Santa Susana High School

Curtains The Musical

Senior Project

Maya Efrat
AP English 12
Mrs.Bradley
October 28, 2016
For my senior project I took on the challenging task of student directing the fall musical
Curtains. I have been passionate about musical theatre from a very young age, and I wanted to
learn how the process of putting on a musical was like from the production side instead of the
performance side that I have been part of for many years. One of the things that really interested

me about Santa Susana was that for a senior project you are able to take on the task of directing
and be a part of such a challenging yet rewarding process, and it was one of the reasons why I
wanted to come to this school. The responsibilities I have for this project are to communicate and
collaborate with the director, vocal director, choreographer, the tech program, and the orchestra,
help cast the production, lead the cast of 32 high school students in character development
activities and blocking the scenes, observe the rehearsals and take thorough notes to help
improve performance quality, and be there to assist the faculty director in whatever she needs
help in.

I have never done a project of this nature before and I know it will be a learning stretch
for me. I have been participating in musical theatre my whole life but I have never had the
experience of working on the production side of the show, and seeing what really goes into the
process of putting together a musical. I would not be normally doing something like this in my
everyday life, so this project presents many educational opportunities for me and will help me
grow as a leader and a performer

The final outcome I expect for my senior project is an amazing, showstopping production
of Curtains the Musical. If everyone continues to work hard and I keep directing with a
positive attitude, using extensive patience, keeping in constant communication with all people
involved in the show, and regularly conveying my vision for the show in a clear and confident
manner, I am positive this show will be a great one! This project and the research I have done
have given me critical skills that will help me with my future such as leadership, problem
solving, time management, and enhanced my confidence in my ability to serve as a role model
and motivate others.

In Tips For New Directors an article for the Educational Theatre Association by
Michael Daehn, helpful advice is offered to someone who is new to the directorial process and
explains exactly how the director contributes to the creation of a successful stage production.
Simply put, directors tell stories. A more detailed description might be: A director is the
individual who, after much research, reading, and planning, conceives and develops the
boundaries of a unique world within which a playwrights story and ideas will come to life.
(Daehn, 21) He offers many useful tips in order to help the challenging task of putting on a show
run more smoothly such as: finding the rhythm of the show, determining the voice of your show
and shaping your space based on a stone soup budget.(Daehn, 23) Along with these techniques
he includes questions to ask the actors during rehearsal to make sure they have a good
understanding of their character and what they need to do to be able to tell the story of the show.
He explains how directors need to have their own edge or style.There is something special
about the work of certain directors, a personal style that transcends mere storytelling. These stage
artists easily shift from one interesting world to another, their characters always seem to make
brighter, bolder choices, and their stories are told in unusual or unexpected ways.

In The Director an online lesson for North Virginia Community College by Eric
Trumbull, the history of the director is discussed, showing how it has changed over time.
Directing is still a relatively new phenomenon late 19th, early 20th century -- and still
developing. It Began to become more prominent during the Industrial Age and before
Romanticism. Now the director is the dominant figure in theatrical production (Trumbull, 1)It
goes over the responsibilities and functions of a modern day director such as Decides on

interpretation of script, casts actors, works with other theatre artists in designing the production,
rehearses actors, and coordinates all elements into a finished performance. (Trumbull, 4) The
lesson discusses in detail the process a director goes through to transform an idea into a full
production. The author goes over important key elements needed to be a successful director such
as: the analysis and interpretation of the script, coaching the actors, staging the play, managing
the rehearsals, and achieving the full focus of the cast.

