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Here is a spectacular profile view of the Broadway stage. Many theatre directors have worked in this exact area and each one has always left people applauding for more.

NYC, Volatour. “Volatour Blog.” Volatour Blog, 2018, blog.volatour.com/en/broadway-seating-chart/.

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Introducing Joe Mantello, the famous musical director of Wicked! Mantello has directed many other productions and has even starred on movies and TV shows. He has even worked with the famous star, Dolly Parton! #wicked #thenormalheart #cookie

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Joe Mantello, Actor: The Normal Heart. Joe Mantello was born on December 27, 1962 in Rockford, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and director, known for The Normal Heart (2014), Love! Valour! Compassion! (1997) and Cookie (1989).

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The best way to rise up and begin a profession in theatre is to first get involved with theatre. Making your way up to Director is a long and treacherous path that may take years to reach. You must develop important skills from teamwork to publishing in order to please the masses. It helps to become an expert in the field.

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Improve Your Skills and Become an Expert

Aspiring directors approach a career in this field from many different directions. Some start out gaining experience in school productions or in community theater as crew members, playwrights or actors. Some will assist during productions as an assistant director to gain experience and contacts in the world of theater. And, although a degree is not necessary, it doesn't hurt, and can actually help advance a budding director's technical knowledge, skills, and self-assurance. In fact, preference is sometimes given to applicants who have production and theater experience gained in school. Some employers will also look more closely at applicants who have studied or gained experience in performance theory, theatrical audio, acting, lighting, and design, outside of their degree through internships.

A bachelor's degree in fine arts or theater provides preparation for further study in theater, but also allows students (usually in their second year) to focus on a concentration, such as directing, playwriting, design, and theater and performance studies. Besides classes in theater and production, students also learn punctuality, work ethic, how to work in a team environment, and how to deal with the pressure and stress that comes with a career in theater direction, among other vital attributes. Graduates of a bachelor's program can find work in television, motion picture studios, theater, and more. Some students may wish to get certified or licensed to teach acting in high schools. Most programs feature coursework in stage production, film, theater history, acting and even music.

Master's of fine arts programs typically begin with theater production work which allows students to direct a classical play, and offers opportunities for internships with community theater companies. Coursework builds on what was learned in a bachelor's of fine arts program and includes courses in drama theory, history, literature, and criticism, among others.

It's time to take that knowledge and transform it into an actual skillset that will land you the job of your dreams. Know, from the outset, that this is a difficult prospect. As stated above, the role of director is a highly coveted one, and you are unlikely to simply walk into it. Instead, you will need to prove your abilities, likely over and over again, before you can safely call directing your lifelong career.

Start by going to the theater. See as many shows as you can, and don't bother being overly critical; you can learn just as much from a poorly executed performance as you can from one that was brilliantly well done. If ever you have an opportunity to watch a show, take it, always putting yourself in the role of director and asking what you would have done differently. You can augment this practice by reading plays, as well, which gives you a slightly different angle.

While it might seem difficult, do your best to reach out and meet playwrights and other directors. You can ask to go backstage after a show, for instance. Smaller theaters will likely grant you your request if you are polite. If you can swing a press pass by blogging or writing for a local newspaper, that will heighten your chances considerably. Reach out to playwrights via press contacts or by emailing them directly.

Become known by forming a company of your own or working as an assistant for someone who is already established in the industry. Don't make the mistake of insisting on being paid; those who refuse to apprentice for free may bar themselves from otherwise fantastic opportunities. Luckily, rehearsals are often in the evenings to work around the schedules of actors. If you can't get a gig as a director's assistant, take any other role you can find: lighting, set design or even acting. Any role will give you perspective, which will come in very handy once you do land your dream job.

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Theater directors have amazing jobs bringing to life the visions of playwrights across the generations. It's a tough field to break into, though, and you're going to need persistence and a willingness to get out there and network with other professionals in the field. The good news?

