Why Study Directing?

Explore centuries of technique. Discover your artistic voice. Learn to analyze texts, make conceptual choices, guide actors in the rehearsal process, and collaborate to create. The art of direction is much more than blocking — it’s understanding the world of your characters and bringing authentic, human stories to life.

Many college and university theatre departments do not offer an opportunity to study Directing until the graduate level, but at MMC our Directing concentration is a vital part of our program. 

Through direct work with actors, designers, stage managers, and playwrights, you’ll develop your artistic finesse not only in the classroom, but also through Directing Projects presented each semester in our Box Theatre and Playwriting Projects written by our Writing for the Stage students, both part of the Directing curriculum. Experiences as assistant directors for faculty and guest-directed productions offer the opportunity to learn and gain practical knowledge.

Why Study Directing at MMC?

Our curriculum prepares you for the wide range of drama and life experience presented in the professional theatre. You will read a wide diversity of playwrights and discover the many styles of theatre during their years of study. Our Theatre Arts and Directing curriculum gives you the hands-on experience that jumpstarts your professional career while also educating you to be a global citizen and contributor to society. Our liberal arts curriculum prepares our students to be articulate individuals and expressive artists. Marymount Manhattan’s Theatre Arts Faculty represent a wide variety of professional experiences and connections, and students are able to foster close personal relationships with the faculty through our small class sizes. Finally, you’ll develop initiative, ownership, agency, and responsibility throughout your education, preparing you to manage your own professional careers beyond college.

What You’ll Learn in the Directing Concentration

• Utilize script analysis to understand the world of the play (its style, tone, theme, and theatricality) and apply that analysis to creating an interpretive vision for the play
• Articulate a vision for the play and work with others in a collaborative process.
• Conduct dramaturgical research for a production of a play and apply that research to the directing process.
• Demonstrate basic facility with directing contemporary plays, including the responsibilities of choosing material, conducting appropriate research, visualizing a production, pre-production planning, creating a prompt book, casting, and rehearsal skills.
• Participate in an effective actor/director relationship.
• Demonstrate the ability to collaborate with other theatre artists.