2026 Drama Training – Voices from the Cemetery: 6-Session Director Creation Course

Highlights

This course is designed to guide participants through the contemporary directing process, starting from a textual base to creating performances with a unique personal vision through adaptation, rehearsal, and stage composition. The Hong Kong Repertory Theatre Education Centre uses the emotionally resonant poetry collection "Spoon River Anthology" as the core text—a work where the dead in a cemetery speak their lives. Participants will alternate between the roles of director, actor, and observer, experiencing the process of transforming text into "theatrical events" through practical exercises.

Course Features

• Thematic Textual Exploration: Use the same set of texts to systematically experience translation, adaptation, rehearsal, and stage composition.
• Action Analysis: Explore the actions behind the poetry, transforming what is spoken or left unsaid into concrete character relationships.
• Collaborative Creation: Learn to inspire actors' imagination and creativity, and extract usable stage material from improvisational exploration.
• Practical Orientation: From reading to final presentation, experience the formation of a short scene firsthand. Suitable for adults and beginners aged 16+ interested in directing, adaptation, or stage aesthetics.

The 6-Session Path

1. Textual Voice: Sense and translate text, capturing the rhythm, emotion, and sound of poetry.
2. Character Presence: Learn to guide actors through character relationships and emotions, rather than just giving instructions.
3. Textual Adaptation: Experiment with editing, restructuring, and extending text to unearth conflicts and secrets.
4. Stage Aesthetics: Explore space and composition, using distance, sightlines, movement, and pauses to let the space "speak."
5. Rehearsal Lab (Part 1): Enter the rehearsal space to explore possibilities through improvisation.
6. Rehearsal Lab (Part 2): Finalize a short scene through feedback and adjustments, bringing your personal vision to life.

Registration Notes

• Taught in Cantonese. Limited spots, first-come-first-served.
• Open to those aged 16 and above interested in theatre.
• A course completion certificate will be awarded to participants with at least 80% attendance.
• No makeup classes or refunds (except for course cancellations).
• Please refer to official announcements for details on inclement weather arrangements and refund policies.