To dare is to do: directing Argonautika by Mary Zimmerman

This thesis documents my artistic journey directing Mary Zimmerman’s Argonautika as a Mainstage Production for The University of Iowa’s Theatre Arts Department. The following details the process from directing impulse and playwright research to play analysis, design collaborations, casting, the rehearsal process, performances, and postproduction reflections. I sought to direct a color consciously cast production of Argonautika, inspired by southern hip-hop and told through a theatrical language that resembled children putting on a puppet show for their parents. This thesis reflects the growth, curiosities, and discoveries made during the process from the director’s point of view.