The Beginning Drama One Acts may be a chance to see a fresh set of faces on the EPiC stage, but they are also an opportunity for older actors to try their hand at directing.
One Acts, which concluded two weeks ago, are short, under-ten-minute plays that are performed by Beginning Drama students every winter. But as the spotlight in the Little Theater shines on the underclassmen, Advanced Drama students watch in the wings as their theatrical visions come to life.
Max Gerstman, one of the Advanced Drama theater directors, said he relishes the opportunity to exercise creative control in ways that acting doesn’t let him.
“Motions, props, even costumes – we really decide everything, except how the play actually happens when it performs,” said Gerstman, junior.
Gerstman said the level of control that he was given as a director allowed him to make his play a better fit for his actors.
“One of my freshmen recently moved from Mexico, so her character had a distinctive Hispanic accent, and she was one of those strong Latino women,” said Gerstman. “And even though that wasn’t written into the script, I think it was an interesting character choice.”
Having student directors can also provide a different perspective for both the Advanced and Beginning Drama students.
According to junior Violet Kelly-Andrews, directing other students has allowed her to look at her own acting from a director’s point of view.
“I get to see the two sides of it, and it’s really interesting,” she said. “It’s almost as though I can be a better actor for the director.”
The freshmen in Beginning Drama can also benefit from working with student directors instead of teachers.
“I liked how [my director] let us choose how we wanted to do things – whatever feels natural is the best thing. If you’re doing something unnatural, it just looks weird,” said Beginning Drama student Erin Gray.
The theater directors get to choose an under-ten-minute play that they want to direct, then pick their casts from among the Beginning Drama students. Before casting, the freshmen do various acting activities in front of the theater directors so that they can get a sense of the actors’ personalities and abilities.
Casting occurs in mid-October, and the rehearsal of the plays is the main focus of the class until they are performed in late November. This year’s One Acts ended on Dec. 8.
According to Kelly-Andrews, directors gain a new sense of responsibility from their work.
“You also learn responsibility – how to be in charge of three kids, direct a play, and get costumes – how to understand them,” she said. “It’s really enlightening.”