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Hardships of being a theatrical director 

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Hardships of being a theatrical director 

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The article provides an example of hardships for directors in theatre. This article shows the hardships of a classical theatre. #itsnotaseasyasitlooks #toughdaybro #nothingseversimple #theresmuchweighttopull

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Earlier this summer, a couple of members of Classic Theatre met with an intern to discuss, among other things, her long-term goal to have a theater company of her own.

"I think we talked for an hour and a half, and none of it was about artistic matters at all or about programming," said Diane Malone, the company's co-artistic director and one of its founders. "It was about administrative stuff, budget and the plumbing."

The latter issue came up because the company brought in a plumber on that particular day. They also had someone in to deal with the air conditioning.

Young artists "want to act and direct and design," said Tim Hedgepeth, who co-founded Allegro Stage Company and helped get AtticRep off the ground. "You don't want to have to deal with balancing the books and fundraising and being that person at the box office."

More Information

Opening soon Advice for founding a theater
dlmartin@express-news.net

But all that grunt work is part of what makes it possible to act and direct and design.

"The art's the last thing you get to pay attention to if you're doing it all," said Kelly Roush, Classic's new executive director. "It's like, 'Oh, my God, are the lights on?'"

It's tough to get a theater company off the ground, and it's no picnic to keep it aloft, either. Two cases in point: Inception Theatre, which co-founder Chelsea Steele has been trying to get rolling for five years, and Classic, which is going into its eighth season and is moving into the next phase of its development.
Inception Theatre
Steele had been kicking around the idea of having her own theater company since college, when she worked on a production of "The Laramie Project," a play about the murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, and its impact on the Laramie community.

"I knew that I wanted to produce shows that were bigger than me," she said. "I felt a moral obligation and a social responsibility to tell a story, and not just any story, but stories that were meant to start an open dialogue on various issues."

When she and Mandy Epley opened their first production, "Scenes From an Execution" in 2010, they thought it was the beginning of something big. The show was meaty and well-executed, and it generated a lot of buzz.

"We opened the show and waited for the response," Steele said. "It was one that was bigger than what we expected from the papers, the media, and the customer responses. But, unfortunately, all the money we received went toward rent, to pay back the licensing fees, etc."

They were back to square one. They tried to launch a few shows, but those efforts had to be scrapped when the funding fell through. They've had some donors here and there, but Steele and her husband remain the chief financial backers of the company.

By this point, Steele had pictured Inception having a full season of three or four shows a year, but that hasn't been possible.

"It's been a very rough road," she said. "Many times I've wanted to quit, but it is somehow ingrained in me to keep trying and to have faith above all that the work we are doing is altruistic."

Three years after "Execution," the company mounted its second production, an engaging take on "Other Desert Cities."

The wait for Inception's third show hasn't been quite as long. "Two Rooms" opens Thursday at Performing Arts San Antonio. Playwright Lee Blessing's distressingly current 1988 play is about an American hostage (Mark McCarver) being held in Beirut and the efforts of his wife (Steele) to get him released.

As with Inception's other productions, Steele has lined up well-respected actors - Christie Eanes and Michael Burger round out the cast - as well as well-regarded director John O'Neill for the project. Steele and her husband also are putting a lot of energy into marketing the show, including offering discounted tickets for those who bought them early.

"This show will be the most personal and powerful show I have produced," she said. "I'm very excited as well as anxious because we've reached the point that this may well be our 'make it or break it point.' My heart tells me that our audiences will continue to come and support us, and I believe they will."
Classic Theatre
While Inception focuses on getting from one project to the next, Classic has reached a point where it is able to look at things longer term, said Allan S. Ross, one of the co-founders. Part of that progression is embodied by the hiring of Roush as executive director. She is the first person to lead the company who was not one of the founders.

"When you look at organizational structure, we're moving from phase one to phase two," Ross said. "(Classic was) run by passionate volunteers, the founders; now we are moving toward executive director/board-run rather than founder-run. And that's a big change."

Among other things, it means that the company can now focus some of its energy on its larger mission and on long-term development.

"We've been so focused just with the four of us (founders) on, 'Get this show up, get this show up, get this show up' that we didn't really have time to look at where are we going to be in five years? In 10 years?," Ross said. "One of the reasons Kelly was selected is she's very forward-thinking."

