Practitioners
Avra Sidiropoulou
Practitioner
Avra Sidiropoulou is Assistant Professor at the M.A. Program in Theatre Studies at the Open University of Cyprus. She is Artistic Director of Athens-based Persona Theatre Company, and has worked internationally.
Video
Lars Romann Engel, artistic director of “HamletScenen,” in conversation with
Dr. Anne Sophie Refskou, lecturer at University of Surrey, describes his process
of working on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. He analyzes the process of working with the
text and understanding the context of the play and its significance today. The
interview took place in Elsinore, Denmark, in August 2017.
Video
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.
Video
Vanessa Christodoulou talks about her experience of being taught directing
in a distance-learning context. She shares audiovisual material taken from her
directing work, which was produced especially for class projects.
Video
This video workshop, which took place in Athens in July 2017, is the
result of a process of working on possible ideas for set design for Henrik Ibsen’s
The Lady from the Sea. Athena Stourna shares her intuitions in front of
a model she built for the purposes of this book, shedding light on fundamental
questions that permeate the director-scenographer
collaboration.
Video
In this video presentation, Avra discusses her book and some fundamental
principles that permeate the directing art.
Video
This video presentation features playwright and director Oriza Hirata’s
concept of robot theatre. Making Robot Theatre: An interview with Oriza Hirata of
Tokyo-based Seinendan.
Video
This video is from a workshop which brought together performer Miranda
Manasiadis and choreographer Malia Johnston. The workshop took place at Footnote
Dance and Deirdre Tarrant Studios.
Video
John Collins, award-winning artistic director of ERS, shares his ideas on
directing, working with an ensemble, adapting the classics, and developing a
directorial style.
Video
In this master class video, New York-based lighting
designerMaria Cristina Fusté discusses in detail her process of
lighting a theatre production, and the different stages involved
therein.
Video
This workshop took place at East Hampton, NY, in October 2016, part of an
attempt to address different ways of looking at the character of Blanche du
Bois.
Commentary
by Avra Sidiropoulou
Directions for Directing: Theatre and Method 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. From organizing auditions and making casting choices to decoding complex dramaturgical texts and motivating actors, Directions for Directing offers practical advice and features detailed Workbook sections on how to navigate such a fascinating discipline. A 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.
Related Items
Video
Lars Romann Engel, artistic director of “HamletScenen,” in conversation with
Dr. Anne Sophie Refskou, lecturer at University of Surrey, describes his process
of working on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. He analyzes the process of working with the
text and understanding the context of the play and its significance today. The
interview took place in Elsinore, Denmark, in August 2017.
Video
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.
Video
Vanessa Christodoulou talks about her experience of being taught directing
in a distance-learning context. She shares audiovisual material taken from her
directing work, which was produced especially for class projects.
Video
This video workshop, which took place in Athens in July 2017, is the
result of a process of working on possible ideas for set design for Henrik Ibsen’s
The Lady from the Sea. Athena Stourna shares her intuitions in front of
a model she built for the purposes of this book, shedding light on fundamental
questions that permeate the director-scenographer
collaboration.
Video
In this video presentation, Avra discusses her book and some fundamental
principles that permeate the directing art.
Video
This video presentation features playwright and director Oriza Hirata’s
concept of robot theatre. Making Robot Theatre: An interview with Oriza Hirata of
Tokyo-based Seinendan.
Video
This video is from a workshop which brought together performer Miranda
Manasiadis and choreographer Malia Johnston. The workshop took place at Footnote
Dance and Deirdre Tarrant Studios.
Video
John Collins, award-winning artistic director of ERS, shares his ideas on
directing, working with an ensemble, adapting the classics, and developing a
directorial style.
Video
In this master class video, New York-based lighting
designerMaria Cristina Fusté discusses in detail her process of
lighting a theatre production, and the different stages involved
therein.
Video
This workshop took place at East Hampton, NY, in October 2016, part of an
attempt to address different ways of looking at the character of Blanche du
Bois.
Commentary
by Avra Sidiropoulou
Directions for Directing: Theatre and Method 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. From organizing auditions and making casting choices to decoding complex dramaturgical texts and motivating actors, Directions for Directing offers practical advice and features detailed Workbook sections on how to navigate such a fascinating discipline. A 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.