Directing

The Eye of the Hurricane

In any stage production, the director is the eye of the hurricane.  Everyone else involved in the journey from concept to strike – writers, performers, designers, stage crew, and maybe most critically, the audience – they all rely on the director to pull it together, make it happen, and see to it that everyone “gets their moneys worth”; a great, moving, memorable theatre experience.  Good directors not only posses a thoughtful, working understanding of every aspect of theatrical production, they also have the temperament, will and stamina to inspire the best from everyone else on the production team.  In short, excellent directors are not only exciting conceptual, creative artists, they are excellent leaders as well.  That’s a lot of responsibility, and a lot of work; and frankly, it’s not for everybody.  But if that’s you, if you want to direct, we can help you hone all of those skills.  We offer a couple of programs designed to accommodate the needs of student directors; the B.F.A. in Performing Arts with a concentration in Directing, or the B.A. in Theatre.

The B.F.A. requires 37 hours of core courses in theatre production, performance, design, and history/theory, plus another 37 concentration hours designed especially for directing students.  These include courses in acting, directing, choreography and stage management, plus a handful of restricted electives that allow you to choose some courses you think relevant and helpful to your becoming a good director.  Admission into the B.F.A. program is by invitation only; you’ll need to audition/interview in your third semester.  Until then, students wishing to declare this B.F.A. are classified as "seeking admission."  Visit the BFA Audition Policy page for a full explanation of the process. Finally, because this BFA program requires so many credit hours by itself, you will not be required – or expected – to also earn a minor.

The B.A. in Theatre, while requiring fewer hours over all, still gives you full access to our acting and directing courses, while at the same time allowing more leeway to study other areas of the WKU curriculum more deeply.  For example, if you also have a strong interest in Creative Writing or Performing Arts Administration, you might want to consider a minor in either – or both –  something our B.A. is designed to accommodate.  And finally, acceptance into the B.A. is unrestricted; you do not have to audition to declare our B.A. in Theatre.

Detailed outlines of the specific requirements of both of these degree programs can be viewed and downloaded from the Degree Programs page. For more information about WKU Department of Theatre & Dance Directing programs, please contact Scott Stroot at (270) 745-6290 or scott.stroot@wku.edu.