The Pack Playhouse recently had seniors in the Theater 4 class direct “A Night of One Acts.”
Three seniors, Jonathan Cook, Serenity Benton and Kaelani Jordan, learned what life was like behind the scenes in the director’s chair.
Staff writer and fellow thespian Cameron Williams sat down with the three of them.
What was it like directing your first show?
Cook: “It was fun until scheduling issues came up, and then it became stressful.”
Benton: “It was something completely different to what I’m used to but it taught me valuable lessons.”
Jordan: “Directing my first show was a long and stressful process. There were new obstacles at every turn, and I had no choice but to figure out how to solve all of the problems.”
What would you do differently if you directed another show?
Cook: “I would get as much time as I could for rehearsing instead of giving up so much of it.”
Interviewer’s Note: As a cast member of Jonathan’s I can honestly say that it was stressful and Jonathan always looked stressed when it came to scheduling. He gave up a bunch of rehearsals so then the directors could have more time to prep for their shows.
Benton: “I would make sure that I am more careful with who I cast and schedule rehearsals a bit more often.”
Jordan: “A few of the many things I’d do differently for a new show would be being more careful about casting, more direct with feedback, and addressing problems faster.”
How did you like working with your cast?
Cook: “I loved working with my cast even if we had ups and downs and disagreements at times.”
Benton: “I liked working with my cast because they were around my age and even people I haven’t met before, I got to get to know them.”
Jordan: “I loved working with my cast the majority of the time. They generally worked hard and were respectful of me and each other, and those were the main things I had asked of them.”
What advice can you give to aspiring actors/actresses and aspiring directors who are wanting to get into theater?
Cook: “Know your role and roll with it.”
When it comes to directing, what advice would you give people when it comes to it?
Benton: “Be confident in yourself and your decisions.”
What advice can you give to people who are wanting to do sports and other extracurriculars at the same time?
Jordan: “To anyone who wants to be involved in more than one extracurricular, I’d advise having good communication. You need to talk to both of your coaches or teachers and let them know you’re involved in both, so that they can help you to figure out how to manage both.”
