Director’s Guide

Encore-specific companion guide for directing at Encore — culture, philosophy, and how to direct in service of our educational mission. For the generic role definition, see Director.

Introduction

Welcome to directing at Encore As a director, you hold a unique position of artistic leadership and educational mentorship. You are not just creating a theatrical production—you are shaping the growth and development of young artists while delivering an extraordinary experience to your community.

This guide serves as your companion throughout the production process. It integrates with other Encore documents including the Production Bible, Rehearsal Guide, Table Work Guide, Transitions Guide, and Casting Guide, which provide detailed guidance on specific topics.

At Encore, the director’s primary responsibility is twofold: to serve the story and to serve the young artists who bring it to life.

“Theater is a verb before it is a noun, an act before it is a place.” — Martha Graham

The Director’s Role at Encore

Your Dual Mission

Artistic Leadership: You are the keeper of the production’s vision, making creative decisions that serve the story and unify all design and performance elements into a cohesive theatrical experience.

Educational Mentorship: You are a guide for young artists’ development, creating learning opportunities that build theatrical skills, emotional intelligence, and life competencies that extend far beyond the stage.

These roles are not in conflict—they are complementary. The most effective Encore directors understand that excellent theater education produces excellent theater.

Heart Over Art

While we love putting on a great show, the professional theater experience is the cherry on top. Your primary mission is nurturing young artists’ growth. The skills they develop—collaboration, resilience, creative problem-solving, empathy, communication—serve them throughout their lives.

This doesn’t mean lowering artistic standards. It means recognizing that the process of achieving those standards is where the most profound learning happens.

Living the Ten Commandments

Your leadership sets the tone for the entire production. Read Ten Commandments and embody them in every interaction. As director you are the most visible model — when you live them, the cast and team follow.

The Mike and Sully Principle

The Mike and Sully Principle is our way of creating a productive, creative environment. Effective directing requires balancing creative vision (Sully energy) with practical execution (Mike energy). While you primarily provide Sully energy as the artistic leader, you must partner effectively with your Stage Manager and Production Manager who provide essential Mike energy.

Before rehearsals begin, clarify: “Who’s in charge creatively and who’s in charge organizationally?”

Trust your organizational partners to handle logistics so you can focus on artistic leadership. Communicate your creative needs clearly so they can support your vision effectively.

Pre-production Preparation

Initial Script Analysis

Before meeting with anyone, spend significant time alone with the script.

Multiple Readings: Read the script at least three times:

• First Reading: Experience the story emotionally
• Second Reading: Analyze structure, character arcs, themes, dramatic action
• Third Reading: Consider practical production elements and challenges

Key Questions to Answer:

• What is this play fundamentally about?
• What draws me to this story?
• What makes this story relevant for young artists and audiences today?
• What are the educational opportunities embedded in this material?
• What are the major production challenges?
• What is my initial vision for how this should look, sound, and feel?

Developing Your Vision

Vision Statement: Write a concise vision statement (2-3 paragraphs) articulating:

• The central theme or message you want to explore
• The emotional journey for the audience
• The visual and aural world of the production
• The educational goals for young artists

Reference Materials: Gather visual and aural references—mood boards, playlists, images—that communicate your vision. These materials will be invaluable when working with designers.

Flexibility Within Vision: Your vision should be strong enough to unify the production but open enough to evolve through collaboration.

Character and Scene Breakdowns

Create thorough character and scene breakdowns before casting and before meeting with designers.

Character Breakdown: For each character, document age, relationships, objectives, character arc, key moments, demands, and educational opportunities.

Scene Breakdown: For each scene, identify location, time, characters’ objectives, dramatic events, emotional arc, and technical requirements.

Share these breakdowns in your production’s Google Drive folder early. They become reference documents for the entire team.

Understanding Your Production’s Context

Consider where this production fits within Encore’s programming:

• Junior Series: Ages 6-12, foundational skills, shorter process
• Emerging Artist: Ages 6-12, full production, introduction to professional standards
• Signature Series: Ages 12-18, advanced development, complex material
• Show with a Pro: Professional integration, elevated standards, industry mentorship

Understanding context helps you set appropriate expectations.