Getting to this point took a lot of hard work and some luck.

One key to the company's success from the beginning is that the founders each brought different strengths to the table. Classic was founded by three couples: Ross and his wife, Terri Peña Ross; Diane and Rick Malone; and Tony and Asia Ciaravino, who no longer are involved. The seventh founder was Broadway Bank executive Chris Cheever, who helped with the financing.

"That core group of us have a broad base of specific skills," said Rick Malone. "We have a sound designer, we have a costume designer, we have a scenic designer, we have directors, we have actors, we had a publicity person, a marketing person. And we had a financial backer. That's pretty unique."

They also have all had long careers in theater. The Rosses and the Malones, for example, have more than 200 years of professional theater experience between them.

"There's not much we haven't done or experienced," said Rick Malone.

There was also a certain amount of kismet involved in launching the company. Classic's first production was "Rancho Pancho," San Antonio playwright Gregg Barrio's look at the volatile, little-known relationship between Tennessee Williams and Texan Pancho Rodriguez, who inspired Stanley Kowalski in Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire." It played for two sold-out performances at Jump-Start Performance Co. in 2008.

It did so well that it led Steve Bailey, who was then running Jump-Start, to invite Classic to share office and theater space.

"Otherwise, we would have been scrambling," said Diane Malone, who noted that the company had hunted all over town to find a home.

They retraced those steps in 2013, when Jump-Start lost its lease at the Blue Star Arts Complex. Several other theaters offered to host them, for which they were grateful. They ultimately decided that the black box space at the Woodlawn Theatre made the most sense.

Since they are intimately familiar with how tough it can be to not have a performance space - for the company's second show, "The Glass Menagerie," Allan S. Ross had to build not only a set but also a functioning theater in the black box at SAY Sí - the company is starting to reach out to local theater artists who don't have a home base.

"There are so many homeless theaters," said Terri Peña Ross. "And so, linking up with (another company) is very helpful in that way."

Roush has been chatting with Steele about hosting Inception next summer. Classic also presented Theatre for Change's workshop staging of "Trigger Warning" last month and hopes to do some other projects with the company, too.

The company is looking at "how do we give back to people who are trying to make it happen who don't have this wealth of knowledge and experience and exhaustion," said Roush, laughing. "We don't want them to be as tired as everybody else is right now."

In addition to helping fledgling companies find their way, Roush would like to help guide Classic toward becoming a regional company and expanding its audience base.

That sort of thinking was in place back in 2008, when the founders were getting things rolling.

"We had always wanted it to go on, to be a sustainable institution," Allan S. Ross said, "and become a professional theater that would then generate jobs for people in San Antonio so that we could keep our good actors here, and not lose them to Houston and Austin and Dallas and beyond."
dlmartin@express-news.net
Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN

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Audience never sees the hardest part of putting on a show

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Earlier this summer, a couple of members of Classic Theatre met with an intern to discuss, among other things, her long-term goal to have a theater company of her own. "I think we talked for an hour and a half, and none of it was about artistic matters at all or about programming," said Diane Malone, the company's co-artistic director and one of its founders.

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Cast and ensemble are interview what it’s like to work with Michael Greif and the cards he brings to the table for the actors.

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Trevor Nunn is a director, producer, writer, and lyricist who is responsible for directing many famous musicals, such as Les Misérables and Cats. He has a large grasp of the theatrical world because of his immense about of shows he’s produced. #lesmis #cats #ohklahoma #starlightexpress

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Trevor Nunn - Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB

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Trevor Nunn is credited as Director, Producer, Writer, Presenter and Lyricist.

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30th Anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera (Interview)

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30th Anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera (Interview)

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This is a short interview with many of the cast members explaining the importance of the continuing show and what the working members provide to the show.

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Interview: The Phantom Of The Opera 30th Gala

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The article explains what a theatre director has to bring together in order to make a show, a show. It’s not always as simple to boss around a bunch of random people, but a director has to guide others in order to form a production. #lotsofwork #morethanonefieldofknowledge #stressfultimes

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The work of the director is central to the production of a play, since it is the director who sets the vision for the production for everyone involved.

