Program Overview
Webster University's Directing program equips students with artistic skills and a liberal arts foundation. Through hands-on experience, study abroad, and professional connections, students develop their directing abilities and prepare for careers in theatre and related fields. The program emphasizes storytelling, collaboration, and the exploration of personal artistic voices.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The Bachelor of Arts in Directing program at Webster University's Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts provides students with the artistic training and preparation necessary to achieve excellence in directing. The program offers a strong liberal arts environment, allowing students to gain a wide range of directing and theatre skills. Students will have the opportunity to discover the stories they want to tell, study alongside professionals in St. Louis' theatre hub, and work closely with the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. In the third year of the Directing degree, students earn professional directing credit by assisting with a production at St. Louis' League of Resident Theatres (LORT). Students study abroad in London during the fall semester of their final year, and conclude Directing studies by choosing and directing a production in the conservatory season. Graduating students also attend the annual New York Showcase, where they have opportunities to connect with working alumni and other theatre professionals.
Outline:
Year 1
- Directing I: Explores the art of storytelling, including play analysis, staging and composition, research, and rehearsal process.
- Directing II: Continues developing analytical and compositional techniques, examines the history of directing, and explores rehearsal process and communication with designers and actors.
- Acting I: Introduces students to the fundamentals of acting, including voice, movement, and characterization. Year 2
- Directing III: Focuses on approaches for the use of light and sound, initial discussions on the meaning of "concept," and practical assessments of individual directing work.
- Directing IV: Provides the director with the opportunity to work on material that best fits their personal interests and begins the process of identifying what it means to have a "voice" as a director.
- Acting II: Continues developing acting skills, including scene study, audition techniques, and stage combat. Year 3
- Directing Seminar: Includes second, third, and fourth-year directors, evaluating current projects, researching contemporary theatrical trends, preparing staged readings, and focusing on specific directing topics.
- Senior Capstone/Reading List: In the final semester of study, the directing candidate will be tested over the reading list and will research, cast, and rehearse a capstone production to be designed in conjunction with the Performance and Design Faculty. Year 4
- Study Abroad: Students study abroad in London during the fall semester, gaining experiences of urban living and preparing them for careers in major cities like New York and Chicago.
Teaching:
The Directing program at Webster University is taught by working professional artists, published writers, playwrights, and dedicated educators committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Careers:
Graduates of the Directing program are prepared for careers in directing, stage management, arts administration, and other theatre-related fields.