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Cody Ganger

Graduate of the New International Performing Arts Institute (NIPAI).
Theatre Directing Diploma Program
(Distance Option)

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Beginning My Journey as a Director

I began directing in a non-professional, community setting, which was a wonderful way to experiment and try things as an artist, but when I was hired as a College Theatre Professor, I felt the need to refine my directing skills further. Although my prior education—specializing in Acting, Comparative Literature, and Shakespeare Studies—had prepared me well for a classroom setting, I wanted to bolster my practical skills as a Director, which is why I first applied to NIPAI.

Embracing NIPAI's Online Program

My resources and time were limited, so I took advantage of NIPAI’s online program, which I rigorously applied myself to. I believe the individual, online work was particularly effective because I was extremely motivated to learn and apply what I was learning to the productions I was concurrently working on. I began the program in 2021 and graduated in June 2023, with my Final Project being John Ford’s ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore.

A Fulfilling Artistic Experience

The process working on that production was one of the most fulfilling artistic experiences I’ve had—through each of the NIPAI courses, I was able to dive deeper into my script, develop an efficient and effective system for rehearsals, create more effective stage pictures, and hone my leadership style. I’ve carried the system and many of the tools from NIPAI into the productions I’ve worked on since—I especially credit NIPAI for teaching me how to be truly prepared before starting rehearsals, with strong script analyses, paper blocking, storyboarding, and other tools for preparation.

Pursuing More Ambitious Projects

With this new confidence and skill set, I’ve only become more ambitious, both in my choices of shows and my approaches to the shows I do. Mary Zimmerman’s ‘Metamorphoses,’ for instance, requires a pool of water onstage. My production of Hamlet (co-directed with Steph Hankinson) features bold reinterpretation of the text, featuring myself, a woman, as Hamlet, a male Ophelia, and female Polonius and Horatio, as well as extensive use of live-feed video. I would not have been able to execute such ambitious projects without my NIPAI training.

 Mary Zimmerman ‘Metamorphoses’ 

Shakespeare 'Hamlet' (co-directed with Steph Hankinson)

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