If You Were Devising A Course In Theatre Directing, What Would You Include?

Directing is arguably a skill that can be learned in a class room, it is best learned in the conservatoire environment and less well outside.  It is further best learn in actuality rather than higher education.  However, the director can learn some skills before this real world takes a bit.

A directing course should most importantly include fundamental and rudimentary script analysis skills, things such as 'what are the character's thoughts here' are utterly irrelevant, you must understand how the playwright has constructed the play, for plays are made things, and the director must unmake them to understand the play.  The ability to dissect the play for 'action', the identification and pursuit of goals by the protagonist and other characters is vital.  A sound knowledge of the meaning of all words and references throughout the script is also without question a vital importance.  Reading scripts by the same writer can also provide the director with keen reference points.