Happy Face - "Don't Be Afraid"

And with that, I can now officially say I have directed my first play. Right before graduation to boot! It all feels so surreal; graduation, this show, the whole works. But I honestly couldn't be happier (stressed to the nine's, sure, but happy nonetheless). I am so proud of how far my Happy Face cast has come! I love each and every single one of them more than anything! I was so completely terrified coming into this production. I had little to no faith in my directing skills before we started this. I didn't think I knew what I was doing or hardly any good at it. I was so scared that people would judge me too harshly for my choices or something like that. But hey, were we are! We opened this show and it’s fantastic! Plus people are absolutely loving it!

Opening night went great, not smoothly by any means BUT everything that night threw at my actors, they dealt with like complete pros! The curtain was pulled to reveal sets behind it, so my actors adjusted it from backstage. A sound cue didn’t go off so my actor improvises and tapped her heel. One of my actors missed their entrance so they other covers and they dealt with how to make it up extremely smoothly. The vase fell off the table and my actor, completely in character, responded to it falling. Of course, the entire time I am sitting there in the audience just CLUTCHING my seat for dear life. Because, at this point, there’s not else I can do. I can’t run up and fix it. I can’t pause the show and deal with it. I have to just sit back and be there supporting them. Which is so incredibly hard, just letting that go. Letting them be up there, just having to know and believe that they've got this. In a sense, letting your little baby birds fly. Letting go of that control and power and having faith. It's also this notion of letting it go into the audience's hands as well. Just saying to them, here is what we’ve created for you, please for God’s sake like it. And just sitting there… waiting….hoping. And then... sitting in the crowd among them, realizing that they do actually like it. Thankfully for me, it is also pretty well written (thank you, Cole) so I didn't have to do a ton of work, it speaks for itself. But it's so rewarding being in the audience and feeling their laughter at the funny moments, their cringes at the awkward ones, and in some cases, their tears at the sad ones.

So, if you have already seen the show, thank you. And I thoroughly hope you enjoyed yourself. If you haven’t seen it, please do! They’re so wonderful! All of us students have really been putting a lot of work into this. Again, I couldn’t be more proud of my actors.

So here’s to opening nights and here’s to putting on a show!

-Sam

Aaand it's gone

Well, that seemed rather quick.

In a week we went from company, tech, and dress rehearsals and tomorrow the show finally closes. It's kinda surreal that it's already almost over.

Company run throughs were a treat, since not only did I get to see my show and the others, but I got to see how an audience reacts. I was very pleased that most people seemed to like it, and relaxed a bit while watching the rest of the shows. There were some things that felt like they were missing, which put me at a bit of unease, and that didn't go away until later.

Tech was not so fun. Seeing as how our show had three queues, most of my time was spent in a chair waiting for the rest of the shows to end. Granted, nobody really likes tech, especially if we wait around for most of it, but fortunately I was able to nap for the most of it. This came in handy later as it helped give an element of surprise for the shows I hadn't seen in all their glory.

Dress was easy, as there weren't any real issues that came about. People remembered their lines and it seemed like clockwork at this point. Everything was going well.

The first performance was nerve-wracking. In my seat, I suddenly realized that there was nothing I can do but watch. What if the actors forgot an entrance? What if a sound queue was missed? What if the vase fell off the table? I tried to calm my nerves and tell myself that these things wouldn't happen.

I was wrong.

They happened.

And my actors adapted and handled these challenges like champs. Whenever I tensed up in fear, the actors made small organic changes to account for these. By the end, I was satisfied that the first showing wasn't a train wreck, and now I keep telling myself that it only goes uphill from here. Everyone has a performance where something goes wrong, and we already had it without letting it mess with the integrity of the show. It's awesome.

Tomorrow, I get to show it to my mom. I hope she likes it. It is kinda depressing.

The Three Snap Shoe Swap

Hello again to all you out in internet land,

I think this one of the last blog entries, if not the last. I know you're all horribly disappointed, but do try to keep a stiff upper lip about it. Since I've last updated you all, we've had tech, two dress rehearsals, and opening night. Theatre moves quickly.

This is my last show here at OSU and honestly the highest note I could have gone out on. Everyone in the theatre department kind of has a niche. They might do more than one thing (act and also Stage Manage or run wardrobe and do sound design) but everyone I've talked to usually has a preference: they classify themselves an actor, or a costumer, or a designer.

I'm a writer. I have been since I was nine. This is my niche. This is what I love to do. I have acted, run wardrobe, constructed sets, managed props, and I have enjoyed every moment. But my preferred method of storytelling is writing: scripts, novel manuscripts, poetry. My heart is here, and best expressed with words on a page.

