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| Photo by Anevay Torrez/The Advocate |
| Directors Marietta Walker Red and Joseph Johnston pose after hanging out in the green room. |
Theater students spring into first roles as directors
The Advocate
Since the theater director retired last year the college has made it so students are more involved in more aspects of the spring plays this year; including directing.
The first spring play is "Dead man's cell phone," which students Marietta Walker and Joseph Johnston will be directing for the first time.
"I'm quite fond of 'Fiddler on the roof' I saw it here at the college five years ago and it kind of inspired me to get back into theater," said co-director Johnston about his favorite theater production.
Co- director and medical billing and coding major, Walker about her experience with theater, "Three years ago my theater group did 'The diary of Anne Frank' so that's' kind of near and dear to my heart."
After taking a one term to learn about directing and then going into directing Walker said, "It's been pretty confusing for someone to just step in and not know what they're doing and just do it," said Walker. "I'm used to being on the acting side so learning to being more of a disciplinary."
Johnston said, "One thing I've found I really enjoy is when we first get the actors up and doing the blocking and movements. Seeing the words you've read so many times come to life; it's really inspiring just watching."
Walker said, "I've been in a community theater in Eastern Oregon for 11 years and I got to a point where I thought I knew it all, and I thought I can do that I want to get up there and I want to be able to say this is where you go and that's where I want you to stand, it's been a little different than what I thought it was going to be…it's a lot harder."
Thinking about his directing techniques he brings to the play Johnston said, "Since this is my first time directing I'm relying a lot on the skills of the actors because I know that some of them actually have more directing experience than me so I'm king of giving general ideas and taking suggestions and mixing it together."
"That's kind of what I've done too, I have an idea in my mind, I put it to my actors but I tell them I want their feedback," said Walker about her directing techniques as well.
"We're very proud of our cast they've done a very good job. We have a really great cast and wonderful production manager, they've been real troopers for us inexperienced people," said co-directors Walker and Johnston
Walker said with the time consuming directing of the first spring play there's hardly time to do anything other than homework, "Off time, I'm looking forward to good weather so I can do some hiking and I like to dance."
On his off time Johnston said, "I listen to music a lot, I'm trying to learn the guitar I haven't had much time at the present for practicing but I'll get back to that."
After a day of school and directing Walker said, "I have my shows I have to watch, like Dancing with the Stars."
When the play is done Walker said, "I just want to hear them say I enjoyed that. It's a real different play, it was real hard for me to get into it and see the humor in some of it so I'm just hoping we've done a good enough job that the audience sees that humor."
And Johnston said, "To me this play is about relationships how people relate to each other how they care about each other and how technology is having an effect on that and I want people to enjoy the play too. With this play I'd like to see people come away with a renewed interest trying to connect with each other and trying to consider how technology has affected the way we work with others."
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