After studying at drama school, performing in my career and still have a performing arts school, I want to start directing for major West End musicals. With money that I have hopefully earned, I would like to go to university again to do an MA Musical Directing course that I could use to start directing in major musicals.
My Plan...
Right now, I could volunteer at a junior performing arts organisation and learn how the director there uses techniques to teach the actors and how they direct and put together scenes and learn how action is used alongside music accompaniment.
Learn how to read sheet music and learn about composition, orchestration and conducting and how they come into account with the timing of how long actors are on stage for.
Learn about set design and how a little change in set can make a big difference in scene changes.
Whilst my extra-curricular performing arts school is still running, I could go and do a masters degree in Musical Directing which would be a 1 year course. I could then take this and start directing small shows of my own through my own junior theatre school and then go to bigger organisations and start directing shows for them.
After grasping plenty of experience in directing, I could then start thinking about branding myself and creating a portfolio and CV which I could then send off as an application for directing onto bigger venue such as the West End.
I plan on then directing until I retire and whilst directing, when I have long periods where I have no work, then audition for performing jobs as well.
Having a Vision: this is really important when directing because it gives you a goal to achieve and gives a clear plan on what you want to achieve.
Creativity: you need to be creative in what you have. Use everything and everyone to your advantage for scene changes and setting scenes etc.
Being able to work with different people: when putting on a show, you need to not only be able to with with the performers, you need to work with sound and tech people, set designers, wardrobe and prop people, lighting design people. Everyone in a show has a job and without them, a show wouldn't happen.
Be able to sing/play piano/understand other musical instruments: you much be able to sing well enough to teach singers, playing the piano whilst singing and teach the singers to follow the conductors and teach them how to follow the accompaniment.
Knowing how to read every aspect of sheet music