Graduate Directing Directing (M.F.A.) Tom Bullard, Program Head The M.F.A. Program in Directing is designed to graduate directors trained to perform with distinction and leadership in professional theater. Many of our recent graduates are doing just that, running their own theaters here in New York (78th Street Theatre Lab, Soho Rep, New Federal Theater, Prospect Theater, Sightlines Theater Company, and The Rebel Theater Company, to name a few), and generating a productive network for themselves and graduates of our other M.F.A. programs.

The program balances rigorous academic preparation in the history, theory, and literature of theater with intensive practical experience through on-campus production, classroom, and workshop activity, as well as internships with a wide variety of producing organizations in New York City, including Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Shakespeare Festival, Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theatre, Primary Stages, Wooster Group, Vineyard Theatre, and Second Stage. Individual needs and talents help configure each student's journey through our 60 credit curriculum, usually, though not always, completed in four consecutive semesters. Students take a variety of required and elective courses that encourage collaboration with each of the other M.F.A. programs (design, acting, dramaturgy and performing arts management). In addition to work done in the directing classes with Professor Bullard and Professor Robinson, students direct a one-act play in a festival format in the spring of the first year, and a full-length thesis production in either the first or second semester of the second year. 


Entrance Requirements
Applicants must present evidence of high promise and previous achievement in directing. After contacting either the theater office or the Brooklyn College Office of Admissions for the College Bulletin and application forms, please submit the completed application form, the application fee, a current resume, a personal statement, official undergraduate transcripts, and three letters of recommendation directly to the Office of Admissions. Please submit directly to Professor Bullard a production book based on a recently completed project including examples of pre-production preparation (research, analysis, organization of rehearsal process, and design concept), descriptive examples of your rehearsal process, a summary self-evaluation, and photos or DVD of the performance. To expedite the application process, copies of any of materials sent to the Office of Admissions may also be sent directly to Professor Bullard. Once applications have been reviewed, candidates may be invited for an on-campus interview. Please contact Professor Bullard by email or phone with any questions about the directing program or the application process. Participating Faculty Tom Bullard  Head, Graduate Directing Program/Artistic Director      Mary B. Robinson  MFA Directing Professor, Professional Stage Director  Judylee Vivier           Head, Graduate Acting Program        Rose Burnett Bonczek    Head, BFA and BA Programs     Mary Beth Easley       MFA Acting Professor        Ragnar Friedank       MFA Acting Professor         Kip Marsh                 Head, Graduate Design Programs        Robert Cohen    Production Manager Helen Richardson  Professor of History and Dramaturgy   Our Graduates Many of our graduates over the past decade are artistic directors/producers of theaters in New York and directing professional productions in New York and regional theaters: • Woodie King, Jr., Producing Director, New Federal Theater, NYC • Rajendra Maharaj, Artistic Director, Rebel Theater, NYC; has directed productions at Actors Theater of Louisville, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, New Federal Theater; adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon • Sarah Benson, Producing Artistic Director, Soho Rep, NYC • Cara Reichel, Producing Artistic Director, Prospect Theater, NYC • Dev Bondarin, Associate Director, Prospect Theater, NYC • Cyndy Marion, Artistic Director, Whitehorse Theater, NYC • Eric Nightengale, Producing Artistic Director, 78th Street Theatre Lab, NYC • Eileen Phelan, Artistic Director, Sightlines Theatre; producer of the annual Village Voice OBIE AWARDS • Arthur Adair, Associate Director, LaMaMa, NYC • Andrea Paciotto, Associate Director, LaMaMa, NYC • Miriam Weiner, Drama League Directing Fellow • Abigail Mareteck, Drama League Directing Fellow • David Kennedy, Associate Director, Dallas Theater Center; Drama League Directing Fellow Representative Sequence of Courses - Directing Program First Semester  • Directing I (775.2), 10:00-1:30 Friday, Bullard • Stage Management (786), 9:25-11:55 Monday, Cohen • Performing Arts Admin (773.9), 6:00-9:00 PM, Tuesday, Manhattan, Stein • Improv for the Actor I, (720.3), 1:40-5:10, Wednesday, Bonczek • Scenic Design (771.5) 1:40-5:10, Thursday, Marsh • OR • Design—Costume (771.6), 10:15-1:05, Tuesday, TBA Second Semester • Directing II- Pre-Thesis, (776.2), Bullard • History of Theater from 1642 (752) Richardson • Development of Dramatic Structure II (704),TBA • History of Theatrical Theory and Criticism II (707) TBA • History of American Musical Theater (755),  TBA         • Stage Management Practicum (777.9) Bullard Third Semester • Directing III – Shakespeare (777.2), Robinson • History of Theater to 1642 (751), Richardson • History of Theory and Criticism (706), TBA • Development of Dramatic Structure I (703) TBA • Advanced Seminar in Directing (779.2) Tutorial, Robinson • Intro to Dramaturgy (708) TBA Fourth Semester • Artistic Managerial Decision Making (786.9), Stein         • Directing IV (778.2), Robinson         • Thesis (778), Bullard and Robinson • Practicum (777.11) Professional Internship • Practicum (777.10) Forums with Professional Directors (guests have included Doug Hughes, Jack O’Brien, Anne Bogart, Lynne Meadow) • Models of Collaboration (710) TBA Bold Type Indicates Required Course Please note - this outline should serve as a guide and template. Alterations, adjustments, substitutions can be made with my support and approval, and/or the support and approval of appropriate faculty. Please note - you are required to take either Development of Dramatic Structure I or II, not both. Same applies for design. You are required to take only one of the design courses. 
Finances
A variety of Loans, Scholarships, Fellowships, and Graduate Assistantships are available by application to the Financial Aid Office and the Graduate Studies Office. They are awarded to First and Second year students based on need and achievement. A number of Departmental Awards are also available by application after the student's first year of study. The Point Foundation administers the Dr. Joan W. Fernandez Scholarship providing financial support for Lesbian directing students enrolled in the Brooklyn College M.F.A Directing Program. For more information click here: http://www.thepointfoundation.org/scholarships/fernandez.html



We hope you have the information you need. If you have any further questions, you may email our Graduate Deputy, Tobie Stein at tstein@brooklyn.cuny.edu,  call the Theater Department at 718-951-5666, or write to us at Brooklyn College, Department of Theater, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210-2889, , or you may apply online. http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/theater/bio_bullard.htmBio%20Bullard.htmlhttp://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/offices/finaid/http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/depts/admin/deangrad.shtmlhttp://www.thepointfoundation.org/scholarships/fernandez.htmlmailto:tstein@brooklyn.cuny.eduhttp://applytograd.brooklyn.cuny.edushapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4shapeimage_2_link_5shapeimage_2_link_6
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