WHAT THIS APPLICATION IS AND HOW TO FILL IT IN

DirectorsLabChicago was founded by alumni of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab and is therefore very much inspired and influenced by the New York Lab. Much of the following language is adapted (with the blessing of Lincoln Center Theater) from its application. It is meant to help us find out about you. We hope it will help as you complete your application.

The Lab is not a place for career advancement or resume building. We see it as a place to grow, meet other directors, think, and explore. One of our most pressing concerns is to find directors with hands-on experience: directors who are out there through thick and thin making art – in early career stages. Not people who think they might LIKE to direct, but people actually directing. The Lab is ideal for directors a few years after they have left a training program – if they’ve gone to one. Equally important for us is finding passionate people who are making very different kinds of theater, so when we bring you all together there will be a wonderful range of theater experiences in the room. Some of you have gone to school. Some of you have not. Some of you have backgrounds well informed about theater history. Others do not. Some of you are “in the business” and know many people. Others do not. Some of you are working in community theaters, in churches, in regional theaters, assisting big name international directors, organizing festivals, transitioning into directing from design, acting, or stage management. We want all of you. Ideally, DirectorsLabChicago will be a cross-section of our entire theater community.

We love directors who come into the Lab thinking they have passion for one kind of theater and then have their course of life slightly diverted in some unexpected way. We feel the Lab’s success has come from members who are busy working and find that they want or need to grow, to know more, or to branch out into something they do not know as well. For this, the Lab is perfect: it will push you into exploring what you DO NOT already know.

Finally, we are looking for people who can take the time to really think about what they are doing. Why do you like the plays you do? Who are you doing them for? What kind of peer artists do you like to work with? Who do you dream of working with? What kind of theater means something to you and can you express this vision to others – actors, designers, etc?

We will look at your resume to see what kind of plays you have been doing and what kind of a life you’ve been making for yourself in the profession. Remember, we are looking for many paths and many different artistic sensibilities. This will help us gather a passionate, committed and thoughtful group. Please take the time to answer the following questions as honestly as you can.

Think hard, have fun, and be yourself.

2011 DIRECTOR INFORMATION

The Impact of Theatre

DirectorsLabChicago will take place June 26th through July 1st, 2011 at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 East Washington, Chicago

Lab hours are 9am-10pm every day.

Instructions for Application:

• Due to limited space we request that applicants make arrangements to attend the entire Lab. If you have a minor conflict or questions about this request, please contact Elizabeth Margolius and Karin Shook at info@directorslabchicago.com prior to applying.

• DirectorsLabChicago requests that applicants have directed at least two projects outside of an academic setting.

• Due to high demand and limited space, directors may only attend the Lab twice. The 2005 “test lab” does not count toward your two Labs.

• DirectorsLabChicago reserves the right to dismiss a participant based on inappropriate and/or disruptive behavior or an unwillingness to adhere to the Lab’s standards of collaboration.

• Please EMAIL your application and resume to info@directorslabchicago.com. Put DLC 2011 and your name in the subject line.

• Re-save the pdf application as your full name without spaces (i.e. “JohnSmith.pdf”). It is suggested you save your resume file with something similar (i.e. “JohnSmithResume.pdf”)

• The pdf application includes text boxes for your answers. If you cannot include your own text or save as needed please contact info@directorslabchicago.com for any issues.

• You will receive a confirmation email within 2-3 days after we receive your application. If you have not received notification of receipt within ten days of your application being sent, please contact us at info@directorslabchicago.com.

• Upon acceptance, a registration fee of $15 (cash only) will be due on the first day of the Lab.

• Lab participants must attend orientation on the first day of the Lab. Directors who are unable to attend orientation will not be admitted to the Lab.

• For International Applicants Only: International applicants will be accepted on a rolling basis. (Meaning the sooner you apply, the better!!)

All applications must be received by Friday, March 26th, 2011. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance no later than Monday, April 19th, 2011.