Sweeney Todd: Directing the Show
Make it Sparkle Video with Adam Delka
Theatre Director & Teacher
3:52 (runtime)
Director’s Notes
In "Sweeney Todd: Directing the Show," Theatre Director Adam Delka shares his personal approach and challenges in directing a complex musical. Delka's insights provide a unique look into the planning and creative process involved in bringing a musical production to life.
Adam Delka emphasizes his struggle with time management, often using all rehearsal time and scrambling to provide actors with essential feedback later.
He acknowledges the importance of stage time for actors, while also recognizing the never-ending need for more rehearsal hours.
Adam approaches directing with a focus on movement and flow, treating the staging like a dance to ensure fluidity in the performance.
He values input from his students, allowing them to contribute ideas while maintaining the final say to ensure coherence in the production.
Adam uses a detailed scheduling system, constantly adjusting plans to align with the evolving needs of the production—highlighting the dynamic nature of theater directing.
About Adam Delka
Adam W. Delka started performing with the Superior Thespians, in his hometown of Superior, NE. He is a graduate of the musical theatre program from the American Musical & Dramatic Academy (AMDA), of NYC. Adam also holds a Bachelor of Arts, music (BA) and a Master of Arts in Education, music (MAT), both from Austin College in Sherman, TX. Adam is a full-time teacher, director, choreographer and performer. He currently works as the Theatre Director at Fulshear High School. This is in addition to teaching private voice lessons, he also teaches classes at the Stageworks Acting Academy, the Tribble School for Performing Arts, and maintains a professional performance and directing career in the Houston theatre community. Adam received the Broadwayworld.com Houston award for 2013 Best Choreography with MJR Theatricals Little Shop of Horrors. He directed the HFAC production of Les Misérables, which received the award for 2014 Best Musical. He was awarded the 2015 award for best Choreography award for Evita, and was nominated in several categories in both 2016 and 2017.
Stageworks patrons saw Adam most recently as the Emcee in the 2019 production of Cabaret.
Additionally, Adam has had numerous professional and community theatre directing opportunities including A Christmas Story (Choreographer), The Wizard of Oz (Director), The Producers (Choreographer), Oliver! (Choreographer), Footloose (Director), Damn Yankees (Choreographer), Into the Woods (Music Director), Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Director), Evita (Choreographer), Les Misérables (Director), Company (Choreographer), Plaid Tidings (Director, Choreographer), Little Shop of Horrors (Choreographer), Peter Pan (Music Director), Annie (Music Director), Avenue Q (Assistant Director, Choreographer), 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Choreographer), Assassins (Choreographer), Cabaret (Music Director), Glee on Stage (Music Director), Little Mermaid, Jr. (Music Director), Galveston the Musical (Choreographer), The Drowsy Chaperone (Music Director), RENT (Music Director), A Christmas Carol (Music Director), Stephen Sondheim’s Follies (Director, Music Director, Choreographer), High School Musical (Director, Music Director, Choreographer), Once on this Island (Director, Music Director, Choreographer), Gleeks! (Director, Music Director, Choreographer), Opal (Director), Confederate Letters (Director), Dear Edwina (Director, Music Director, Choreographer), Les Misérables (Music Director, Co-Director), Aida (Choreographer), Parade (Music Director, Co-Director), Urinetown (Co-Director, Choreographer), Ozapalooza! (Director, Music Director, Choreographer), and many other professional, community theatre and student productions over the years.
Professional performance roles include, Company (Peter), Plaid Tidings (Sparky), Assassins (The Proprietor), Cabaret (Emcee), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Andre Thibault), My Fair Lady (Colonel Pickering), Galveston the Musical (Attorney General), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Trevor Graydon), Forever Plaid (Sparky), Jekyll & Hyde (Sir Danvers Carew), Urinetown (Old Man Strong, Hot Blades Harry), Sunday in the Park with George (Jules, Bob Greenberg), The Drowsy Chaperone (George), Chess (Nikolai, Gregor Vassy) RENT (Paul), Jane Eyre (Bert), Company (Paul), Camelot (Sir Dinidan), A Christmas Carol(Ghost of Jacob Marley), Oliver (Mr. Sowerberry), The Producers (Kevin, Jack Lapidus, Stalin), Of Mice and Men (Rancher).