Directors Boot Camp

Overview: your crash course in the craft, chaos, and confidence of directing!

Topics: 

  1. The Director as Collaborator, Facilitator & Leader

  2. Directorial Fundamentals – Vision, design, staging, script analysis, and rehearsal preparation. (Because "we'll figure it out on the night" isn't a directing strategy.)

  3. Auditions & Casting – How to prepare auditions, coach actors, and cast effectively.

  4. Rehearsals & Production Meetings – Finding your directing style, planning effective rehearsals, working with your production team, and avoiding the three most common mistakes directors make.

  5. Getting the Best from Actors – Creative techniques, communication, and listening.

  6. Bringing It All Together – Lights, sound, set, and costumes... Where do they all come from? 

  7. Am I done yet?   – The director’s role during the run of the show.

Applying:

The Director’s Bootcamp welcomes applicants…

  • With recent theatre experience who will enroll in the bootcamp and direct a short play for the play festival.

Or

  • Who may or may not have recent theatre experience but will enroll in the bootcamp and be part of the festival other than as a director.

Space is very limited.

Application deadline Oct 31, 2026 Fee: $350 

To apply or get more information please contact Tanya at SylvanLakeTheatre@gmail.com

Location/Dates

Sylvan Lake:

Jan 11- March 8 - Mondays

  • 9 classes/rehearsals

  • 6:00-8:30 p.m.

Red Deer:

March 15-April 28

  • Auditions

  • Rehearsals (you set the schedule)

Spring on Stage Play Festival:

April 30 - 7:30 p.m. CAT Studio, Red Deer

May 1 - 7:30 p.m. CAT Studio, Red Deer

May 2 - 2:00 p.m. Lacombe Performing Arts Centre

Meet The Team

Tanya Ryga- Directing teacher

Tanya has always loved theatre and spent years as a professional actor, singer and producer touring Canada with original productions. Doing often leads to teaching, and Tanya spent 28 years teaching for the theatre program at Red Deer College (now Red Deer Polytechnic). Favourite courses to teach? Acting, Voice and Directing. Best times? Working with actors on projects and shows. As Artistic Director of Sylvan Lake Theatre she enjoys continuing to create side by side with her former students (now colleagues) and the many new talented actors, directors and playwrights emerging in the region.e region.

Jeremy Robinson- Festival Coordinator

Jeremy Robinson is the current Artistic Producer of Central Alberta Theatre. He was a graduate of RDC’s Theatre Arts Program as well as the Motion Picture Arts Program. He also holds a BA in English from the University of Calgary. For over ten years, Jeremy worked as a performer, director, and head writer for Against the Wall Theatre’s Bull Skit Comedy. His other credits as a director include It’s a Wonderful Life: Radio Play (Ignition Theatre), as well as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Central Alberta Theatre). Jeremy is an accomplished playwright, with his most recent work After the Garden being featured in Red Deer Players’ Breaking Cover series.