Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Hiring new directors

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   I have a question. What do other companies do to solicit new directors? What do you do to ensure quality? Since our little theater company is growing, we need more directors. (I am getting burned out.)  We have kicked around a bunch ideas, but none seem very satisfactory. We are nervous about hiring someone.  Also, what do you do when the director you have hired isn't working out? We hired someone last year. He had lots of experience, a great resume and he was highly recommended. It was disaster.  Now we are gun shy. I don't know if there is an answer to this question. Maybe you just have to take a chance and hope for the best.

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Linda Lead Joined: 2/09/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 29	Topic: Hiring new directors Posted: 2/26/04 at 8:44am
	I have a question. What do other companies do to solicit new directors? What do you do to ensure quality? Since our little theater company is growing, we need more directors. (I am getting burned out.) We have kicked around a bunch ideas, but none seem very satisfactory. We are nervous about hiring someone. Also, what do you do when the director you have hired isn't working out? We hired someone last year. He had lots of experience, a great resume and he was highly recommended. It was disaster. Now we are gun shy. I don't know if there is an answer to this question. Maybe you just have to take a chance and hope for the best.

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Mike Polo Admin Group Community Theater Green Room Joined: 2/01/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 286	Posted: 2/26/04 at 9:17am
	We don't hire new directors, we train 'em. Fact is, we've been burned by impressive resumes and recommendations before... and we don't pay our directors. We established a system that requires potential directors to be very familiar with our theater and our people by working tech in addition to acting. Then they work at least one show as an assistant director, preferably more than one show. Then, when the board decides to approve them as a new director, they are required to use a "consulting" director (a director with at least 3 shows under their belt at the Guild) instead of an assistant director. The whole process can take a couple of years, but in the end, we get some pretty decent directors out of it... and we know they're going to stick around.
	Mike Polo Community Theater Green Room http://www.communitytheater.org
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CCTheaterMN Walk-On Joined: 2/27/04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 2/27/04 at 10:02pm
	Ditto to Mike. We've had similar issues as you, Linda, when hiring out, so now we only hire within. We bring in interested parties, have them work in crew positions or minor staff positions for several productions before leaving them to head up a production themselves.
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