Building Your Creative Team

Collaborative Hiring

You will work closely with the Production Manager and Executive Leadership to assemble your creative team. Your input is essential and valued.

Your Preferences Matter: You may have trusted collaborators you’ve worked with successfully. Share these preferences early.

Essential Qualities: Prioritize alignment with Encore’s mission, experience with young performers, collaborative spirit, artistic excellence, and reliability.

Key Creative Partners

Music Director (for musicals): Your closest collaborator. Schedule early meetings to discuss vocal arrangements, casting, rehearsal structure, and storytelling through music.

Choreographer: Partner in physical storytelling. Discuss movement vocabulary, how choreography serves character and plot, and integration with staging.

Stage Manager: Your organizational backbone. Establish communication preferences, review schedules, discuss documentation needs, and clarify decision-making processes.

Design Team: Your collaborators in creating the visual and aural world. Schedule one-on-one meetings with each designer before the full team onboarding meeting.

Onboarding Meeting

The Production Manager will schedule an Onboarding Meeting bringing the entire team together. This meeting establishes shared vision and working protocols.

Your Role:

• Share your artistic vision and concept
• Communicate the educational focus
• Set the tone for collaborative, supportive teamwork
• Express enthusiasm and confidence in the assembled team

Come prepared with visual references and clear articulation of your vision.

Design Collaboration

The Director-Designer Relationship

Effective director-designer collaboration balances artistic leadership with creative partnership. You provide the vision; designers bring expertise, creativity, and practical solutions.

Your Responsibilities: Articulate vision clearly, provide reference materials, give constructive feedback, respect designers’ expertise, make timely decisions, communicate changes promptly.

Designers’ Responsibilities: Interpret your vision through their specialized lens, bring creative solutions, meet deadlines, communicate challenges, collaborate with other designers.

Individual Design Meetings

Schedule one-on-one meetings with each designer early in Pre-Production Phase 2. These conversations allow focused discussion about each design area.

Essential Topics by Designer:

Set Designer: Spatial requirements, transitions, sight lines, how setting communicates theme, safety considerations.

Costume Designer: Character relationships, visual storytelling, period/style/color palette, quick changes, fitting schedule.

Lighting Designer: Mood and atmosphere, key moments, color palette, practical considerations, programming time.

Sound Designer: Music cues, sound effects, microphone requirements, volume considerations, integration with Music Director.

Props Designer: Essential props, practical props, when props needed for rehearsal, tracking and storage, safety.

Design Presentations

Designers present their concepts twice: first to the creative team during Pre-Production, then to the cast early in rehearsals.

Presentations to Cast: Typically on the first day of rehearsal, designers share their work with young artists. This invites young artists into the visual world and demonstrates that design is storytelling.

Your Role: Introduce each designer, allow them to explain their process, encourage questions, connect design choices to your vision, keep renderings visible in rehearsal space afterward.

Ongoing Communication

Design evolves throughout rehearsals as staging takes shape and discoveries are made.

Add Prop Deadline: The last day you can request additional props. After this date, the props designer needs time to acquire or build items. Plan ahead.

Designer Run: Schedule a complete run-through attended by all designers several days before technical rehearsals. This allows designers to see how their elements interact with performance. Always follow with a production meeting.

Auditions and Casting

Pre-Audition Planning

Meet with your Music Director, Choreographer, Production Manager, and Stage Manager to establish clear plans.

Determine: Ideal cast size, whether to cut young artists or include everyone, if roles will be double cast, challenging roles requiring creative solutions, accessibility accommodations, casting preferences on audition forms.

Communicate Schedule: The complete production schedule must be shared before auditions. Young artists and parents acknowledge conflicts on audition forms.

See the Casting Guide for comprehensive details on the audition process.

