For the same reason that we encourage our playwrights to take classes in acting, directing, arts management, and even design. The more you know about the other disciplines you will be working with, the more respect and understanding you bring to the collaboration. Don’t worry, we’re not trying to turn directors into playwrights, but rather we are dedicated to making sure that a director knows firsthand exactly how a playwright feels about the work they have created and the process a playwright goes through before sharing that script with a production team and ultimately an audience. Yes, you will have to do some writing, but you won’t be evaluated on anything but being able to demonstrate your understanding of the craft of playwriting, not how good your play is. If a playwright can be a better playwright by finding out just how hard it is to cast a play, organize rehearsals, pull a performance out of a problematic actor along with all the other incredibly difficult parts of a director’s job, then we’re pretty certain a director who wants to direct new plays can get better at their craft by learning how to write a play.
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