Ripon College Days

Some may think that the theatre senior seminar involves far less work, research and dedication than any other seminar project on campus. In fact, I was guilty of such thoughts when I first came to Ripon. Having to complete this project now, I realize that this couldn't be further from the truth. Being a student director involves more work than I ever thought it would. You have to pick a script that fits the requirements of the class, conduct auditions, fight for your "dream cast," do the appropriate research and pay attention to the smallest of details-not to mention having to deal with the fact that your grade potentially rests in the hands of your peers.

The roughest part of script selection is finding a script that fits your interests and the time and technical requirements set in the class, as well as choosing one that hasn't been done in recent years. Once the script is chosen, an in-depth analysis is done in order to understand the time period, the setting and the characters more fully. This aids in the audition process because it helps each director determine what kinds of actors they are looking to cast in their one-acts.

After auditions are held, the plays are cast. To my surprise, the casting class wasn't the bloodbath I had been expecting, based off of stories I had heard from previous years. Even though I may not have come out with a cast full of "big names" in Ripon College acting, I was lucky enough to get a cast that is dependable, hardworking, able to take criticism and willing to learn along with me. We've already been rehearsing for a couple of weeks now, and it is amazing to see how much my actors and I have grown.

One of the biggest things that I have learned thus far is the importance of communication. I have found that it is hard to put the image I have in my head into words so that my actors understand what I am looking for in their character. Also, actors don't take direction the same, so this has challenged me to use different techniques when trying to get one of my actors to do something onstage. The hardest part of being a student-director, in my opinion, is going to be the performance nights because, at that point, I lose all control and have to let the play run its course, no matter what happens.

All in all, being a student-director isn't just about sitting in fancy black chairs with our names on the back (sadly, we don't get those), sipping on coffee and doing nothing. In fact, it takes just as much dedication and hard work as any other seminar project on campus. Having to put on a play in less than four weeks and working with no budget is not the cakewalk that some people think it is. It always feels like there is something new that you have to fix, find or completely change in order to make the play the best it can be. Despite that, I'm sure that I will be happy with my production and will feel a strong sense of accomplishment when I see it come to life onstage.

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