When you hear about student produced shows in college, you always assume it will be really obscure and a really weird experience. Although, even when the show is a normal show, lets face it, it is really obscure and a really weird experience. Being a student director is a very interesting role, and not many are up to the challenge. But if you are one of the few, these are six thing you may find yourself doing.
1. You'll find yourself holding auditions in the cafeteria at 10:30 pm
We all have busy days in college and for some of us they don't stop until really late. So that forces us to use whatever space we can find to try to accommodate everyone's schedules. And sometimes that means having after hour auditions in the cafeteria. In front of people you don't know. Thank god you're not the one auditioning, just the one running the auditions.
2. But...you get to work with your friends!
Now this one can be good and bad. It can either go super well, or not at all. Some friends can understand that when you need something done a specific way, it has nothing against them personally. However, it can always go south.
3. And sometimes, you have to put your show on the back burner
And trust me, it really sucks. But when you have three papers due, you really do not have time to go find the perfect briefcase. Or the perfect table to go on stage. You have to think about why you're in school in the first place, and put that first. And sometimes it's really hard.
4. You start living in the theater
During student shows, there is typically no outside, professional help. That means that you cant just hire someone else to come in and find the props you need in the prop cages. So you and your student stage manager spend hours scouring every nook and cranny. This can take hours and if you're also a theater major, you just start spending almost every waking hour in that building. Good thing the couches are comfy for some much needed naps.
5. You start dreaming about how exactly your show is going to look
You've finally made it past the design process and are now in rehearsals. Everything is coming together. You start thinking about how the light is gonna fall against the actors face, or how the colors will make the paint on the set pop. You dream about the ever powerful monologue that happens in act two. It's magical.
6. You realize that it is all coming to life, and it has your name on it
Everything you and you crew have worked for, is finally happening. Finally. The audience will file in and find their seats. The curtains will open, and the show will begin. It is real. And you made it happen. You will probably cry a few happy tears.
