Staging the Feminist Ovidian Form: Directorial Challenges in Virginia Woolf’s Orlando Adapted by Sarah Ruhl

This thesis details my artistic process as director for the University of Iowa’s mainstage production of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando adapted by Sarah Ruhl. The following documents the thesis process from play selection, playwright research, play analysis, casting, direction, vocal coaching, intimacy choreography, dance choreography, through post-production analysis of the play. The study of theatre philosophy through the essays of Sarah Ruhl ultimately shaped my artistic approach to the play. Analysis of the text, images, “theatre visual”, “theatre kinetic”, and “theatre aural” (Easley, “Principles of Visual Design”, 2018) led to an interior vs. exterior approach in design with particular attention on Orlando’s journey to find their internal self against the backdrop of the external world. The journey to discover oneself, and the pleasure of transformation itself, became the driving force in a world quite used to moral improvement. Rehearsals focused first on ensemble created content, a deep understanding of the language in the play, choreography, and a keen focus on the present moment. As we progressed, we stayed open to what the play might reveal to us along the way. The final section details the joining of the rehearsal and design process in final production, with some notes on successes and how to improve future collaborations.