In Musicals!: Directing School and Community Theatre a book written by experienced

directors Robert Boland and Paul Argentini, highlights the directors role in the important
building blocks of putting on a performance: preparation, production, and performance. They
offer many words of advice to new directors such as The director needs to have a good
understanding of all aspects of production from beginning to end to run the show. (Boland, 6)
and The most important thing you can do for your audience, as well as your actors, is to make
their lives more extraordinary, more informed, and more rewarding through your effort as a
director. . It comprehensively takes you through the process from the initial decision of the
show and the casting, to preparing the stage picture, analyzing the musical numbers and
choreography, and solving problems that may come up with the actors. It also provides tips on
publicity and organization as well as a glossary of terms you might encored during the directing
process.
In Directing in Musical Theatre: An Essential Guide a book written by Joe Deer, a well
known and regarded director, offers a complete guide to help aspiring directors with the skills
they need to direct and see through a production from beginning to end. The author covers all
aspects of a production from working with crew and cast, providing time tables to provide
flexible organization, and tackling common problems faced by directors. He lets the reader how

important it is to tell the story of the musical. Directors tell stories. While others usually write
those stories, the director guides their telling. He or she decides whats important to highlight in
the text and how the story will be expressed, and then takes the audience on a journey through
that world. In a successful production of even the most complex script, the story emerges clearly
and richly for the audience. (Deer, 11)
In the article in US News How to Manage a Team of Your Former Peers by well
regarded author and public speaker Vicki Salemi, This article published in US News provides
helpful advice on having a leadership role and managing your former team. It gives a helpful
approach of how setting new boundaries and changing your behavior will help you become a
successful leader among your former peers, and make good impressions on new ones. She states
how the transition is normal and not at all unusual. With a tactful approach of setting new
boundaries and altering your behavior, you can become a successful leader among your former
peers, plus gain traction with your new ones.(Salemi,1)
In the newsletter Tips for Directors the article Help for First Time Directors This
article offers insight on the process of directing a music for a first time director and the intense
growth and vivid discovery that comes with the job.It offers advice on how to avoid conflicts and
mishaps. And it adds a lot of details to really make sure the process goes smoothly, such as
visualizing the play, valuing the actors, and telling the story of the show. The article also makes
sure to remind the reader to have fun with the amazing opportunity and process. The
storytelling you oversee will be full of creativity, inspiration and merriment. And when the
curtain closes on the final performance, youll find yourself, as a seasoned director, saying, I
cant wait until next year!(Stone,19)

In "Guide to Student Directing at Ball State University." an article posted in The

Cardinal Scholar is a senior at Ball State University's honor thesis discusses the experiences that
a student director went through during the process of directing a musical at her university. This
article was very helpful because this college senior went through the same process I did for my
senior project, just at a more advanced University level. It includes a detailed summary of the
development of the show from the auditions and casting, to the opening night performances. It
stresses the importance of organization, time management,and full dedication to the production
you are putting on. The author acknowledges how no student directing process is the same, but
how future student directors can learn by hearing from her process Of course, these were my
experiences as a student director and situations may change in the ensuing years. However, I feel
that much of the advice I can provide is unchanging and can be of help to any first time student
director. This step-by-step guide is to be used in any way that is useful to the reader. I have been
completely honest in this handbook and have included any of the "helpful hints" I can think of to
put down on paper. So, please, learn from my mistakes and may each project in student direction
be a learning experience for all of us.(Hackney,2)

In Directing (High School Musicals) by well known author and director Bethany
Bezdecheck is a published book made particularly for novice high school directors, it is a very
credible and useful for my senior project since it is a professional book made for exactly what I
am doing. It goes through the process of directing a musical theatre production at a high school
level, she covers all areas from the selection of the show, to auditioning parts, to the final
rehearsals. The book offers a glossary of theatrical terms that you may come across during the
directing process and her own personal insight to help run the production as smooth as possible.
She reminds readers that such tasks may seem intimidating, but in actuality theyre not. In

making decisions as the director, you are playing the role of an artist, and in art there are no right
or wrong answers. (Bezdecheck,2)
In The Director as a Collaborator the author Robert Knopf who is a theatre director,
college professor, and well known author teaches essential directing skills while emphasizing
how directors and theatre productions benefit from collaboration. Good collaboration occurs
when the director shares responsibility for the artistic creation with the entire production,
including actors, designers, stage managers and technical staff.(Knopf,8) It goes through
different styles of leadership and how to get the cast to collaborate when directing by
participating in group exercises and working together as a team.

