NATIONAL
STUDENT
DIRECTING
FELLOWSHIP
AWARD

REGISTER ONLINE BY DECEMBER 13, 2024 TO PARTICIPATE!

See below for more information.

Information and Evaluation of the SDC Event

FESTIVAL 2025

If you’re an aspiring director, this program is for you! The SDC National Student Directing Fellowship Award program is an amazing opportunity to advance your directing skills through collaborative mentorship with professional directors at the regional festival. You choose a scene to direct from the list below, cast and rehearse it at your school, then present it at the festival where professional directing artists will respond to your work with suggestions and insights that will help you develop your scene and grow as a director. At the conclusion of the festival week, one student director will be selected to participate in the KCACTF National Festival in Washington, DC in April. This award includes travel, lodging and per diem expenses, and the opportunity to participate in workshops and master classes with professional artists.

Students who have demonstrated success in directing must be nominated by a faculty mentor from the college or university they attend. The school must have entered either an associate or participating production for the regional festival to for a student to be eligible to participate in the SDC program.

All nominees will prepare one scene from the SDC selected list which can be found at https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/opportunities-for-artists/pre-professional-artist-training/kcactf/directing/.

Preliminary and Final presentation of a rehearsed, nationally selected scene. The scene will include bona fide student actors, and will be rehearsed at the institution for presentation at the regional festival. If an institution has more than one director, actors may not participate in more than two scenes. Directors may not act or be otherwise involved in the production of the scenes, and is required to be available to observe all of the presentations.

SDC National Student Directing Fellowship Award: Nomination Form

The nomination form is to be submitted by a faculty or staff member, and the audition form is submitted by a student. Both forms can be submitted in either order.

Nomination Form

Scene Audition Form

SDC National Student Directing Fellowship Award: Regional

Event Guidelines

One student director (either graduate or undergraduate) from each region will be selected to participate in the National Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Washington DC each April. This award includes travel, lodging and per diem expenses, as well as attendance at KCACTF National Festival workshops and performances. Unique educational opportunities will be planned for the award recipients at the National Festival.

CANDIDATES

Students who have demonstrated success in directing must be nominated by a faculty mentor from the college or university they attend. The school must have entered either an associate or participating production for the regional festival to for a student to be eligible to participate in the SDC program.

EVENT

Preliminary and Final presentation of a rehearsed, nationally selected scene. The scene will include bona fide student actors, and will be rehearsed at the institution for presentation at the regional festival. If an institution has more than one director, actors may not participate in more than two scenes. Directors may not act or be otherwise involved in the production of the scenes, and is required to be available to observe all of the presentations. Directors are required to observe all scenes and participate in responses as scheduled.

SCENES

All nominees will prepare one scene from a list to be selected at the national meetings in August under the guidance of the national member at large who oversees direction. The scenes will be announced to all of the regions at the end of the summer meeting.

List of Scenes

RESPONSES

Both the preliminary and final rounds of the event will have respondents who respond to the work immediately following the presentation. The respondents are skilled directors who have a strong track record of responding to directing. The same individuals will respond to both rounds of presentations.

RESPONDENTS

Out of region colleagues or local professionals who are not affiliated with regional institutions. Judges will make the decisions on which student director will attend the National KCACTF in Washington DC. At least one member of the team must be a SDC member. The same individuals will judge both rounds of presentations.

EVALUATION

Directors will be evaluated through the preliminary scene presentation, interview process, written materials, and final presentation.

Prompt Book: A Prompt Book including a Director’s Statement is required to be turned-in via email in PDF format by December 28th 2023 to the SDC coordinator, Arthur Grothe (grothear@uwec.edu).

Preliminary Round of Scenes: All of the nominees (directors only) are required to attend all preliminary round presentations. After the presentation the respondents will react to the work in front of the closed gathering of directors.

Interviews: Directors who are selected for the final round attend individual interviews with the respondents and adjudicators. At the interview the director’s statement and approach will be discussed along with other directing experiences and goals. A current resume (required) and additional materials (optional) are requested for the interview.

Final Round of Scenes: Open to the public. All of the nominees (directors only) are required to attend all final round presentations. Mentors are encouraged but not required to attend. After the presentation the respondents will react to the work in front of the closed gathering of directors. Directors are expected to incorporate feedback from the preliminary round into the final presentations.

NOTE: Failure to read and adhere to the current published guidelines for the SDC Student Directing Event may result in disqualification of the student director

Any additional questions can be directed to the Coordinator of the SDC Directing program.

Information and Evaluation of the SDC Event (PDF DOWNLOAD)

At festival, candidates will provide respondents with a prepared written statement that reflects their analysis of the scene. The scene is presented in a preliminary round at the regional festival. After the scene presentation, respondents will give feedback to the director and his/her mentor/teacher. SDC candidates who are chosen for the final round will be interviewed by the respondents. The finalists who are interviewed will then present their scenes in a public showing with a public response session afterward. The purpose of redesigning the SDC Award is to highlight student directing in our region in a more distinguished manner.

Arthur Grothe

SDC Directing Program Coordinator and Wisconsin State Chair

University of Wisconsin-Eau Clair
Artistic Director of Theatre/Professor
Department of Music & Theatre Arts
The Pablo Center at the Confluence/Pablo 248
Eau Claire, WI 54703
715.836.3178

Email