Advanced Stage Directing 04A45 (311-0-20)

Instructors

Tae Heum Yeon

Meeting Info

Wirtz Center BERGEN: Wed 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This course reimagines the rehearsal room as a shared space of collaboration and discovery. Together, we will explore directing practices rooted in openness, trust, and creativity. You will actively experiment with rehearsal techniques that foster generosity, co-creation, and meaningful partnerships, building an environment where every voice is respected and alive. You will develop essential rehearsal skills and organize them into your own personalized directing toolkit that can be applied directly to future projects. By analyzing and practicing with a diverse range of plays, you will also question the hierarchical structures of the traditional theater canon and search for new models of leadership. Throughout this process, we will reflect critically on the choices we make in rehearsal and consider the ethical dimensions of directing. By the end of the course, you will not only feel more confident in leading rehearsals but also discover yourself as a more thoughtful and ethically aware director.

Registration Requirements

Pre-req: Theatre 211

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:
1. Discover and express your own directorial voice, rooted in the text
Listen closely to what a play is asking of you and shape a vision that is true both to the story and to who you are as an artist. In doing so, you will begin to define your unique directorial perspective and aesthetic world.
2. Create a rehearsal space that feels safe, respectful, and inspiring
Move beyond simply managing rehearsals and cultivate an environment where generosity, trust, and vulnerability can flourish, allowing art to grow. Through this process, you will reflect on the ethics and values that are essential to directing today.
3. Use the tools of directing with confidence and care
Through hands-on practice with a range of diverse plays, you will develop familiarity with the fundamentals of directing such as identifying Events, blocking, communicating with actors, shaping ensemble rhythm, and integrating design. You will also learn to adapt these tools to fit your own process.
4. Experiment with and grow your artistic style
There is no single path to directing. By taking risks and trying new approaches, you will discover what resonates with you and learn to trust your creative instincts. Open feedback and dialogue will help you and your peers nurture artistic ideas into tangible form.
5. Reflect on your process with honesty and curiosity
Through journaling, dialogue, feedback, and the creation of your personal toolkit, you will learn to articulate your discoveries with clarity and intention. The goal is not perfection, but growth through continuous reflection.

Class Materials (Required)

All class materials will be provided on Canvas at no cost to students.

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Pre-Req: Theatre 211