Theater Directing: How To Get Started

For a long time, I didn't know what a Director did or why they were so important.  Even as a Drama major, I thought that actors did all of the work and directors got all of the credit.  I was proven wrong when I decided to step on the other side of the curtain and direct my first show-a personal victory! A complete labor of love (no one got paid a cent), Seminar by Theresa Rebeck was the first piece of theater that I made happen mostly on my own, orchestrating everything from the casting to the marketing. Since then, it became clear to me that the Director is essential to the success of any show, opining on the smallest detail to the biggest spectacle. 

As an actor, the move to director can go two ways: as you step off the stage, all you want to do is be back on it OR you use your intuitive actor training to quickly learn how to turn craft into direction. After all, isn't theater just the search for truth?

There are a few ways to get started on your journey, each successful in its own way, but none exactly formulaic.  Success is a combination of the right contacts, home base support, good text, talented actors, and marketing yourself accurately. All it takes to start is to WANT to be a director. Desire is fundamental if you want to be a good director. 

From there, virtually any backstage theater job is a good way to hit the ground running.  Surround yourself with the knowledge of what happens backstage and what it takes to actually take a show from the page to opening night.  Specific jobs that will expedite your course: Assistant Director, Stage Manager, Producer, Dramaturg, Stage Crew, Designer, and ACTOR. As an actor, you make connections every day with directors-study them! Ask to be their apprentice, assistant direct them, share plays you are interested in directing with them, or ask them if they know of anyone who needs a director! The best contacts are usually right under your nose, but your fear or thoughtlessness will deter you. 

Or you can do what I have found to be most successful: make your own theater.  You find a play you love, actors you want to exhibit, a space that can be used, and bill yourself as the Director.  You can make your career anything you want-only YOU can force you to work on your passion.  So, get up, discover a play, and start your journey!