Audition Process

Young artists perform prepared material, learn audition choreography, and possibly sing audition material. The creative team observes and takes notes.

Evaluation Criteria: Balance vocal ability, acting ability, movement, potential for growth, work ethic, fit for specific roles, and educational value of casting options.

Remember: You are casting based on who these young artists can become through this process, not just who they are in the audition room.

Callbacks

After initial auditions, determine callback lists. Callbacks provide focused exploration of specific roles and chemistry.

Callback Planning: Notify young artists which role(s) they’re being called back for, create callback folders with materials, provide materials 3-5 days before callbacks, schedule adequate time.

During Callbacks: Treat this as a learning opportunity, challenge young artists to make different choices, evaluate chemistry, stay open-minded, encourage all participants.

Making Casting Decisions

Meet with the Music Director, Choreographer, and relevant stakeholders to discuss casting. The Executive Director/Artistic Director may be involved to ensure alignment with Encore’s educational mission.

Consider: Who is best suited artistically? What educational opportunities does each casting create? How will casting affect ensemble dynamics? Are we providing challenge and growth for all young artists?

Making Offers

The casting announcement process requires sensitivity and care.

Recommended Process: Start with larger roles, move to smaller roles, then ensemble, lastly communicate if cuts are being made.

Communication Method: While there is always an option to make a phone call first, all offers should be made via email for clarity and documentation.

Discretion: Ask young artists to remain discreet until full cast list is announced. This provides flexibility if someone cannot accept a role.

See the Casting Guide for complete details on the offer process.

Launch Day (parent meeting)

Schedule Launch Day before or on the first day of rehearsal — the community welcome event that includes design reveals and parent orientation. The parent-meeting portion establishes expectations and creates partnership with families.

Your Role: Welcome families, share your vision and educational goals, communicate rehearsal expectations, emphasize commitment and punctuality, answer questions, set a positive tone.

The Rehearsal Process

Creating the Environment

The rehearsal environment you create profoundly impacts young artists’ development and work quality.

Essential Elements:

Well-Structured: Clear schedules, organized materials, efficient time use, predictable routines.

Healthy: Physical and emotional safety prioritized, appropriate breaks and pacing, attention to well-being, balance between challenge and support.

Inquisitive: Questions welcomed, space for exploration, mistakes treated as learning opportunities, creative risk-taking supported.

“Success isn’t about the end result, it’s about what you learn along the way.”

Rehearsal Structure and Progression

Your rehearsal process should follow a logical progression.

Phase 1: Examine the Play (Weeks 1-2): Design presentations to cast, table work, learning music, beginning choreography.

Phase 2: Building the Play (Weeks 3-5): Staging and blocking, learning choreography, music rehearsals, character development, beginning to rehearse transitions.

Phase 3: Runs and Refinement (Weeks 6-7): Sequential reviews, full runs, polishing transitions in context, refinement, designer run.

Phase 4: Technical Integration (Week 8+): Spacing rehearsal, technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals, final adjustments.

Critical Principle: Each phase builds on the previous. Rushing through early phases creates weak foundations. Trust the process.

See the Rehearsal Guide for detailed guidance on each phase.

Table Work

Table work is one of the most sacred phases of the creative process and should never be abbreviated. This early rehearsal phase creates the foundation for everything that follows.

What Table Work Accomplishes: Unified vision, character development, text analysis, educational opportunity, ensemble building, design integration, question space, empowerment of young artists’ voices.

Duration: Typically 2-5 rehearsals depending on production complexity and experience levels.

See Table Work for comprehensive frameworks, activities, and age-appropriate adaptations.

Transitions

Transitions are the connective tissue of theatrical storytelling — the moments between scenes that maintain narrative momentum and theatrical magic. Treat them as scenes without dialogue: the story continues through movement, music, and visual transformation. At Encore, transitions deserve the same thoughtful planning, rehearsal, and execution as any dialogue scene or musical number.

