Lights, camera, director? That’s right, the Directing Class One Acts are invading the stage in the first week of December.
Dec. 5, 6 and 7 at 5:30 p.m., 13 student-directed one acts will be taking place in the Norton Clapp Theater. Tickets will be sold at the door for $2 each. Five plays will be performed on Monday followed by four on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
While these one acts are a project of the directing class offered by the Theatre Department here on campus, the productions are completely student-run. From directing to tech and acting, these one acts are based on the initiative of the students in the class.
The class is focuses on the practical implementation of the craft of directing, which means the students put what they learn in their directing class into practice for the benefit of the Puget Sound community.
The course is divided into several sections—discussing what a director’s charge entails, looking at play structure and how to go about selecting a play, conducting in-class projects on directing techniques, doing dramaturgy in teams on a particular play and directing treatments of short plays in class.
Once students learn their way around the basics of directing, the practical experience begins with campus-wide auditions. After auditions and callbacks it is a snowball blitz to get tech days, rehearsals and dress rehearsals down before the opening night of each show.
While the directors and actors are self-motivated, the directing class does have the good fortune of being able to trouble-shoot with their classmates and professor and to further discuss the practicalities and realities of directing.
This year’s Directing Class One Acts promise to be a larger and more diverse amalgamation than in previous years. This semester 13 student-directed shows give the Puget Sound community an increased opportunity to appreciate and support the theatre students and department on campus.
Not only is the number of acts delightfully profuse, but there is also a wide variation of styles. This semester the plays range from comedic farce and absurdism to the more dramatic with romance and thought-provoking issues.
The audience will be able to appreciate everything from the more established genres of theatre to some creative use of cubism.
Previous directing experience is not required for the one acts; you can have as little directing experience as is possible before entering the class.
Everyone is on equal footing because they all begin by learning the basics of being the best director possible, gaining new insights about and learning new methods for directing from the class and instructor.
While the directing process can be a difficult and trying experience, it allows those who previously had only tech or acting experience to begin to appreciate the process of creating a stage-worthy production in its entirety.
So, don’t forget to come down to the Norton Clapp Theatre the first week of December and support the Puget Sound theatre community.
Each one act will be performed for one night only, so be sure to come by and see the directing class in action while you can.
PHOTO COURTESY / JESSE BALDRIDGE