Directing and Performance
S06
Jean Randich
We will work chronologically through the late 19th and 20th centuries, examining how the “director” emerged as the seminal force to be reckoned with in the experimental theater. We will read historical texts and examine visual research as well as dramatic texts and the critical response to the work. In each case we will consider the relationship of the director to the “text,” to actor training, to the ensemble and collaboration, to the audience, and to design and technology. Students will deliver oral presentations and formally lead discussions examining a selected director’s theory and practice. In addition, we will conduct in-class experiential exercises exploring approaches to actor training, directing, theater making, and conceptual design. Focus will be on Stanislavski, Meyerhold, Brecht, Grotowski, Artaud, and the American experimental theater. Students create an original final performance project.