PERF06092 2019 Introduction to Directing 1

General Details

Full Title
Introduction to Directing 1
Transcript Title
Introduction to Directing 1
Code
PERF06092
Attendance
80 %
Subject Area
PERF - 0215 Performing Arts
Department
YADA - Yeats Academy Art Dsgn & Arch
Level
06 - Level 6
Credit
05 - 05 Credits
Duration
Semester
Fee
Start Term
2019 - Full Academic Year 2019-20
End Term
9999 - The End of Time
Author(s)
Tom Weir, Una Mannion, Declan Drohan, Niall Colleary, Rhona Trench, Bernie Meehan, Niall Rea
Programme Membership
SG_APERF_H08 201900 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Performing Arts SG_APERA_B07 201900 Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts (Acting) SG_APERT_B07 201900 Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts (Theatre Design) SG_APERA_B07 202400 Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts (Acting) SG_APERF_H08 202400 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Performing Arts
Description

This introductory module asks learners to consider the idea of a director/direction/directing. The module introduces learners to the foundations of direction as a collaborative process, encouraging them to develop basic skills, capacities and attitudes for effective interdisciplinary co‑authored work. Learners acquire an overview of the role, function and demands of directing/direction. Students get to explore key theatre directors, such as Stanislavsky, Brecht and Meyerhold for example, in an effort to examine different approaches to directing. 

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module the learner will/should be able to;

1.

develop ways of exploring and communicating with fellow creative collaborators to develop a shared understanding of a play for performance

2.

explore scenes from the perspectives of the different disciplines involved in the creation of a performed work

3.

acquire a basic understanding of the collaborative processes involved in directing scenes for performance

4.

experience the practical evolution of a scene from a play to its performance

5.

To develop an understanding of live performance

Teaching and Learning Strategies

This module will be largely taught through practice-based learning, with lectures on key practitioners from time to time. Students will keep a record of key moments of their learning, demonstrating their research and reflection in a log book.

Learners are expected to participate in class discussions, independent research, and peer-to-peer learning. 

 

 

Module Assessment Strategies

Director's analysis of a chosen scene from a published play 20%

Log journal (peer-to-peer feedback and reflective learning shown) 30%

Class contribution (in-class discussion, research, peer-to-peer feedback) 25%

Learners will direct a short play (with input from individual students) which will culminate in a final performance in front of an audience 25%

Repeat Assessments

Repeat attend

Indicative Syllabus

Directing 1 is a practical module and takes place in a flat classroom or black-box type space. It is co-taught between tutors from design, directing and acting. Learners are required to consider the demands of a director based on a published play. Students will explore texts for its factual dictates, as well as its inferred meaning. 

Space, set, lighting, sound, and props will gradually become part of the learner's experience from a Director's POV. 

Learners will get the opportunity to direct a scene with their peers in an effort to demonstrate the skills necessary to work with a creative team.

A range of theatre directors will be used to examine the different approaches to directing. 

 

 

 

Coursework & Assessment Breakdown

Coursework & Continuous Assessment
%
End of Semester / Year Formal Exam
%

Coursework Assessment

Title Type Form Percent Week Learning Outcomes Assessed
1 Log Book Coursework Assessment Assessment 30 % OnGoing 1,3,4
2 Director's analysis of a chosen scene Project Assignment 20 % End of Term 2,4,5
3 Class Contribution Coursework Assessment Assessment 25 % OnGoing 1,2,3
4 A short play by the group Practical Assessment 25 % End of Term 1,2,3,5

Required & Recommended Book List

Required Reading
2009 The Director's Craft
ISBN 0415404398 ISBN-13 9780415404396

This text presents a practical guide to directing in theatre. The author provides a beginner's guide to the process, with specific advice on every aspect of working with actors, designers, and the text.

Required Reading
2004 So You Want to be a Theatre Director? Nick Hern Books
ISBN 1854597795 ISBN-13 9781854597793
Required Reading
2010 Contemporary European Theatre Directors
ISBN 0415462517 ISBN-13 9780415462518

Examining the work of theatre directors in the 'New Europe', this collection of profiles sets out the historical and aesthetic context for these directors' work. It features seven interviews with selected directors on their work and roles within the European cultural landscape.

Required Reading
2017-09-01 Directing Scenes and Senses Oxford University Press
ISBN 9781526123015 ISBN-13 1526123010

Module Resources

Non ISBN Literary Resources

Delgado, M. and Rebellato, D. (2010) Contemporary European Theatre Directors. Abingdon: Routledge.
Innes, C. and Shevtsova, M. (2009) Directors/Directing: Conversations on Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mitchell, K. (2009) The Director's Craft: a handbook for the theatre. London: Routledge.
Mitter, S. and Shevtsova, M. (2005) Fifty Key Theatre Directors. Abingdon: Routledge.
Shepherd, S. (2013) Direction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Schneider, Rebecca and Gabrielle Cody (Eds.), Re: Direction: A Theoretical Guide, (London: Routledge, 2002)
Bloom, Michael, Thinking Like a Director: A Practical Handbook, (New York: Faber and Faber, 2001) 
Braun, Edward, The Director and the Stage: From Naturalism to Growtowski, (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1982)
Mitter, Shomit, Systems of Rehearsal, Stanislavsky, Brecht, Growtowski and Brook, (London: Routledge, 1992)
Brook, Peter. The Empty Space, (NY: Touchstone, 1996)
Braun, Edward. The Director and the Stage, (London: Methuen Drama, 1982)
Leiter, S. L. The Great Stage Directors, (New York: Facts on File, 1994)

Journal Resources

JSTOR

Project Muse

Digital Humanities Quarterly

The Journal of Digital Scholarship in the Humanities

URL Resources

http://www.theatrevoice.com/audio/katie-mitchell-on-directing/

http://broadwayeducators.com/tag/teaching-directing/