Intro to Directing
INTRO TO DIRECRTING (for the stage)
with Aaron Willis
7 weeks - Wednesdays from 6:00-8:30pm
DATES: January 29, February 5, 12, 19, 26, March 5, 11 and Thursday
March 12
*March 11 & 12 will be from 6-9pm and combined with the acting students
Total Hours of Instruction: 21
Total Cost: $600
Ages 18+
This beginner directing course introduces students to the core skills needed to lead a rehearsal process with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Over seven weeks, students will build foundational directing tools including: script analysis, approaches to staging, leadership, and effective communication with actors, while developing a clear personal point of view. Students will learn how to prepare a script for rehearsal through detailed analysis of units, events, intentions, and obstacles, as well as identifying the play’s main idea and main event. Classes will focus on visual and spatial storytelling, blocking fundamentals, and rehearsal planning. Through mock directing and in-class labs, students will practice giving clear, actionable notes and shaping scenes in real time, with feedback and revision throughout the process. In the seventh week, directing students will join the beginner acting students to practice clear and specific communication as they direct the actors in their two-hander scenes, supported by instructor coaching. This course is ideal for beginner directors seeking a practical, hands-on introduction to directing, including actors looking to expand into directing.