Why they matter: Well-executed transitions maintain story continuity and pacing, solve practical necessity (set pieces moving, costume changes, actor positioning), teach young artists responsibility and teamwork, and inform lighting and sound design.

The Critical Timeline

One of the biggest mistakes a director can make is postponing transition work until technical rehearsals. Tech week exists to integrate technical elements with rehearsed staging — not to figure out basic blocking. Postponing transitions wastes limited time, overwhelms young artists, creates safety risks, and prevents designers from supporting them effectively.

• Weeks 1–2 (Early rehearsals): Identify complex transitions and communicate needs to designers and stage management.
• Weeks 3–5 (Mid rehearsals): Block transitions as you block scenes. Teach specific responsibilities and practice in isolation.
• Weeks 6–7 (Late rehearsals): Run transitions in context with scenes in every run-through. Polish execution and address safety concerns.
• Designer Run: Present fully rehearsed transitions so designers can see how their elements will integrate.
• Tech Rehearsals: Integrate lights and sound with already-rehearsed transitions.

By the time you reach tech, transitions should be as confident and polished as your scene work.

Planning Framework

For each transition, answer four essential questions:

1. What story does this tell? Consider emotional journey, whether you’re maintaining mood or creating contrast, and what information about time or place needs to be communicated.
2. What needs to move? Identify set pieces, props, actors, and costume changes.
3. How long should this take? Use music (if any), complexity, and young artists’ abilities to set realistic timing.
4. Will the audience watch? Decide whether the transition happens in full view, in darkness, overlapping with scenes, or during musical underscoring.

Work with your stage manager to document each transition: what moves where, who moves it, actor patterns, and safety considerations. Share plans with designers early.

Types of Transitions

• Visible — in view of the audience; often becomes part of the storytelling.
• Invisible — in darkness or behind a curtain; rehearse in low light, use glow tape.
• Crossover — overlapping with the end of one scene or start of the next; use lighting to direct focus.
• Musical — during underscoring or scene change songs; choreograph to musical phrasing in collaboration with the music director.
• Quick Changes — rapid costume changes during short transitions; notify the costume designer early and practice extensively.

Rehearsal Process

1. Map the space. Identify the geography of every move.
2. Assign responsibilities by name. Specific people, not “someone.”
3. Establish order of operations. What happens first, second, third.
4. Choreograph specific pathways and timing. Treat it like blocking.
5. Integrate with surrounding scenes. Run from the end of the previous scene through the transition into the next.

How to rehearse: Practice in isolation (multiple times for muscle memory). Walk through at half speed to find problems. Run in context. Practice in low light for invisible transitions. Include every transition in every run-through — never skip them.

Visual guides: Spike marks for exact placements. Color coding for different scenes. Glow tape for low-light transitions.

Working with Young Artists

• Ages 8–11: Break transitions into small steps. Use games. Assign appropriately sized set pieces.
• Ages 12–14: Explain why transitions matter. Give them ownership. Encourage problem-solving.
• Ages 15–18: Involve them in planning. Give leadership positions. Connect their work to professional theater practices.

Build confidence by starting simple and progressing gradually. Create ownership by assigning specific responsibilities, asking for input, and recognizing contributions publicly.

Safety and Documentation

• Ensure set pieces are appropriately sized for young artists.
• Teach proper lifting technique.
• Practice in actual performance lighting.
• Never allow running backstage.
• Design traffic patterns that minimize crossing.

“Safety Over Sequins: No transition is worth risking a young performer’s well-being.”

The Stage Manager should maintain tracking sheets for each transition: specific assignments by name, timing notes, safety concerns, and spike mark locations. Share transition plans with designers as early as possible — the designer run should already reflect how transitions will work.

Common Pitfalls

• Assuming transitions will “figure themselves out.” Block and rehearse with the same rigor as scenes.
• Young artists talking backstage during transitions. Establish silent-backstage expectations early.
• Transitions taking longer than expected. Time them regularly and adjust choreography.
• Forgetting transitions in run-throughs. Make it a rule: every run, every transition.
• Not communicating with designers early enough. Share preliminary plans during Pre-Production.

