Directors Workshop

 

Who: Directors 16+

When: March 19 - April 30th, Wednesday evening from 6-8pm

Where: Northern Starz

Cost: $130 per student

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This workshop will meet weekly, for seven weeks, and is tailored to people

who have either directed before or are new to the field of directing. 

 

Topics covered will include:

1. Personality traits that make a good director

2. Script selection – what factors go into making those decisions

3. Script analysis – overall themes, character breakdowns, French scenes, beats, moments, character arcs

4. Working with the production and design team – creating a vision for the play

5. Auditioning actors, prep work, how to audition, callbacks, casting choices

6. Creating a rehearsal and production schedule

7. Blocking/staging work – creating a usable ground plan

8. Working with the actors – allowing actors space to be creative

9. Tech rehearsals – how to manage technical elements; time management

10. Taking and giving notes for both the actors and production staff

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In addition, participants will be working on specific techniques in class and will be directing scenes from a variety of plays.  If any participants are currently or anticipate directing in the future, they are encouraged to bring in any concerns or questions they may have on their projects. 

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Instructor:  Mike Ricci

BIO:  Mike Ricci has been teaching and directing for the past 30 years, and has directed over 100 plays in his career, including large and small cast musicals, comedies and dramas, youth theatre, original scripts and devised theatre productions.  He has directed at Actors Theatre of Louisville and other regional theatres, and numerous college and university theatres, as well as many community theatres around the country.  He has also served on the theatre faculty at Florida State, Penn State, University of Louisville and Winthrop University, and was most recently the Director of Theatre at North Hennepin Community College.  Some of his favorite productions include Amadeus, Avenue Q, The Kentucky Cycle, Frankenstein, Phantom, and his world premiere stage adaptation of the film ‘The Blues Brothers’.  Mike holds an MFA in Directing from Florida State University and continues to mentor and coach high school theatre students.