The Three Snap Shoe Swap was an important story for me to tell as I graduate and my brother stays here at OSU to finish his degree. We are not nearly as close as Mia and Cal, but we are siblings and love each other even if we don't have anything in common.

He's an engineering student. I'm a theatre major. 'Nough said.

I know our career paths will likely take us in different directions and lead us to different cities. This might be the last time I live in the same area as my brother and that saddens me. But, a part of growing up is understanding that even if we are apart, I am always there for him, and he for me.

I hope you all enjoy whichever panel you come to see, it has been a pleasure working with such a talented group of individuals.

Sincerely,

a nostalgic playwright

Sasquatch Performance

This week we had our opening night on Wednesday. After tech and dress rehearsals, I was so excited to see the cast perform in front of a full audience. The show sold out, and the audience was very reactive and in tune to each of the shows. It was so exciting to sit in the audience and watch Sasquatch, knowing that we had put the work in and this is the final product. My family was there on Wednesday night, which was really special for me. The characters in this play are based off of my family members, so they all had a laugh at some of their personality traits that I poked fun at. I am really proud of how the show turned out. From the actors, to the staging, to the lighting and sound design, I thought it was a very enjoyable show. I also really enjoyed getting to see the other shows that my peers have developed this term. Each of the shows is creative and unique in their own way. I'm looking forward to seeing the show again on Saturday! 

The Guardian: Showtime!

After a term of work and wait, we've done it: we've preformed The Guardian. There's a part of me that still doesn't quite realized that we've finally done it. All this work finally came together to make the show come to life in front of an audience of theatre goers. It's wild to think about how just a few  months ago, I wasn't even sure if I would be able to submit a script in to this festival. Now, I've got my name in a program along with a wonderful cast and crew that all helped to make this play happen.

It's significantly more stressful to watch the actual performances over the tech rehearsals. When something goes wrong in a tech, we can reset and just fix the issue. If something goes wrong in a live show, everyone just has to roll with it and hope the problem either doesn't make too much difficulty or doesn't halt the show. Thankfully, nothing really went wrong during the show.

The lightening was different from what I remembered during tech. I'm assuming someone talked with Nate and made some changes between the last dress rehearsal and now. The fire was much dimmer and the general area lighting was brighter; I'm not sure I liked it much over the old lighting, but that's not really up to me now since we're in the show. We lost the big shadows, but things can be articulated better so it's probably better for the audience who isn't used to seeing this performance.

It still can't believe we've gotten here. A few month ago I was just messing around with an idea that I wasn't sure if I would go with for a play, and now I get to sit in an audience and watch with them as the words I wrote come to life in the actors and ambience. It's such a unique experience and I don't know if I'll ever get to have an opportunity to do something like this again. It's been such a crazy ride, and I'm sad it's almost over.

Last Person, Last Show

Hi again everyone,

Opening night is here and I could not be more excited to show this play to as many people as possible. As a reminder, I directed The Last Person on Earth written by Rachel Stahly. This is my third and final student directing experience at OSU. My first show was The Courier by Carol Mack in last year’s One-Act Festival, and Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe by Eric Coble for last term’s lab production. There were also a couple Play-in-a-Day’s scattered between those but this show, The Last Person on Earth, holds a special place in my heart because of how much I have learned, the choices I made, the people I got to work with, and the pure desire I feel for the eyes of the world to see it.

I have learned so much this past year with the generous amount of hands-on experience I’ve been given by the OSU Theatre Arts department. This program is truly a hidden gem when it comes to pursuing theatre and I look forward to seeing the plays that future students create on these stages and the stages to come.

I found my personal growth with this production in the choices I was making for the story. All these choices were made with the intention of highlighting key points of the script – points that I would not have been able to highlight without Rachel’s writing choices.

I am so grateful I was given the opportunity to direct this play partly for the reason that it allowed me to work with Rachel. Rachel has been committed to making her play the best that it can be from a writing perspective, and I have been committed to making it the best it can be from a directing perspective. In the beginning of this process, Rachel was willing to listen to feedback from myself and others on her play. This feedback led to her essentially rewriting her script in the first couple weeks of the term and the results were amazing. The play had the same original heart, but it was refined through her dialogue, storytelling, and main points. As the process continued, she was willing to make modifications to her script for the sake of space limitations and she even agreed to write an additional sequence for the introduction while letting me assist on it. Her dedication and passion throughout inspired me further to work as hard as possible to bring this play to life for the stage. I am so grateful to what she put into this show and know that it would not be what it is without her.

