Theatre is an opportunity to awaken creativity through storytelling, a practice that is at the very heart of what is means to be human. Each production, each story, and each process brings the opportunity to create moments of beauty, truth, vulnerability, and wonder for an audience. Theatre gives voice to those whose stories have been silenced. It can to be a catalyst for change, as the very nature of theatre holds a mirror to society. Thus, when I direct, I gravitate towards works that engage with diversity, both in the voices presented and the content, including plays that challenge our norms and draw on social justice initiatives.

 

My directing philosophy is centered on collaborative and ensemble-based rehearsal processes. When I direct, it is my intention to make it a truly collaborative process from beginning to end. I tend to shy away from the more traditional role of the director as sole authority in favor of a power dynamic that encourages creativity, conversation, and passion from all members of the creative team. While it is my role to help create an image and concept for a production, I strive to do so with a team. With each rehearsal process, no matter how big or small, I work to encourage open conversation between designers, actors, dramaturg, and stage managers, in order to establish a space of trust and discovery.

 

This collaborative focus works well with a student-centered directing process. In an educational theatre setting, the rehearsal hall is an extension of the learning environment of the classroom. Directing in educational theatre is coupled with the responsibility to support the next generation of theatre artists. It is especially important to empower students to be agents of their own artistic experience. The educational rehearsal hall is a place for students to take chances, to try new things, to fail, and to succeed. After all, directing in educational theatre is meant to be a practicum through which students will develop the skills and experience necessary for careers in the field. Thus, I view my role of director as a facilitator rather than a leader. My goal help guide students through a rehearsal process while also allowing them the freedom to make bold, and sometimes wrong, artistic decisions. I believe educational theatre is the perfect medium to explore new ideas, theories, and approaches, as students are often excited to push boundaries and discover new material. Theory and practice are not mutually exclusive, so it is my job as a director and educator to stay up to date with both scholarly and creative approaches.

 

As a director, I have worked with large and small budgets, and I do best when given a space that forces heightened creativity, which is often those that come with little-to-no budget at all.

I like to work within a minimalist perspective, even when working on large, spectacle-based productions, as I think it is my responsibility to let the text speak. My work focuses on openness and honesty, beyond the playing to stereotypes, which gives young actors the opportunity to push and challenge themselves. In addition, I find that a minimalist approach allows student actors to focus more on storytelling and the development of their acting instruments.

 

With theatre, we can be transformed, be curious, and question the world around us. With this philosophy, it is the role of the director to facilitate and maintain a space of creativity, respect, and artist development in an educational theatre setting.