Year Overview
Your Journey at Toi Whakaari
The MTA is a two-year full-time (or four year part-time) course. It is co -taught, delivered and awarded by Victoria University Wellington and Toi Whakaari.
Directing students will experience:
- Intensive workshops in elements of script interpretation, devising, rehearsal, production and performance
- Coaching and supervision of the director’s facilitation of the actor and the rehearsal culture
- Significant opportunities to direct student and professional actors
- Budgets and resources to realise the creation of four major projects in the second year
- Access to the resources of both institutions including: theatres, dedicated rehearsal spaces, production offices, internet access, tutorial supervision, film and editing facilities, lighting and technical support.
Part One
The first part of the MTA consists of four papers (120 points):
Drama and Theory (30 points)
A seminar-based course in which a range of historical and contemporary critical and theoretical perspectives are brought to bear on representative classical and contemporary dramatic texts.
Directing Method (30 points)
A studio-based course that explores and develops a variety of approaches to directing. Fundamental procedures from script analysis and devised creation to final production are undertaken in practical workshops.
The practice of contemporary directors is analysed and observed. Half of the year is dedicated to assisting a director in pre production of a work.
Theatre Craft for Directors (30 points)
A studio-based course that teaches and investigates the theory and practice of the crafts of the theatre with which a director must be conversant, including acting, design, lighting, sound, video, leadership, group process and business management.
Research Paper (30 points)
An independent research model designed to foster, in students, a strong sense of the artist as researcher and investigator. With guidance, students formulate a personal and substantive research question. This leads to written and creative articulations of the student’s findings and of his/her individual directing methodologies.
Any MTA student who successfully completes Part One, but chooses not to continue to Part Two, will be awarded a Graduate Diploma of Theatre Arts in Directing. Students may not enrol directly into the Graduate Diploma.
Part Two
The second part of the course is very much self directed and involves the director working towards four separate presentations. You can check out what the current directing student are presenting here.
Directing Actors Project (15 points)
A supervised 20 minute practicum leading to a public performance with minimal decor and technical requirements. It focuses on interpretation of the playscript and eliciting dramatically effective performances from at least three actors.
Technical Directing Project (15 points)
A supervised practicum leading to a short public performance with the focus on technical theatre. The 20-minute performance will demonstrate design and technical complexity, and also creative and technical competence in creating a performance based on a myth or classic story.
Community or Corporate Directing Project (15 points)
A supervised practicum involving directing in a public community or corporate setting, leading to a performance or staged event demonstating creative and organisational competence appropriate to the artistic and social context. Working with non-actors or alternative theatrical environments is a core aspect of this work.
Production Attachments (15 points)
Two supervised practica in technical or administrative production roles. These can be for other productions within the programme, but are sometimes secondments to professional theatres.
Major Directing Project (45 points)
A supervised practicum leading to a full-length public performance incorporating a full range of production techniques and resources. The production is normally of a playscript, but may be devised; it should demonstrate creative vision, dramaturgical insight and organisational skill. This is the culmination of the degree, drawing on everything learnt during the course.
Research Journal and Seminar Projects (15 points)
Regular seminar presentations and critiques will form the basis for a series of written reports on work undertaken during Part 2 of the degree, and all students will maintain a critical director's journal as a record of research and learning.
Further Info
For more information about the course please contact the course convener, David O'Donnell on david.odonnell@vuw.ac.nz or phone +64-4-463-5359.