When transitions are treated with the same importance as dialogue scenes, they become invisible to the audience — maintaining theatrical magic rather than breaking it.

Off-Book Expectations

Set a clear “off-book” deadline when actors must have lines memorized.

Recommended Timeline: Set the date for approximately 2/3 through the rehearsal process. Announce at first rehearsal. Encourage earlier memorization.

Why It Matters: Memorization frees actors for deeper character discoveries, allows fuller exploration, builds confidence and ownership, and is essential before tech.

Blocking and Staging

With table work foundation established, begin physical staging. Your blocking should grow organically from character understanding developed at the table.

Blocking Principles: Staging serves story and reveals relationships, movement has motivated purpose, visual composition communicates meaning, balance beauty with practical execution, remember young artists’ abilities and safety.

Working with Choreographer: Establish clear communication about how choreography serves character and story. Determine where staging ends and choreography begins. Ensure seamless integration.

Working with Young Artists

Understanding Developmental Stages

Young artists at different ages require different approaches.

Elementary Age (6-11): Shorter attention spans, concrete thinking, learning collaboration, building foundational skills, need repetition and positive reinforcement, need active engagement.

Middle School (12-14): Developing abstract thinking, heightened self-consciousness, capable of deeper analysis, building independence, benefit from understanding “why,” need validation and belonging.

High School (15-18): Capable of complex analysis, developing artistic voice, ready for leadership, able to handle sophisticated material, benefit from being treated as collaborators, need authentic challenges.

Adapt your directing style to meet young artists where they are developmentally while gently stretching them toward growth.

Building Ensemble

Strong ensemble creates the foundation for excellent work and meaningful learning.

Strategies: Incorporate trust-building activities, create rituals that foster belonging, learn names quickly, establish shared vocabulary, celebrate ensemble achievements, address exclusion immediately, model inclusive behavior.

Phone-Free Environment: Encore maintains phone-free rehearsal spaces because theater requires presence, focus, and authentic human connection. Enforce consistently and fairly while explaining the educational rationale.

Giving Direction and Feedback

How you communicate profoundly impacts young artists’ growth and the work you create.

Effective Direction:

• Be Specific: “Enter with urgency” is more useful than “be more energetic”
• Focus on Actions: Give direction in terms of what to do rather than how to feel
• Positive Framing: “Let’s try making stronger choices” rather than “that was too small”
• One Note at a Time: Avoid overwhelming with multiple corrections
• Ask Questions: “What does your character want?” engages critical thinking
• Celebrate Discovery: Acknowledge breakthroughs publicly
• Public Praise, Private Correction: Protect young artists’ confidence

Managing Challenges

Behavior Issues: Address promptly but calmly, speak privately when possible, understand root causes, involve parents when needed, maintain consistent expectations.

Skill Disparities: Provide differentiated support, show patience and encouragement, challenge advanced artists, focus on individual growth not comparison.

Emotional Challenges: Create safety, know your limits (you’re not a therapist), normalize struggle, communicate with appropriate support systems when needed.

The Director-Stage Manager Partnership

Your Stage Manager is your essential partner in creating the environment and structure that allows artistic work to flourish.

Trust Your Stage Manager To: Handle logistics, manage rehearsal space, document blocking, communicate with production team, enforce policies, support young artists organizationally.

Your Responsibilities: Communicate needs clearly, make timely decisions, respect their expertise, support their authority, provide direction about artistic priorities.

Regular Check-Ins: Meet briefly before or after rehearsals to ensure alignment and maintain strong communication.

Technical Rehearsals

Technical rehearsals represent the moment when all production elements converge. By this point, your staging and transitions should be fully rehearsed so tech time can focus on integrating lights, sound, and other technical elements.

