Directing Professionally

Kent Thompson's Directing Professionally is the perfect blend of the real experience of directing in professional theatre and the process needed to direct in today's theatre companies... Kent's optimistic and realistic book is an invaluable guide for every student of directing or emerging director.

Vorwort
Offers a practical yet sophisticated overview for aspirant and professional theatre directors of the fundamentals of stage direction, education and experience opportunities, developing an aesthetic as a director, pathways to directing professionally, and advancing one's professional career beyond freelance directing.

Autorentext
Kent Thompson is a theatre director, producer, educator and writer. He has led two major regional theatres in the U.S., the Denver Center Theatre Company from 2005 to 2017 and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival from 1989 to 2005. Thompson is an accomplished director of Shakespeare and classics as well as new plays. Widely known as an advocate, supporter, developer and producer of new plays and musicals, Thompson created two new play festivals: the Colorado New Play Summit and the Southern Writers' Project. In Denver, he also created Off Center to create immersive, innovative programming for millennials and The Women's Voices Fund to commission new plays by women. Thompson has commissioned more than 65 new plays and produced 48 world premieres. He served as board president of Theatre Communications Group (the national organization for the American theatre), and has served on numerous peer panels, including Doris Duke Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Pew Charitable Trust, National Endowment for the Arts Theatre Panel (also Chair), and Fulbright Scholars Panel. He is currently a member of the Playwright Award Advisory Committee of the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. He is a graduate of The College of William & Mary, USA, and The Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, UK.

Klappentext

How do you develop both the craft of directing as well as a professional career in freelance directing in today's theatre industry? Drawing on his own extensive experience and that of other theatre professionals from the US and UK, Kent Thompson illuminates a pathway from training, apprenticeship and assistant directing to an established career as a director. Directing Professionally first lays out paths for aspirant directors to train, grow and succeed as directors, then advises freelance directors on how to establish and accelerate their professional careers. It also reveals the most significant ways those directors become artistic directors today. With a frank, thoughtful and often humorous examination of the job of professional direction and artistic direction, Thompson writes about the passion, commitment, artistic vision, directorial experience, leadership skills, and powerful persuasive gifts needed to succeed in this extraordinary field. Featuring case studies and brief interviews with professional theatre directors, artistic directors, producers, critics, managing/executive directors, and theatre leaders currently working in the field in the UK and the US, this volume will equip you to develop your career as a professional director in today's theatre.

Inhalt
About the Author Acknowledgements Introduction PART I: Entering the Field Chapter 1. The Big Leap Chapter 2. Understanding the Business of Theatre PART II: Your First Professional Job Chapter 3. Interviewing for the Job Chapter 4. Director's Work in Pre-Production Chapter 5. Rehearsals in the Studio Chapter 6. Moving into the Theatre through Final Dress Chapter 7. Previews through Opening PART III: Advancing Your Career Chapter 8. Finding Your Next Job(s) Chapter 9. Directing New Plays & Musicals Chapter 10. Nurturing Your Art & Yourself PART IV: Becoming an Artistic DirectorChapter 11. Leading a Theatre or Not Chapter 12. Getting the Artistic Director Job Chapter 13. Preparing to Lead Conclusion Notes Further Reading