Summer Study in Directing at the National Theater Institute

About the Experience

I was one of six directors to study at the National Theater Institute (NTI) in their summer Theatermakers intensive. Together with actors and playwrights from around the world, we created seven original productions in not as many weeks at the historic Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. The O’Neill is the launchpad of the American theater, having birthed iconic shows like August Wilson’s Fences and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. It was a tremendous honor to spend this summer at the O’Neill and to create new work with such a vibrant and diverse cohort.

Some days at the O’Neill were filled with exciting conversations with mentors such as Tatyana-Marie Carlo, Oliver Butler, and Melia Bensussen. Others were spent immersed in the devising process with a committed and energetic company of peers. Still others were spent observing professional artists at work on their own new play development processes within the National Playwrights Conference and National Music Theater Conference. I never shook the mystified feeling of being surrounded by such active and courageous creators.

Directing is best learned through the process, and these weeks spent absorbed in theater-making taught me so much about the thing I love. I saw first-hand how powerful vulnerability can be in the rehearsal room. I learned to privilege ensemble-building, risk-taking, generosity, and collaboration. I learned how to identify and communicate my point of view on a piece of work. I learned how to align my imagination with a playwright’s in order to hone the story we tell together.

Despite the collaborative nature of the art form, which draws many of us to theater-making, directing can be a terrifically isolating responsibility. At NTI, I found a community of other directors for the first time. We shared inspiration, support, and ideas about our craft. I am endlessly grateful for these connections and proud to call them my future colleagues.

I am leaving the O’Neill with improved self-knowledge as an artist, a wealth of inspiration, and a true artistic home that I hope to return to one day. I am so grateful to the Benenson Award for supporting this singular and transformational experience.