The Theatre Leader’s Playbook: Tools for Teaching, Directing, and Running the Business Behind the Curtain

This guide provides actionable advice for leading a successful drama program that builds educational theatre into a thriving creative community. It acknowledges the role of the theatre leader as both educator and business manager, including content on pedagogy, performance, and directing alongside key administrative skills. The structure of this book reflects the realities of a busy program schedule, with chapters designed to be read in 10 minutes or less, allowing you to quickly find solutions, ideas, or even a little inspiration when you need it most. Chapters tackle everything from crafting mission and vision statements to managing communication, empowering student leadership, and making sound programmatic decisions. Each section offers practical strategies for the theatre leader’s many touchpoints both in and out of the classroom, including student development, booster organizations, administrative relationships, and program evaluation. Tools such as budgeting templates, rehearsal schedules, SWOT analysis guides also feature throughout. Whether you’re leading your program solo or part of a larger team, this book is your companion through the challenging, rewarding, and often unpredictable journey of running a theatre department as both an exceptional educator and a confident CEO.