Directing and Theatrical Production

The New School for Drama demands that directors read theater history and study acting, movement, script analysis, and hands-on directing. The directing track is designed to build necessary skills in play analysis, defining and executing the given circumstances, and shaping a production around the director’s idea of the story of the play. A large part of the work is interpretive exercises, which are as integral to the storytelling process as motivating actors in a rehearsal, collaborating dramaturgically with a playwright on a developing script, and learning to use classic texts for language, style, and stage composition. Year One: Discovery You work on 10-minute plays—both published and new—to develop skills in clarity of relationships, conflict, and dramatic action. Year Two: Structure Emphasis is on the study of classic texts (from Chekhov to Albee) culminating in a one-act performance festival at the end of the year. Year Three: Production Applying the tools learned in the first two years, your work is focused entirely on performance and production.