How to Become a Professional Theatrical Director
There is a joke among theater professionals and would-be professionals: Keep your day job. It takes years of perseverance and hard work to become a professional theater director. Those who are drawn to the theater and are lucky enough to have talent may in time develop the necessary skills. Start with an appropriate education in directing, and network with theater contacts for the best chance at becoming a professional director.
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Instructions
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Attend a college or university with a reputation for good drama programs. For example, the University of California, Davis, offers a bachelor's degree in dramatic art and a Master of Fine Arts in directing. Yale Drama School offers a highly competitive Master of Fine Arts in directing.
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Get involved in local community theater. This provides you with practice and the opportunity to experiment. Turn any mistakes you make while directing on the community level into learning experiences. Directing in community theater enables you to meet people already involved in the theater scene.
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Choose your location with your professional goals in mind. New York is not the only city in which you can work as a professional theater director. Boston, Seattle and San Francisco are examples of cities with thriving professional theaters.
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Subscribe to professional journals in the area you wish to live and work. For example, Callboard is the theater magazine for professionals in San Francisco and the East Bay area.
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Network with other professionals. Stay in touch with actors, directors and producers you work with or meet at events. See plays your colleagues have directed.
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Tips & Warnings
Professional theater is difficult to break into. Be prepared to have other forms of income or support, because it may take years before you can support yourself as a director.
