No directing experience — what can I create to prove I’m serious about assistant directing?
I’m a theatre student interested in eventually getting into directing and assistant directing at my university, but I don’t have any official directing experience yet. Instead of just asking to assistant direct the spring musical with nothing to show for it, I wanted to create something genuinely useful for the production team to prove I’m serious and capable.
I was thinking about putting together some kind of dramaturgical or directorial research binder for the show with themes, historical context, character analysis, visual references, audience research, staging inspiration, rehearsal ideas, etc.
For directors, dramaturgs, or anyone involved in production, what kinds of materials would you actually appreciate receiving from a student? What would genuinely help during pre production and rehearsals instead of just looking impressive aesthetically?
Basically, if a student handed you something that made you think “this person understands the work and is taking this seriously,” what would be in it?