MFA Directing for the Musical Theatre Stage
The School of Theatre at Penn State offers graduate training in directing for the musical theatre stage. This unique Master of Fine Arts degree program combines traditional director training with the special tools needed for directing in the professional musical theatre. Integrated into the School’s other MFA programs and its nationally recognized Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre program, the applicant will train with acting, dance, voice, and design faculty. The degree candidate will direct a minimum of five projects including a fully mounted thesis production. Additional opportunities include the Graduate London Program and a semester internship at Goodspeed Musicals.

We believe that a student learns to direct by directing. With a small enrollment, the directing program emphasizes constant practical directing experience. Further, learning to direct in musical theatre requires a solid foundation in directing non-musical plays, acting, and dramatic analysis. Ultimately, a director must be prepared to stand alone -- to survive, to make a statement, to share a vision, to challenge the conventional, to create exciting and stimulating theatre.

Believing that theatre functions as an artistic ensemble in which the director serves as a creative facilitator, we train directors who are collaborators. The faculty works much the same way, providing the student director with diverse input while sharing a common belief in what constitutes quality theatre. Graduate directors will work closely with musical theatre faculty, performance faculty, and design faculty. The director training program emphasizes preparation for work in the professional musical theatre where the broadest spectrum of training and experience is necessary. The program offers a balance between seminars, tutorials, classes, studios, projects, and production assignments.

Structure
The first year of training focuses on process -- play selection, text analysis, casting, rehearsal methods, and working with actors. Directors take two directing courses, two research/seminar courses, a costume history course, and direct at least two studio projects. They also take the first semester of graduate acting studio. Most material in the first year centers on contemporary American and British realism and includes staging for the proscenium, arena and thrust. The first-year director also serves as assistant director on a mainstage production directed by faculty or professional guest artists.

After a summer of study in London, the second year of training emphasizes the visual aspects of production and directing for the musical theatre stage. In addition to two directing seminars, course requirements include a class in scene design. Students also have an opportunity to continue their studies in dance and/or voice. During the second year the graduate director directs at least two projects, a 70-minute cutting of the musical, and a classical verse piece or a musical theatre revue. Projects increase in length, complexity, and production values during the course of the training, and the faculty adviser serves as a mentor for each project. Directing students enjoy access at all times to the expertise of the entire professional faculty for assistance in vocal and dialect coaching, fight choreography, dramaturgical advice, and other aspects of directing.

One semester of the third year centers on directing a fully mounted musical theatre production, and one semester offers an internship at the famed Goodspeed Musicals for an internship which includes assistant directing one of their productions.

Class Size and Candidate Profile
One or two directing candidates are admitted each recruiting year depending upon the quality of applicants and availability of assistantship support. Enrollment is small in order to provide student directors with an appropriate number of actors, faculty guidance, and production facilities. Because directing students impact and interact with all areas in the school, prospective candidates must possess both maturity and substantial directorial credentials beyond the classroom or lab theatre level in addition to postundergraduate professional theatre experience. A minimum of three years in some professional capacity is preferred. Regional theatre experience of any kind is an advantage. Above all, a professional perspective and professional goals are essential.

Assistantship
All graduate directors participate in the Theatre 100 Company. This creates additional opportunities to direct advanced graduate actors in scenes of different genre and styles. Further, graduate directors serve as teaching assistants in several of the BFA musical theatre performance classes.

Class Size and Candidate Profile
One or two directing candidates are admitted each recruiting year depending upon the quality of applicants and availability of assistantship support. Enrollment is small to in order to provide student directors with an appropriate number of actors, faculty guidance, and production facilities. Because directing students impact and interact with all areas in the School of Theatre, prospective candidates must possess both maturity and directorial credits beyond the classroom or lab theatre level. The applicant should possess a substantial professional and/or academic musical theatre background. Candidates with dance and choreographic background should also feel encouraged to apply.

For more information contact:
Cary Libkin, Head
Musical Theatre Degree Programs
School of Theatre
103 Arts Building
Penn State University
University Park, PA 16802
musicaltheatre@psu.edu
814-863-7384