Preparation is Everything

Before Tech Begins:

• Complete Staging: All blocking, choreography, and transitions fully rehearsed and confident
• Designer Run: Present complete run-through for all designers several days before tech
• Production Meeting: Always hold after designer run to address questions and finalize plans
• Paper Tech: Walk through all cues with Stage Manager and designers
• Communicate with Young Artists: Explain what to expect, emphasize patience

See the Tech Guide for comprehensive details on technical rehearsal processes.

Your Role During Tech

Artistic Priorities: Refine cueing timing and execution, ensure technical elements support rather than overshadow performances, make staging adjustments based on technical integration, help young artists maintain focus.

Supporting Young Artists: Model patience and positivity, explain what’s happening during holds, ensure adequate breaks, acknowledge their hard work and adaptability, provide age-appropriate support.

Technical Rehearsal Progression

Technical rehearsals should follow a layered approach, introducing elements progressively:

Spacing Rehearsal → Cue-to-Cue → Stop/Start Runs → Full Runs

See the Tech Guide for detailed explanation of each type.

Production Meetings During Tech

Schedule production meetings after each night of tech. Keep meetings efficient, solution-focused, and maintain positive atmosphere.

The Production Meeting Guides provide templates for these nightly check-ins.

When Things Go Wrong

Stay Calm: Your demeanor sets the tone and teaches young artists about professionalism.

Solution-Focused: Direct energy toward solving problems rather than assigning blame.

Prioritize Safety: Address safety risks immediately regardless of other pressures.

Collaborate: Trust your team’s expertise.

Perspective: Technical challenges are normal opportunities for creative problem-solving, not signs of failure.

Performances

After weeks or months of preparation, you arrive at performances. Your role shifts as young artists take ownership of the work you’ve created together.

Final Preparations

Opening Night Notes: Gather the company before first performance. Keep notes brief, positive, focused on the experience ahead rather than last-minute corrections.

Trust Your Work: By opening night, trust that the work is in young artists’ bodies and minds. Last-minute major changes create anxiety.

Backstage Environment: Ensure a calm, focused backstage atmosphere.

During the Run

Attend Performances: Your presence demonstrates continued investment and allows you to monitor show quality.

Performance Notes: After performances, provide brief notes addressing what needs attention. Focus on maintaining standards without being overly critical.

Celebrate Successes: Acknowledge excellent performances, special moments, and growth. Young artists thrive on specific, earned praise.

Support Stage Manager: They maintain show consistency. Support their work and avoid giving contradictory notes.

Enjoy the Experience: Allow yourself to enjoy seeing young artists shine in the work you’ve created together.

Special Performances

Encore productions may include sensory-friendly shows, ASL-interpreted performances, or preview prologues. Work with your Production Manager and Culture Department on logistics for these events.

Post-production

The production doesn’t end on closing night. Post-production activities complete the cycle and prepare for future growth.

Closing and Strike

Closing Night: Mark this milestone with appropriate ceremony.

Strike: Attend if possible. Your presence demonstrates that all aspects of production deserve respect. Thank young artists and crew.

Final Notes: Some directors provide written final notes or letters to young artists, acknowledging growth and celebrating achievements.

Evaluation and Reflection

Take time to evaluate the production and your own work.

Self-Reflection:

• What worked well?
• What would I do differently?
• How did I grow as a director?
• How effectively did I balance artistic and educational goals?

Production Evaluation: Complete any evaluation forms requested by Encore. Your feedback helps the organization improve.

Young Artists’ Growth

Reflect on the educational impact:

• What life skills did young artists develop?
• How did individual young artists grow?
• What unexpected discoveries occurred?
• How did the ensemble develop?

Documentation: Consider documenting observations about young artists’ growth for future productions and for sharing with families.

Archiving

Work with your Stage Manager and Production Manager to ensure complete documentation is archived in the production’s Google Drive folder.

Archive Materials: Vision statement, character and scene breakdowns, rehearsal plans, production photos and videos, program materials, evaluation documents.

Conclusion

Directing at Encore is both art and service—you are simultaneously creating theatrical excellence and nurturing young artists’ growth. These dual responsibilities complement and reinforce each other when approached with intention, skill, and heart.

