Directing (BA) 

Program Description

It is our mission to train our future colleagues to become visionaries, creators and leaders in the next generation of American professional theatre.

Webster University’s directing program is designed to educate student directors in the craft of stage direction, focusing on play analysis, visual storytelling, team collaboration, and creative thinking. Directing students at Webster are exposed to a wide variety of coursework both in the department and across the campus. Classes in Theatre include Voice, Movement and Acting; Visual History, Fundamentals of Design and Lighting; History of Theatre, Stage Management and Directing. In the senior year of study, students spend the fall semester at Webster's London campus.

Learning Outcomes

The student will demonstrate an effective directing process that integrates:

• A practical understanding and demonstrations of skills for each artistic discipline that makes up the team effort of theatre production including acting, stage management, and design
• A comprehensive approach to analyzing a play, through a thorough understanding of the given circumstances, character relationships and objectives and themes and metaphors of the script
• Strong research skills encompassing theatrical style, historical context, biographical relevance and theatrical metaphor
• Critical and creative thinking through coursework, individual production work and apprenticeship experiences with professionals at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
• An understanding of cultural and historical forces that form the background for dramatic literature, culminating in a semester of study in London in their senior year

Special Requirements

Courses completed with a grade of D do not count toward fulfilling the specific course requirements of the major.

Auditions/interviews are required for all students planning major in theatre at Webster University. Auditions/interviews are held each year during the spring semester for entrance into the following fall session. Both on-campus and off-campus audition sites are available to prospective theatre students. No video auditions are accepted.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 128 credit hours consisting of the following:

• 69 required credit hours
• Applicable university global citizenship or general education program hours
• Electives

Required Courses

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