Pushing past fear and into discovery: directing How to defend yourself by Liliana Padilla

This thesis details my experience directing Liliana Padilla’s How to Defend Yourself as a mainstage production for the Department of Theatre Arts at the University of Iowa. The following documents the full process from my initial response to the play, dramatic analysis, research of given circumstances, collaborations with designers and community organizations, rehearsal process, audience response, and a post-production reflection on how I have been impacted as a director. My reflections are centered around a desire to embrace my own vulnerability in rehearsal rooms and my growth in allowing myself to trust the process.