What does it involve???
First of all find a play that you like and that can be cast from members of the group. Then study it in some depth and decide how you see the various characters, choose audition pieces, hold auditions and choose the cast.
Once this has been done a back stage team has to be chosen and asked to help and a rehearsal schedule has to be arranged. At Moulton we usually rehearse for between 6-8 weeks, and 3 times a week.
A production meeting should be held when the director discusses the set with the crew and arrangements are made for set building. The earlier the set can be built the more helpful it is to the actors as they can then actually rehearse ‘in situ’. The director should ideally also talk to the props team, wardrobe people, lighting and sound teams at an early stage so that they are fully aware of what is required to make the play a success.
A director is in charge of rehearsals and he or she usually works out possible moves for the actors in advance, instructs the actors at “blocking out” rehearsals and adjusts where necessary there and then. They should encourage actors to learn lines as soon as possible and assist them by making suggestions that will help them to improve their performance
Directing is very hard work and time consuming but can be fantastically rewarding.