It would also not be what it is without the cast. The cast includes:

Alessandra Ferriso ................... Cassie

Matt Holland .......................... Nick

Hannah Schwartz ..................... Robotta

Josh Smith ............................. Danny

Jessica Li ............................... Serena

These individuals worked incredibly hard to make this show what it is today. Alessandra brought Cassie to life who is a smart, goofy, dweeby, funny, gross character that you can’t help but find beautiful. Alessandra’s natural and consistent presentation of this character is skillfully done to say the least, and speaks to her experience as an actor. Matt created an honest and humorous Nick that we all love to watch and listen to. The moments he has are among my favorite in the show and they stemmed from Matt simply being so willing to try new things and respond to the scene around him. Hannah’s Robotta successfully embodies an impossible dichotomy as a human robot with sprinkled quirky moments and movements. Hannah also is effortlessly strong as Robotta which opened up a lot of possibilities for the show. Josh shows up a couple times as Danny and gives us a glimpse to Cassie’s “old” life. He connects with her despite facing the opposite direction and is so entertaining to focus on. Jessica’s growth in this production has been wonderful to see and it was only because of her willingness to trust me and push herself. Her Serena goes from child to adult in 1 page and helps make the impact needed in the end.

Overall, this cast was amazing to work with. They trusted me and pushed themselves over the last month and it will not go unnoticed. This is an incredible show and that is strictly because of all the incredible people that went into making it.

Other people that went into making it are the spectacular crew that will continue working to make this show come to life every night. The sound designers, lighting designers, costume designers, and instructors all helped to create the Spring 2019 One-Act Festival and I am so grateful for their passion and dedication to this art.

I am so thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given within Oregon State University’s Theatre Department during my time here. Specifically, I am thankful to Elizabeth Helman. She is strong, passionate, inspiring, dedicated, and undervalued by this university. The students she teaches love her and respect her. She will continue to change their lives along with future student lives for many years to come.

Thank you cast, crew, professors, friends, and fellow artists. I am so proud of The Last Person on Earth and cannot wait for people to see why. Until then…

Stay tuned for more.

- Lindsey Esch

The Golden Raspberry - Let’s Talk About Some Dark Stuff

As the show steps into its opening week, I want to talk more about my interpretation of the show. Hopefully, if you happen to stumble upon the blog post after seeing Panel B, this could offer a deeper look into the story of Andrew.

Spoiler Alert!!

As the story progresses, we learn that Andrew is a failed actor and he arranges this fake audition in an attempt to get shot and die. This is his desperate one last hope that maybe, for once, things would go as he planned so that he can get what he wants for once in his life. To him, this is a cry for help to seek an answer to why he is not who he wants to be. While it is fun seeing all other character messes up Andrew’s plan, it is not to be forgotten dead his ultimate goal was to end his life. This brings a whole new level to the character. When I first started working with the concept of the play, I immediately thought of the song “Hope” from Groundhog Day the Musical, where Phil sings this song, telling himself to not give up hope to die, while attempting several suicides in order to get out of the loop he’s trapped in. I really hope that at the end of the day after seeing this play, when the audience thinks back at the story, they can pick up the irony here.

Similar to Andrew, Linda and Jimmy are not happy with where they are either. Linda, after trying out for movies all these years, still finds herself sitting in a sketchy looking audition site. Jimmy, having stayed in rehab for 15 months for being an alcoholic, gives up and started drinking again. While we are laughing at the characters and the material, the stake is high for these characters in the story.

The Guardian: Now It Ends

Dress rehearsals continued for the first part of this week, and incorporating all the tech stuff was a lot of work. There's a lot of tech stuff concerning the lights and sounds, and so it made sense that there would be some issues with it. There were a lot of discrepancies between the cue list Haille had and the one that Nicole had for lights and the cues as I had envisioned them. Some of that was definitely on me; a few of the cues had been changed during the rehearsal process and I hadn't updated the cue sheet enough. We managed to correct those after I realized my mistake with them during tech rehearsal. Some of the other tech issues are from the actual technology or from some up-fades and down-fades not syncing up quite right, and there have also been some operator errors with the sound cues. I don't know or care whose fault any of that is; it has simply been a part of the process worth noting.

That being said, my show is by far the most technically complex of all the one-acts this year, and I have the impression that it has many more technical aspects than most of the one-acts in past years as well. I understand that the tech specifications I had envisioned for this show require a lot of work and I am very content with how patient and willing people in the crew and tech fields have been with such parameters.

