DIRECTOR
What is a director? For the director and critic Harold Clurman, the job entailed being "an organizer, a teacher, a psychic detective, a lay analyst, a technician, a creative being...All of which means he must be a great lover." A director is a medium- between actors and text, between text and the physical elements, and of course between the producer and the production. -Michael Bloom, Thinking Like a Director
Directing a play is a lot of responsibility. The playwright has given you the text. But there is a long way to go before that text can be a realized production. A director must research the play deeply and know how he or she wants to tell that story. The choices of what the center of the that story might be can vary drastically from production to production. As a director, you must focus the play so that the text, characters, setting, and story become clear. Then, you must communicate this to several collaborators- designers, producers, actors, stage managers. All the decisions that designers make must be guided by the process you have created. All the choices actors make must clearly fit into the story you have decided to tell. I like to tell my directing class, "When it seems wrong, it's probably the director's fault. When it goes right, no one should be thinking about how good the directing is." The director must lead and serve every other part of the production for it to be successful.
Working with students is a unique kind of challenge and blessing. They are not all capable actors yet. Their ability to see how to play a character is often still developing. Directing in an educational context takes more teaching and coaching than it does at the professional level. They don't trust themselves yet and are looking to the director for a lot of guidance in that process. But I really enjoy directing in this context. The payoff in the directing of a play is not only the audience being able to see it, but in also seeing the growth in young actors over a six week process. This becomes a balancing act in making the story of the play clear while making the process important. We often say that we must value process over product in our work. Never is that more true than in an educational setting.
Below is a list of plays directed along with some images from some productions. You will also find Director's Notes here. The director's notes are in the program to give audiences a short context for the play they are about to see.
The Illusion adapted by Tony Kushner from Cornielle, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2022
Henry IV, Part 1, Wheaton Shakespeare in the Park, Memorial Park, Wheaton IL 2021
JENGA, a collection of student stories, Wheaton College, 2021
Wheaton College Christmas Festival, Staging and Direction. Wheaton College, 2005-2020
Every Brilliant Thing, by Duncan MacMillan, Wheaton College, 2019 and 2022
The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2020
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, by Clark Gesner, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2019
Measure for Measure, William Shakespeare, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2017
The Sneeze, by Michael Frayn (Anton Chekhov), Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2016
The Sparrow, by Jake Minton and Chris Matthews, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2015
12th Night, Wheaton Shakespeare in the Park, Memorial Park, Wheaton IL 2014
Who Am I This Time? By Aaron Posner, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2014
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2013
Middletown by Will Eno, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2013
Pirates of Penzance, Gilbert and Sullivan, Wheaton Opera Music Theater, 2012
Great Expectations adapted by Declan Donnellan from Dickens, Wheaton College, 2010
The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2009
The Illusion adapted by Tony Kushner from Corneille, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2008
Endgame by Samuel Beckett, Grand Junction Theater Company at Wheaton College, 2002
Directing a play is a lot of responsibility. The playwright has given you the text. But there is a long way to go before that text can be a realized production. A director must research the play deeply and know how he or she wants to tell that story. The choices of what the center of the that story might be can vary drastically from production to production. As a director, you must focus the play so that the text, characters, setting, and story become clear. Then, you must communicate this to several collaborators- designers, producers, actors, stage managers. All the decisions that designers make must be guided by the process you have created. All the choices actors make must clearly fit into the story you have decided to tell. I like to tell my directing class, "When it seems wrong, it's probably the director's fault. When it goes right, no one should be thinking about how good the directing is." The director must lead and serve every other part of the production for it to be successful.
Working with students is a unique kind of challenge and blessing. They are not all capable actors yet. Their ability to see how to play a character is often still developing. Directing in an educational context takes more teaching and coaching than it does at the professional level. They don't trust themselves yet and are looking to the director for a lot of guidance in that process. But I really enjoy directing in this context. The payoff in the directing of a play is not only the audience being able to see it, but in also seeing the growth in young actors over a six week process. This becomes a balancing act in making the story of the play clear while making the process important. We often say that we must value process over product in our work. Never is that more true than in an educational setting.
Below is a list of plays directed along with some images from some productions. You will also find Director's Notes here. The director's notes are in the program to give audiences a short context for the play they are about to see.
The Illusion adapted by Tony Kushner from Cornielle, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2022
Henry IV, Part 1, Wheaton Shakespeare in the Park, Memorial Park, Wheaton IL 2021
JENGA, a collection of student stories, Wheaton College, 2021
Wheaton College Christmas Festival, Staging and Direction. Wheaton College, 2005-2020
Every Brilliant Thing, by Duncan MacMillan, Wheaton College, 2019 and 2022
The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2020
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, by Clark Gesner, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2019
Measure for Measure, William Shakespeare, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2017
The Sneeze, by Michael Frayn (Anton Chekhov), Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2016
The Sparrow, by Jake Minton and Chris Matthews, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2015
12th Night, Wheaton Shakespeare in the Park, Memorial Park, Wheaton IL 2014
Who Am I This Time? By Aaron Posner, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2014
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2013
Middletown by Will Eno, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2013
Pirates of Penzance, Gilbert and Sullivan, Wheaton Opera Music Theater, 2012
Great Expectations adapted by Declan Donnellan from Dickens, Wheaton College, 2010
The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2009
The Illusion adapted by Tony Kushner from Corneille, Wheaton College Arena Theater, 2008
Endgame by Samuel Beckett, Grand Junction Theater Company at Wheaton College, 2002