The director has the challenging task of bringing together the many complex pieces of a production-the script, actors, set, costuming, lighting and sound and music-into a unified whole. To accomplish this task, a director needs to:

Interpret the script

Cast the production

Collaborate with designers

Plan the rehearsals

Guide the actors in their work during rehearsals.

The director's work is most often based on a detailed study and analysis of the script to be produced. Many careful readings of the script help the director develop an individual vision of the playwright's intentions, which will form the core of his or her interpretation. This sense of "what the play is really about" will shape a director's thinking about every other aspect of the production.

Directors also study the characters in the script, gathering as much information as they can about their physical and psychological traits. This is vital preparation for casting, when the actors who are best able to bring the characters to life in performance need to be chosen.

Collaboration is Key

The director's initial meetings with the production manager, costume designer, set designer and lighting designer typify the creative collaboration vital to theatre. Any notes the director has made on the technical needs in the script are shared with the designers. The free flow of ideas that takes place here will further refine the director's vision of the production as a whole.

Details in the script about the specific locale(s) in which the action takes place need to be attended to early in the production process, because they will determine both the basic requirements of the set and the possible movement of the actors on stage. Acting areas, entrances and exits, and furniture and props called for in the script or desired by the director will need to be a part of the set design.

The floor plan can then be sketched out. The floor plan is a basic outline drawing of the stage setting as it would look from above. It is an essential rehearsal planning tool because it allows a director to work out the blocking of the play. Blocking (or staging) is the precise moment-by-moment movement and grouping of actors on stage.

The director's creative collaboration continues during his or her work with the actors in rehearsals. The actors will bring their own interpretations to the project and perhaps inspire the director to rethink his or her interpretation. They will work closely together to breathe life into the lines and develop a deeper understanding of the characters' motivations and relationships, fleshing out the subtext of the play. Later the focus of the director's work in rehearsals will broaden to the overall look and feel of the whole production as transitions between scenes are smoothed out, effective pacing is achieved and all the design and technical aspects of the production are integrated.

Once the show opens, the director's work is essentially complete. Now it's the stage manager' s job to make sure that every aspect of the production runs just as the director intended time after time, until the production closes.

More Resources at Your Fingertips

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Click here for more on the benefits of AACT membership.

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The work of the director is central to the production of a play, since it is the director who sets the vision for the production for everyone involved. The director has the challenging task of bringing together the many complex pieces of a production-the script, actors, set, costuming, lighting and sound and music-into a unified whole.

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We go behind the scenes at Harold Prince’s “Prince of Broadway” and we hear from Prince what he wants to bring out to the audience and his perception of what he’s done throughout his years. #haroldprince #famoustheatredirector #somanyawardswon #crazyexperiences

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Go Behind the Scenes at "Prince of Broadway" (Interview With Harold Prince!)

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This is a brief video about the emotions and lifestyle it takes to be a director in theatre. It states the importance of what being a director is. #captainoftheship #reality #therealteaaboutleading

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Broadcaster Edith Bowman is joined by a panel of directors for Deloitte Ignite: The Art of Directing. In the film the directors discuss their roles in stage and screen.

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Sam Crane in Robert Icke's acclaimed production of 1984.
Love, Catherine. “6 Of the Best Young Theatre Directors.” WhatsOnStage, 2014, www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/6-theatre-directors-to-watch_36568.html.

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To be a theatre Director you have to obtain a high level of fluidity and qualifications. You have to work with programming and budgeting to helping to publicise the show. There are many tasks a theatre director has to think about and it can always be a stressful job.

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Experience, reputation and credits, plus a passion for all things theatre, are prerequisites for a successful career as a theatre director

Theatre directors have responsibility for the practical and creative interpretation of a dramatic script or musical score.

You'll be involved in the whole process, from the design and pre-production stages, right through to the final performance.

You'll work closely with creative and production teams, performers and the producer to create a performance which connects with the audience. You'll therefore need to be able to coordinate effectively across a range of disciplines and with artistic vision.