In Student Directing: Working with your Peers the author Lindsay Price, the founder of
theatrefolk and the drama teacher academy helps student directors tackle the difficult task of
managing your peers and riding the delicate balancing act of being friends with their actors at
the same time as leading them. (Price,1) She talks about the key to success in student directing
is to strive to be a leader and throughout this article she highlights the tasks a director goes
through, the responsibilities a leader takes on, your rehearsal plan, and the fine line between
being a friend and a leader amongst your peers. Being a leader amongst your peers is a very
arduous task, especially amongst your peers, but the bottom line is the leadership role lies with
you not with the other actors, not with your teacher. What youll have to do is start from
scratch and establish a routine. Establish your vision. Show your actors that you know the play
and you know how to move the play forward to production. (Price,3)
The sources I found while researching for my senior project were extremely helpful while
going through the process of my senior project. Without these sources, I would not have been
able to stay on top of things and produce an amazing end product. The research helped me better

understand the role of a director in putting on a musical, tips to stay organized and manage time
throughout the rehearsal process, how to help the cast have a good understanding of the vision I
want to put on stage, and how to be a leader amongst a group of my peers.

I now fully understand what the director's role is in putting on a musical and what work
needs to get done in order to collaborate with all aspects of the production team to do your job as
basically the CEO of the musical. The director Decides on interpretation of script, casts actors,
works with other theatre artists in designing the production, rehearses actors, and coordinates all
elements into a finished performance. (Trumbull, 4) The director needs to be aware of his or her
responsibilities in order to make sure that the process moves along smoothly and everything gets
done.

Staying organized, planning ahead, and managing time will prevent many conflicts and
miscommunications that can happen during the directorial process. I was able to avoid many
issues that may have come up since I found many tips from the sources I found. One of the tips
that helped me the most was to create a calendar that youll apply only to this project. You may
choose to use a computerized calendar program, or to do it on paper (be sure to use a pencil, not
ink!). As with all production calendars, we start at the end (opening night) and work backwards.
(Deer,29) The calendar I created along with the other tips that I got from my research helped me
stay organized and on top of my project.

As a director you have a vision that you need to display to the audience. Every director
interprets the play they are directing in a different way and it is their job to display it through the
production. The information I got from this research helped me figure out how to display my

vision to the audience and how relay and explain what I want to the cast. By establishing your
vision you can Show your actors that you know the play and you know how to move the play
forward to production. Seeing your vision onstage after all the hard work is so rewarding and I
look forwards to seeing my vision onstage thanks to all the research and hard work I put into it.

Works Cited:
Bezdecheck, Bethany. Directing (High School Musical) . New York: Rosen Pub., 2010.
Print.
Boland, Robert, and Paul Argentini. Musicals!: Directing School and Community
Theatre. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 1997. Print.
Daehn, Micheal. "Tips for New Directors." Educational Theatre Association. n.d. Web.
22 Sept. 2016.
Deer, Joe. Directing in Musical Theatre: An Essential Guide. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow,
1997. Print.
Hackney, Katy. "Guide to Student Directing at Ball State University." Cardinal Scholar.
N.p., 6 May 2000. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.
Knopf, Robert. The Director as Collaborator. Focal Press, 2005. Print.
Price, Lindsay. "Student Directing:Working With Your Peers." Theatrefolk.com.
Salemi, Vicki. "How To Manage a Team of Your Former Peers." US News. N.p., 10 June
2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Stone, Kevin. "Help for the First-Time Director." Tips for Directors:. N.p., n.d. Web. 26
Sept. 2016.
Trumbull, Eric. "The Director." Northern Virginia Community College. N.p., 4 Jan. 2008.
Web. 24 Sept. 2016.