Those Fellowships

No one has it easy in theater. No one. There is a constant unease and lack of control. Even the powerful producers have fragile egos and produce shows that bomb. And for a director, a freelance director, times can be particularly tough. Lean. Empty. Gulp.

There are fellowships out there designed to make life a little easier for us. Actually - that's not truly what they are designed for. They are more often than not intended to help you develop as an artist. And sometimes you can get a stipend. But mostly, I'd say without exception, they help you get to another level - both through the people you meet, the growth that you experience, as well as simply psychologically feeling that you have expanded your horizons.

There are fewer of these fellowships for directors than for writers. But they do exist.

Among them include:
The Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab
The Drama League Directors Project
NEA/TCG's Career Development Program

Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab has been in existence for about twelve years, designed and led by one of my favorite people in american theater, anne cattaneo. She's truly a visionary and a great supporter of the role of director in the theater. She designed the lab - and now - every summer, for three weeks, directors get to meet each other, work with terrific actors, meet leaders in the field, see theater, and workshop plays. Each year there is a new theme. I'd recommend the lab to any director. No - i'd recommend it to every director.

The lab of 2001 was an incredibly stimulating time for me. I had been out of the directing world for four years and hadn't immersed myself in the new york scene since I'd left to go to act aka grad school for acting.

At the lab, I workshopped valparaiso, met delillo, met great artists and friends, and was just high as a kite. There were directors from around the country and around the world, so it was just a blast. So much discussion and so many people with varying nuanced theater interests.

I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to fully immerse themselves into the theater scene in new york.

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