Most directors are usually employed on a freelance or fixed-term contract basis as artistic or resident directors in repertory companies.

Some directors are also writers, designers and performers and may write, devise, design and act in their own work.

Responsibilities

Some theatre directors act as an administrator or producer, depending on the staffing structure and size of the theatre. You may also work alongside an executive administrator or general manager who heads the theatre, or an artistic director who selects the plays and determines the programming.

Specific tasks vary depending on the role and type of theatre, but common activities include:

programming and budgeting

working with writers through workshops or script development schemes

adapting a script and, if the play is newly written, working with the writer or collaborating with playwrights

breaking down a script, analysing and exploring the content and conducting relevant research

translating and interpreting a script or musical score

holding auditions for productions, selecting and hiring designers, musicians, etc.

managing time and organising people and space

attending production meetings with set designers

organising rehearsals

communicating and liaising with all parties involved, including actors, the creative team, the production team and producers

attending preview performances and preparing detailed notes for the cast and for the creative and production teams

helping to publicise the production by giving interviews and leading discussions.

Salary

Salaries depend on the length and type of contract, e.g. freelance, repertory or touring.

The Independent Theatre Council (ITC) and UK Theatre negotiate minimum rates of pay with appropriate entertainment unions on behalf of their members.

The agreed weekly fee for assistant directors is around £480.

A theatre director of a full-length play should receive a minimum preparatory fee of £1,614.30 and weekly rehearsal payments of £494.

Freelance directors in a commercial repertory theatre can command a minimum fee of around £3,015, with a weekly fee of approximately £560 to £670.

Directors may negotiate their own contracts and salaries or they may employ agents to deal on their behalf. Variations in salary may be considerable. Low salaries may be supplemented by freelance work, running creative workshops or script consultancy. Working as a theatre director can be a precarious way to earn a living. Directors may also branch out into acting or voice-overs.

Income data from the ITC and UK Theatre. Figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours involve regular weekend and evening work. Many directors work more hours than they have been contracted for, with no time off in lieu. Building-based directors tend to have more regular working patterns and conditions.

What to expect

Some directors are volunteers or work for their own companies. In a large theatre, an assistant director may support the work of the director. For small-budget studio performance runs or for fringe productions, a director may work alone.

Theatre venues vary enormously. The working environment may be dark and gloomy.

Theatre directors usually belong to the trade union Equity. Membership also provides insurance and legal assistance.

Most directors are employed as freelancers on contract for each production from the planning and rehearsal period through to the final performance. Fixed-term contracts are also available, which tend to last for a few years.

The work can be highly stressful and frustrating, but it can also be extremely rewarding.

Travel is common and may involve overseas work. If working with a touring company, it's unlikely that directors will be on the road for the full tour, although they may visit certain venues.

Want to use theatre to change lives?

Find out about MA Applied Theatre

Qualifications

A degree or HND is not essential to become a theatre director. You may be able to progress to the role after gaining a reputation and experience in other positions such as:

A relevant degree or HND may be helpful and could provide some of the necessary skills. Related subjects include:

Postgraduate courses are not necessary if you have a relevant degree or a certain amount of practical experience.

If you have an unrelated degree you may want to get a postgraduate qualification, but make sure the course has a strong emphasis on practical skills, e.g. in theatre or drama directing.

You can search for relevant courses at the Federation of Drama Schools, and search postgraduate courses in theatre studies.

Skills

You'll need to show:

creativity and the ability to express yourself both orally and in writing

persuasiveness and a willingness to take artistic risks

excellent negotiation and interpersonal skills

self-motivation and the ability to motivate and inspire others

the ability to work as part of a team and time management skills

an awareness and understanding of technical issues, the workings of a theatre and the process of performance and acting

the ability to develop innovative ideas and to solve problems creatively and practically

organisational and research skills

knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation and procedures

dedication and enthusiasm.

Theatre directors must also consider issues of ethics and authorship. Understanding all types of theatre, as well as having an awareness of audiences, resources and investors, is vital. Work may come from many avenues and you'll need to show flexibility in your approach.