Opening night was phenomenal. Not only did I feel like my actors were stellar, but I also think everyone's one-act in Panel A was just splendid on Wednesday. I didn't realize it until I saw the show, but I think the final thing Keanu and Chloe needed was to just have an audience sitting in those seats. I had forgotten the energy and connection you can find on-stage as an actor once the audience is added; they are really the final and, arguably, the most vital part of any piece of theatre. Them being there, watching it live, is one of the biggest things that differentiates theatre from other art forms.

With the audience there, Keanu and Chloe were able to amp their performances up to 11. I really felt that they both gave their strongest performances yet on opening night. They were able to reach levels of emotion and do things I had tried to push towards in rehearsal, but had been unable to quite reach. I think, with the audience there to feed off, they found the ability to reach those heights. It was truly beautiful to witness the fruits of all of our labors and I couldn't be prouder of them.

When I was sitting there watching the show on opening night, it really dawned on me that a director really has almost no control over their show once it opens. All I could do was watch the show and hope everything went well. It's out of my hands now.

I just have to sit back, let it go, and watch the show. And that's exactly what I will be doing for the remainder of this process. And I couldn't be more content to do so.

Episode VI: The End

It feels like a long time since I've written this play, when I was writing this I was just having fun with the characters. I wanted to write play that will make people laugh. I wanted to write something original, completely different content. I remember the day of the submission, I hard time deciding, if i wanted to submit my play. It was hard because, I love acting and I love one acts. The entire day I've spent thinking "Do I want to act this term or tell a story?". I had the confidence that my play will get selected and I'm grateful that it did. This has been the greatest experience ever. The feeling is great. When you look at the real life version of your imagination, it will blow your mind. I grateful for my cast , they're all really talented and committed. I would gladly be part of this team if I get the chance. They have done a great job bringing the characters to life and exactly how I pictured when I was writing the play. So, this is it, the time has come, today is the day we finally show you our product we've all been working really hard for. The Panel B opens tonight at 7:30pm and Friday at 7:30 pm and finally Sunday at 2:00 pm. I'll be at all of them and I will expect you and your friends to be there. But if I don't get to see you? Then please enjoy the show because you are in for a ride.

Have A Wonderful Day,
Srimanyu Ganapathineedi

The Guardian: Company Runthroughs

It's one thing to run through your play when you're just working with your crew, and then it's an entirely different thing to run it in front of an audience of your fellow peers. I was nervous for how well Chloe and Keanu would fair with remembering their lines and blocking performing in front of a new audience, and I was pleasantly surprised with how well they did. Of course there were little bobbles and mistakes, but these run throughs are for the actors to make those mistakes and correct them for tech and dress rehearsals.

I'm happy with the changes we've made with the set. Not having all the extra scenery definitely provides both actors a lot more room to breath and move around, and allowing Keanu to dip and out of the curtains looks really cool. I'm very excited to see how the lighting will end up shaping the atmosphere. I know Nate wants there to be these long, dramatic shadows all around, and I don't think they will be able to make that happen, but I very much enjoy the mental image of it.

I'm fairly nervous about tech tomorrow. This play was without a doubt the most technically-challenging play of the whole show, so it's going to take a while to get through everything. I don't envy the tech crew and am very grateful for the work they've been putting in already to make this play come to life. I think whatever they do is going to be fantastic, and finally being able to hear the voiceover work with the rest of the actors is going to be a big moment. Fingers crossed we don't have too much to tweak and the rehearsals this weekend end up going smoothly and swiftly.

Company Runs! Sasquatch

We have just finished a week of company runs and I could not be happier. My cast has really done an amazing job with the direction we have gave them. Everyone watching seemed to respond positively to the show as well. We got way more laughs and reactions then I thought we would get. It is always an amazing feeling to get a reaction in a place you were not expecting it. I went home Monday and Wednesday night feeling really proud. Everyone in both panels have worked hard for this moment and it’s wonderful to see it be put so beautifully together. It was so amazing to see the other directors work come to life and see how proud it made them. One of the best parts of this festival is sharing the stage with other amazing shows.

Getting all my props together was a big challenge this week. I didn’t have everything at the theatre until Wednesdays run through and that was stressful. Now that I have everything there, ready to be used, I feel a lot better.

We are moving into tech week tomorrow! We have a half day of tech to add in all the lights and sounds of our shows! Next come costumes and then before we know it, it will be opening night. This is the time where the show really comes to life. Each element adds more and more until you have the show that was in your head for months, right in front of your eyes.

Bring on tech weekend!