BACKGROUND

For anyone working in film, television and theater, the reality is that most projects don’t allow the luxury of sufficient rehearsal time. Effective communication with actors is key for the director to help inspire honest and memorable performances. Few opportunities exist for directors to experiment and grow in accessible workshop-type settings.

To address this need, DnA was founded in 2001 by Sarah Tuft, who brought together a group of New York City based independent directors — Dylan Kidd, Duncan Tucker, Brian Cange, Maureen Tilyou and Nicole Franklin — and with them developed a unique collaboration with actors. Sarah developed DnA’s structure and fused it with Judith Weston’s methodologies to create the groundbreaking format we use today. One of the best ways for directors to improve is simply to direct, and to do so as often as possible. DnA meets regularly to explore the possibilities of the director and actor relationship.