Recently directed a full production of new comedy about NAFTA entitled QUIT THE ROAD, JACK. Currently developing a new musical from Scott Westerfeld's popular young adult novel SO YESTERDAY with the Scissor Sisters' Paul Leschen, another based on the music of P!nk named TRUE LOVE, and attempting to direct Leonard Bernstein's MASS and Mikhail Bulgakov's FLIGHT anywhere that will have me.
Introduce Yourself : New York Stage Director by Jonathan Warman
New York Stage Director
Other topics in Introduce Yourself:
Check out Trending Discussions
Register / Log In
I'm awed and inspired, Jonathan! Where did you get your training? I've always loved musicals and wished I had the know how to do that. Any suggestions on books or courses I might look into? Thank you.
I got my training all kinds of places -- the best training for directing musical theatre is doing it, both as a performer and director. Learn how dancing works by dancing. Learn how singing works by singing. I certainly did my share of that (enough to know that I'm not particularly a dancer, and not committed to taking care of my voice enough to be a singer -- BUT, I learned how choreography works, and how music direction works, and thus how to work with choreographers and music directors). I don't think I learned much from books about doing musicals, so no suggestions there, though THE MAKING OF A MUSICAL by Lehman Engel has many great and useful insights into musical structure. I do know that one of the best places to learn by doing is the Williamstown Theatre Festival, but never actually had the good fortune to work there myself. Most of the rest of my training was from Joe Chaikin's colleagues, Megan Terry and Jo Ann Schimdman, with considerable time also spent learning from Richard Schechner and Augusto Boal. Now there are definitely books out there about that sector of my training: THE PRESENCE OF THE ACTOR by Joseph Chaikin ENVIRONMENTAL THEATER by Richard Schechner GAMES FOR ACTORS AND NON-ACTORS by Augusto Boal. Hope that helps.