Illinois State's Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Directing program cultivates the next generation of creative leaders in the American theatre. The Directing program accepts a select group of advanced students who have demonstrated the potential to succeed in long-term careers as professional directors. We nurture the emergence of a unique and personal aesthetic for each director, while at the same time fostering an appreciation for the skills and technique required to achieve sustainable success in the profession. Accepted candidates will demonstrate curiosity about their world and the capacity to lead with empathy. The goals of the program challenge students to: Develop an individualized aesthetic that speaks to today's world, Communicate effectively with performers, Collaborate openly and creatively with a design team, Analyze plays from multiple genres, Embrace poetic language and rhetorical device in classical plays, Master staging techniques for multiple space configurations and Work with professional rigor