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Director's Toolbox 2: Teaching Students to Direct

Created by James Van Leishout

Director's Toolbox 2: Teaching Students to Direct

Director’s Toolbox 2: Teaching Students to Direct, explores the tools of the actor, rehearsal, space, and design.
The tool of the actor will focus on creating a safe place to play, auditions, and how to communicate with actors.
Rehearsals will look at the whole process from the first meeting to opening night.
The tool of space will explore how to direct in different spaces and how to create focus through stage composition.
Discover how an understanding of the elements of design help student-directors communicate with designers. The final step is a return to self and the mastery of self evaluation.

production directing

8 Modules
2 hours, 47 minutes
4 Credit Hours

Course Summary (PDF)

Standards Addressed

How to receive a Completion Certificate

Link to the Teaching Students to Direct Toolkit

Lesson 1: Introduction 4:29 FREE PREVIEW
Lesson 1 lays out the course path and introduces the tools that will be covered in this course.
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Lesson 2: The Actor 20:25 FREE PREVIEW
This lesson explores the tool of the actor by defining acting and the actor's purpose, creating a positive work and rehearsal environment, and explore 'positation'.
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Lesson 3: The Audition Process 17:58
This lesson looks at the audition process including cold readings versus prepared auditions, callbacks and casting.
Lesson 4: Communicating with the Actor 27:19
This lesson looks at the best way to communicate with actors, and the synergistic relationship between actor and director.
Lesson 5: The Rehearsal Process 19:50
This lesson explores the rehearsal process, stage manager role, and the steps of rehearsal scheduling, table reads, blocking, run-throughs, and tech week.
Lesson 6: Composition 26:32
This lesson explores the specific directorial approaches to each of the five basic spaces, and how staging creates focus through the use of compositional elements. The lesson also reviews how levels and planes can be used to create focus, and explores dialogue, lights, and movement as a hierarchy of focus.
Lesson 7: Tool of Design 26:49
This lesson explores the elements and principles of design and art, and period in style, as well as the design process. The lesson will cover sets, lights, costumes, props, sound, and multimedia.
Lesson 8: Self-Evaluation 23:48
This lesson covers self-evaluation, the final step in the directing process, and discusses four approaches to evaluation as the student-director learns to become their own best critic.

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Standards Addressed

Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work - High School Proficient

Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation - Grade HS Accomplished

Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding - Grade 6

Refine new work through play, drama processes and theatre experiences using critical analysis and experimentation - Grade HS Proficient

Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding - Grade HS Accomplished