The Director’s lab

A non-profit workshop to support the exploration of the craft of directing for artists based in bordeaux

THE CONCEPT for this director’s lab was born in January 2022 in Paris. Initially conceived as a communal scene study, the workshop ran for two sessions each lasting about a month.

SCENE STUDY grew from our personal desire to explore, train, and grow with other creatives, without the pressure of an expensive course or a final product. As a group, we shared in the fee of the rehearsal room rental, and that was our only expense. We facilitated each session. The first session focused on contrasting classical and modern work, while the second focused explicitly on the work of Chekhov.

THE DIRECTOR’S LAB is the evolved next iteration of scene study, and aims specifically to give director’s the space to explore new avenues, techniques, and styles with other directors and actors providing feedback and collaboration. It is a safe space to hone skills, further one’s craft, and network.

The first Director’s Lab in Bordeaux will be held in the Spring of 2024, and we anticipate 1-2 rounds of Director’s Lab per year, depending on demand.

QUICK NOTES ABOUT OUR DIRECTOR’S LAB

Each lab is composed of 8 (3 hour) sessions over the course of 8 weeks, and every creative is expected at every session.

Each director will

  • work for a portion of four sessions

  • act in 1-2 scenes for other directors during four sessions

  • commit to giving constructive feedback to other participants

THE DIRECTOR’S LAB IS RIGHT FOR YOU IF

  • you are an emerging director discovering your rhythm

  • you are an established director looking to try new techniques

  • you are an actor looking to explore directing

What people are saying

  • ingrid says:

    Working with Emily and Joshua was an indescribable experience: their passion for their craft and teaching/ helping us- actors - navigate through stories, emotions and scenes is fascinating. They're dedicated, detail-oriented, and offer valuable feedback. Emily's understanding of characters and Joshua's knack for storytelling make them a perfect team. I learned a lot from them and could not recommend them and their work enough. It was a joy collaborating with them.

  • Olympe says:

    I was delighted to work with Emily and Joshua. They are good directors bringing a lot of exercises, games and personal feedback. They are both willing to challenge the actors for the sake of story telling and character building and at the same time they are benevolent, playful and respectful. I would highly recommend working with them!

  • Hiromi says:

    Emily and Joshua's scene study workshop was such a rare and fantastic opportunity as a working actor to continue the learning journey and exploration in acting.

    I got to work with new actors and directors from completely different cultural and training backgrounds, all passionate about honing their craft and just trying different things! Each session was well-planned out, but also, had enough leeway to propose exercises we wanted to try, or to share our favorite exercises. I got a glimpse into so many different ways other actors worked, and I believe this was possible BECAUSE this is a workshop, not a class.

    Highly recommended!