Core Principles to Carry With You

Serve the Story: Your primary artistic responsibility is to the narrative. Every decision should serve the story’s clarity, emotional truth, and thematic depth.

Serve Young Artists: Your primary educational responsibility is to young artists’ growth. Create an environment where they can take risks, make discoveries, and develop skills that serve them throughout their lives.

Preparation Enables Freedom: Thorough preparation creates the structure within which creativity flourishes.

Process Matters as Much as Product: While we celebrate excellent productions, transformative learning happens in the rehearsal room through daily work.

Trust Your Collaborators: You are the artistic leader, but you are not alone. Trust your team’s expertise, your Stage Manager’s organizational skill, and young artists’ capacity for growth.

Flexibility Within Vision: Hold your vision firmly while remaining open to discoveries.

Heart Over Art: While we love creating excellent theater, our primary mission is developing confident, empathetic, skilled young people.

The Impact of Your Work

As an Encore director, your influence extends far beyond the production you create. You are:

Teaching young artists that their voices matter, that mistakes are part of learning, that collaboration creates something greater than individual effort, that discipline and artistry work together, and that they are capable of more than they imagined.

Demonstrating to families that theater education develops essential life skills, that high expectations and high support coexist, that young people can achieve remarkable things, and that arts education has lasting value.

Showing your community that young people are artists deserving respect, that excellent youth theater is possible, that arts education matters, and that theater brings people together.

Final Thoughts

Directing is demanding work requiring artistic vision, educational insight, organizational skill, emotional intelligence, and unwavering commitment. It asks you to balance competing priorities, make difficult decisions, and remain steadfast through challenges.

It is also profoundly rewarding work. You witness young artists’ growth in real time. You create experiences that young artists and audiences remember for years. You contribute to developing the next generation of confident, empathetic, creative humans.

Every production is unique. Every ensemble teaches you something new. Every young artist brings their own potential waiting to be unlocked. Approach each production with fresh eyes, open heart, and commitment to both artistic excellence and young artists’ development.

“Theater is a verb before it is a noun, an act before it is a place.” — Martha Graham

Welcome to directing at Encore. We’re honored to have you as part of this important work.

Appendix: Quick Reference

First Steps When You’re Hired

1. Review contract and ask questions

2. Read script multiple times and begin analysis

3. Review Production Bible and supporting documents

4. Schedule one-on-one meetings with Production Manager

5. Meet with Music Director and Choreographer (if applicable)

6. Begin developing vision statement

7. Gather visual and aural reference materials

8. Create character and scene breakdowns

9. Prepare for Onboarding Meeting

Essential Documents to Reference

• Production Bible: Overview of all production phases
• Rehearsal Guide: Detailed rehearsal process guidance
• Table Work Guide: Comprehensive table work frameworks
• Transitions Guide: Complete transition planning and execution
• Casting Guide: Audition and casting protocols
• Tech Guide: Technical rehearsal processes
• Production Meeting Guides: Templates for all meetings
• Ten Commandments: Encore’s cultural values
• Pre-Production Guide: Design package requirements

Key Production Landmarks

• Onboarding Meeting
• Design Presentations to Team
• Auditions & Callbacks
• Launch Day (parent meeting)
• First Rehearsal
• Design Presentations to Cast
• Table Work (first 2-5 rehearsals)
• Off-Book Date
• Add Prop Deadline
• Designer Run
• Production Meeting After Designer Run
• Paper Tech
• Spacing Rehearsal
• Technical Rehearsals
• Opening Night

Questions? Need Support?

Don’t hesitate to reach out:

• Artistic questions: Artistic Director
• Logistical questions: Production Manager
• Educational questions: Education Director
• Day-to-day coordination: Stage Manager

You are not alone in this work. Your Encore team supports you every step of the journey.

Related

• Director
• Stage Manager
• Production Manager
• Ten Commandments

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Status: Working · Portal: Team · Last reviewed: 2026-05-11 · Owner: Rhett