Work experience

You should gain practical theatre experience in acting, stage management and direction in amateur or fringe theatre, e.g. through youth theatre or a student drama society.

Consider forming your own theatre company. This is a great way to learn about the directing process and how to work with actors and other members of a production team.

Try and get work as an assistant. Contacts for speculative applications are available from the Performing Arts Yearbook. Explain why you want to work with a particular director and include all relevant experience on your CV.

Try to see as many productions as you can, taking in a range of styles in a variety of different venues. Talk to the people who are creating the work. Often, there are question and answer sessions with directors after a performance. Also, reading plays and novels, adaptations and screenplays will broaden your knowledge.

All theatre experience is useful and you can learn more about the organisational structure by working with the front of house team, perhaps as a steward or box office clerk. Consider other roles, for example in the wardrobe department, with the stage crew, or in the lighting or sound departments.

Networking is a key factor in getting work. Many jobs are filled through contacts made while working, so keep a list of contacts you make in the field and stay in touch on a regular basis.

Employers

London has an extensive list of theatres, both within the West End and in the surrounding areas, so most UK-based directors will work there at some point in their career.

However, there are also many opportunities in regional theatres around the UK. These include:

producing theatres, where plays are programmed, rehearsed and created (sometimes newly written) for that particular venue

receiving theatres, which act as a venue for touring productions.

If you prefer to work in a less traditional environment, there are rewarding opportunities available in:

Many directors find that there are more openings in this type of work early in their career, rather than in traditional theatre.

Each year, many new directors take their first production to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. There are also other large fringe theatre festivals throughout the UK, so it is worth investigating if your local town has one.

Look for job vacancies at:

Many jobs are filled by word of mouth and by being in the right place at the right time. It's worth sending speculative letters to artistic directors or producers at larger venues, particularly if you already have relevant qualifications and experience. Contacts can be found at the Performing Arts Yearbook.

Professional development

As it's likely you'll have built up experience before becoming a theatre director, you'll already have many of the necessary skills.

Many directors have no formal training and continue to develop required skills on the job. Few venues can afford to sponsor in-service training and if you are a freelance director, you'll need to fund it yourself.

Some drama schools offer specialist courses in directing. Accredited courses in subjects such as stage management or technical theatre are available through the Federation of Drama Schools. It also provides details of other non-accredited relevant courses.

You may be able to gain some experience with professional regional theatre companies through the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme (RTYDS). This offers various programmes including an introduction to directing, a three-month placement and 18-month residency. It also provides details of other schemes at various regional theatres for emerging directors.

The professional body for theatre and opera directors in the UK is Stage Directors UK (SDUK). SDUK membership may open up networking and professional development opportunities.

Reading the specialist press, such as The Stage, keeps you up to date with the latest news and opinion affecting the profession and can be useful for anticipating future career opportunities.

Career prospects

First appointments tend to be on a small scale, for instance, directing for a small touring company. Many directors come from self-started companies.

The chance to progress to more prestigious work is determined by a combination of:

A minimum of ten years of reputable experience is normally required to apply for senior posts.

Once you have extensive experience, you may choose to set up your own company or theatre venue. Alternatively, you could accept a residency as an associate or artistic director in a particular venue, where you'd be responsible for the complete programme of productions in a season.

These roles tend to be more managerial in nature, involving planning, budgeting and determining artistic policy. Artistic directors are also usually responsible for directing one or two productions each season.

You may move from subsidised theatres to the commercial sector, which can open up opportunities in film and television directing and may lead to a substantial increase in salary.

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Experience, reputation and credits, plus a passion for all things theatre, are prerequisites for a successful career as a theatre director Theatre directors have responsibility for the practical and creative interpretation of a dramatic script or musical score. You'll be involved in the whole process, from the design and pre-production stages, right through to the final performance.

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“More and more, audiences have come to expect a level of sophistication and depth in the performances of musical actors...I just try to be a link to the audience.”

Vine, Hannah. “Picture of Michael Greif and a Quote of His.” Playbill, 2007, www.playbill.com/article/the-theatres-most-unforgettable-quotes-of-2017.

