Ever wondered what it’s like to direct with us? Here’s a breakdown to help you get a sense of what this wacky-awesome festival looks like.

Before the 48 hours officially start, you’ll come to the theater Friday night for a party! There’s activities to get to know everyone, then we go over some agenda items (like important people’s contact info) for the festival, do a meet and greet, and of course pull the theme for Saturday’s shows!

Arrive at Saturday morning at 7:50, hang out in the theater with the other directors and then draw your play from The Cone of Destiny!

Sit down with the writer for a while to discuss their intentions with the play, any specific ideas they have, and to ask them any questions you have about the script.

Within this time, you will most likely be introduced to your mentor. (an adult director who is around to offer support or a second opinion if you ever need one!)

At 8:30, actors arrive and everyone gathers together to watch directors (you!) draw the number of actors you have in your play. As you randomly draw your actors names they actor will run down onto the stage to join you .

You get assigned your rehearsal space and given your pumpkin, (a plastic Halloween pumpkin with candy and healthier snacks in it.) then you, your actors, and your writer go to the rehearsal space.

You do a run through with your writer there, (then the writer leaves to let you work.) and in the next couple run throughs you’ll start casting.

After assigning roles, you can do a few line throughs or start blocking, it depends on what you want to do. (Your choice! You have control here! And the mentor is around if you have any questions.)

Around 10:30ish, tech (light and sound designers) and the band will come in and ask you what you need in terms of lights, sound effects, and music. (Intro music, lighting changes, when you want them to happen, etc.)

Until 12, you rehearse, doing blocking and lines, WORK WORK WORK!

At 12 you release your cast for lunch, and usually come back together around 12:30 to keep working. (At this point everything should be blocked, now it’s a lot of memorizing and more detailed work. It’s TOTALLY ok to give your cast an hour or so to just run their lines and get off book however works best for them. You can also let them take a very short and productive nap if that seems helpful!)

After lunch until around 5:30, you rehearse with your cast however you want. Somewhere in the chunk of time between 1:00-5:30 it will be time to tech your show! When exactly that is depends on where you are in the show order. Tech is fairly short (you go over the lighting and sound cues and scene changes, but you usually won’t be able to run your full play) and your show does not have to be in its final state at this time. You’ll continue to work your show after tech, all the way up until the performance!

Make sure to take some time to breathe, bond, let your actors run lines, or write some notes for the Wall of Love!

Around 5:30 everyone eats dinner, and at 6, all participants come together for the short 6:00 meeting, where the producer, day of coordinator, and stage manager will go over anything that still needs to be talked about before the show. (We take very good care of you!)

The first show starts at 7:30, so between 6:15ish and 7:30 your cast can practice lines or blocking, but actual rehearsal should be done.

You get to watch the shows (7:30 & 10:00), and you go on stage after each show for curtain call. (We’ll call something like “Directors!” and you’ll come running out of the audience onto the stage and bow.)

Then, MAYBE YOU COME BACK THE NEXT DAY AND DO IT ALL AGAIN!

If you’re doing the second day, generally you try to stay after the second show for strike, where everyone just cleans the theater and collects all their belongings or other leftover belongings

After strike, you can collect your Wall of Love notes and go home!