This video was created as part of the web companion to the monograph Directions for Directing. Theatre and Method, written by Avra Sidiropoulou, and published by Routledge in September 2018. The book lays out contemporary concepts of directing practice and examines specific techniques of approaching scripts, actors, and the stage. Addressed to both young and experienced directors, but also to the broader community of theatre practitioners, scholars, and dedicated theatre goers, the book sheds light on the director’s multiplicity of roles throughout the life of a play – from the moment of its conception to opening night – and explores the director’s processes of inspiration, interpretation, communication, and leadership. The companion website explores the work of international practitioners of different backgrounds who operate within various institutions, companies, and budgets, providing readers with a wide range of perspectives and methodologies.

This video features snapshots from two different directing workshops conducted in October 2017 with two groups of directing students at RESAD (Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático de Madrid) in Madrid, Spain. The workshops focused on strategies of recontextualization of classical works and of determining directorial point-of-view. Special thanks to Dr. Ana Contreras for making this possible! Video editing by Emy Tzavra Bulloch.

RESAD, Spain’s Royal School for Dramatic Arts, is the oldest Spanish theatre school and one of the most prestigious in Europe. Since 1831 RESAD has trained professionals in the world of theatre through a specialized educational program and personalized teaching approach enabling students to excel in all theatrical areas and disciplines.

For more on RESAD, see: http://www.resad.es/