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There is a shocking difference between Broadway directors and Off-Broadway directors. Broadway directors get payed for every show they put on, and the director gets a minimum of at least $24,915. The payroll of an Off-Broadway Director, however, is much less. #paygap #crazyprices #netoperatingprofits #becomeabroadwaydirector

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Theater directors interpret play scripts for live performances.

Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images

Unlike professionals who receive a yearly salary, theater directors are paid only per production and only for their rehearsal period, which varies by location. For example, on Broadway the typical rehearsal period lasts six to eight weeks. When the show begins its run, the director's responsibility ends. In some regions or theaters, directors might also receive royalties. The Stage Directors and Choreographers union helps determine starting pay and other amounts in several jurisdictions.

Broadway

For many theater directors, Broadway represents the pinnacle of their craft. Rates here even govern pay for productions that go on national tour. According to the most recent Stage Directors and Choreographers union rate schedule, directors of Broadway musicals receive a minimum fee of $24,915 per production, with an advance against royalties of $37,365, for a total of $62,280 in salary. These amounts are taken from a royalty of 0.75 percent of gross profits or 2.5 percent of net operating profits. For dramatic productions, the fee is $30,105 plus an advance of $23,515 for a total of $53,620. Royalties run 1.5 percent of gross or 3.5 percent of net operating profits.

Off-Broadway

The SDC's Off-Broadway contract applies to commercial and non-profit theaters in New York City that are not covered by the Broadway contract and have a 100-to-500 seat capacity. This contract is valid up to June 2012. For commercial theaters with 100-to-199 seats, director fees start at $5,581 per production with an advance of $3,619 against royalties for a total of $9,200. Rates continue up to a $9,779 fee and $6,578 advance for a total of $16,357 for theaters with 400-to-499 seats. This is based on a royalty of 2 percent of the gross weekly box office receipts. For non-profit theaters, the fees start at $7,940-per-production for 100-to-199 seats and continue to $14,304 for 400-to-499 seats for the same royalty percentage.

League of Resident Theatres

The League of Resident Theatres contract applies to non-profit professional regional theaters throughout the United States. The organization has 74 member theatres in every major market in the U.S., including 29 states and the District of Columbia. Amounts were accurate as of April 2012, with updated information not available as of May 2012. The minimum salary is $6,472 for a work period of four weeks and four days, plus $174 for each additional day. These are for stages marked Category D. Salaries go up to $25,503 for a work period of five weeks and five days in Category A+ theaters, which are the top theaters eligible for Tony-consideration. LORT directors do not receive royalties unless productions in A+ theaters are extended beyond their negotiated run period.

Dinner Theater

The Dinner Theater contract applies to productions that include food service. Rates are valid to December 2012 and apply to the first eight days of rehearsal. Each day of rehearsal after that period is paid at one-seventh of the eight-day rate. Director rates start at $1,145 for the eight-day rehearsal at mini-theaters with fewer than 200 seats. Rates go up to $2,189 for large theaters with more than 599 seats. Royalties start at $313 per week of the run for mini-theaters and go up to $413 per week for large theaters, regardless of audience numbers.

About the Author

Aurelio Locsin has been writing professionally since 1982. He published his first book in 1996 and is a frequent contributor to many online publications, specializing in consumer, business and technical topics. Locsin holds a Bachelor of Arts in scientific and technical communications from the University of Washington.

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Unlike professionals who receive a yearly salary, theater directors are paid only per production and only for their rehearsal period, which varies by location. For example, on Broadway the typical rehearsal period lasts six to eight weeks. When the show begins its run, the director's responsibility ends. In some ...

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Many well-known theatre directors include Thomas Kail, who directed Hamilton, and Harold Prince, who directed The Phantom of the Opera. Many of these shows reflected just how spectacular the director has achieved with the actors and the teamwork they provided to perform. #greatpeformaces #stillrunning #famous #amazingshows

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The Phantom of the Opera - Broadway Musical - Original | IBDB

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The Phantom of the Opera (Musical, Original) opened in New York City Jan 26, 1988 and is currently playing.