p.m.Robert Walsh

Spingold Rehearsal Room

Office Hours by Appointment617.448.5083

Goals / Outcomes / Focus:

The goal of this course is to understand and employ the tools of directing live theatre. You will examine the director’s process from conception through production. From identifying the theatrical image to script analysis, designing to casting, and from the rehearsal room to tech, this course will cover your responsibilities as a director. We will combine theory and practice through reading, research, lecture, exercises, team interactions and scene-work.

Texts:

  • The Director At Work, by Robert L. Benedetti, Prentice Hall
  • Notes on Directing, by Frank Hauser & Russell Reich, RCR Creative Press
  • The Theatrical Image, by James H. Clay & Daniel Krempel, McGraw Hill (pdf only)

Assignments:

There will be weekly assignments given in class (hard copy) and on email & Latte. You will be assigned scenes to direct and may use peers in class or other actors/friends available to work with you both in and out of class times. You will be responsible for writing a paper comparing/contrasting two Boston-area productions, which you will see (due: 4/13/15). You will compare the show at Company One with any one of the three other shows at The Huntington Theatre or A.R.T. You will keep a running journal of your process and learning.

Final Project:

You will direct a ten-minute play, fully staged, lighted, with costumes, props and sound plus any other necessary elements (choreography, fight direction, etc.) over the final two class periods: 4/204/27. Additionally, you will submit a five-page paper (min.) detailing your process and what you learned from it.

Attendance:

  • Owing to the experiential nature of the work, attendance is mandatory. You will be allowed ONEabsence for any reason (shopping, team sport, death in family, horrific illness, etc.).
  • Further absences will reduce your grade by +/- with each occasion. This is non-negotiable and there is no “extra-credit” opportunity to make it up.
  • It is also mandatory to be on time. Multiple late-arrivals will constitute one absence, for which you will be notified in advance.

Grading:

  • Active class participation / collaboration / growth25%
  • Assignments / preparation / execution / reading30%
  • Mid-term project10%
  • Paper10%
  • Final project / paper25%

Directing THA 70A-1

Schedule:

1/12:Topic:The Big Idea

Exercise:The Hamlet Pitch (Speed Dating)

Assignment:Read: The Director At Work (DAW) chapters 1 – 7 & Notes On Directing (NOTES) preface, 2 sections on ‘notes’ and chapter 1 & The Theatrical Image (TI) pages 49 – 67

Prep: A/B Scenes (Quartets)

Exercise: 3 in DAW – for your production of Hamlet bring in 5 examples of script analysis & research, p.30 – 32

1/19:No Class – MLK Day

1/26:Topic:Script Analysis & Research / Message Units

Exercise:Research report-out

A/B Scenes (What’s it about?)

Assignment:Read: DAW chaps 8 & 9, NOTES chap. 2Really Really

Prepare: 5-minute presentation for design team

Prepare: (out of class) ‘Impaired’Hamlet

2/2:Topic:Design Collaboration / Needs / Movement

Exercise: Conduct initial design conversations with team

Hearing-Seeing Impaired(Hamlet)

Assignment:Read: DAW chap. 10, NOTES chap. 3Reasons To Be Happy

Write: character descriptions for ‘Reasons’

2/9:Topic:Casting

Exercise:Reasons To Be Happy - Audition

Assignment:Read: DAW chaps 11, 12, 13 & NOTES chaps 4, 5, 6, 7 & 9

Select:scene, & actors for mid-term scene presentation and conduct at least one read-thru/table-work rehearsal prior to break

2/16:No Class – Winter Break

2/23:Topic:Rehearsal Process/ Staging

Exercise:Scene Rehearsal Begins

Assignment:Read: DAW chap. 14 & NOTES chap. 10

Create: two rehearsal maps – one for 4.5-week reh of Hamlet & one for a 2.5 weekreh of Reasons To Be Happy

3/2:Topic:Production Support/ Relationships

Exercise:Rehearsal Round Two

Assignment:Exercise: 9 in DAW, p.59

3/9:Mid-term Scenes

Assignment:Read: DAW chap. 15 & TI p. 101 – 123

Map: 26 hours for tech for The Conference of the Birds & 25 hours for Reasons To Be Happy

Prep: opening remarks for 1st rehearsal of Hamlet

Directing THA 70A-1

3/16:Topic:Tech

Exercise:Opening Remarks Day One

Assignment:Read: NOTES epilogue & appendices

Edit: complete exercise 10 in DAW p. 64

3/23:Topic:The Run/ Maintaining the show

Exercise:1st Rehearsal Final Project

Assignment:Read: TI 127 – 151

Submit:Unit breakdown of final scene

3/30:Exercise:2ndRehearsal Final Project

4/6:No Class – Spring Break

4/13:Exercise:Final in-class rehearsal

Paper:Due

4/20:Final Projects Part One

4/27:Final Projects Part Two

* Schedule subject to change!