HS Drama Students Direct and Debut Original Pieces

On March 2 and 4, the sixteen HS Drama students debuted original pieces of theatre as part of their directing unit summative assessment. Performances were held in YISS’s intimate Black Box Theatre. From the selection of a script to the public performance, students had ten class sessions to create a moment of theatre from just 12-17 lines of text. Students selected from among 20 “contentless” scenes—no character descriptions, no setting indicated, no stage directions. The new directors were tasked with layering meaning on top of the simple lines. 

Students worked within ensembles of four, each member directing the others based on a vision for a final performance and a stated directorial intention (what they wanted their audience to think/feel/do/understand). Directors had to determine the who, the what, the where of their scene as well as the motivation of each character. They selected performance elements and blocking choices to include, as well as production design elements to create their intended impact on their audience members.

Additionally, each student created a director’s notebook. This is a curated collection of directorial choices made during the unit. It was on display for audience members to look through at the final performances. 

The overall aim of this task was for students to explore the processes involved in transforming a script into live-action by developing a directorial vision for staging the piece of theatre. Furthermore, this experience provided students with the opportunity to cultivate creativity, hone skills of collaboration, and develop leadership skills, three of YISS’s expected schoolwide learning results.

While there were sixteen pieces of theatre, the students selected the embedded performances to share with the YISS community. 

1. Director Maya: David, Isabella, LiLin — “Don’t Look”
2. Director Ameerah: Gianna, Sharania, Sophia — “The Last Life”
3. Director Sharania: Ameerah, Gianna, Sophia — “Are You Afraid?”
4. Director Sophia: Ameerah, Sharania — “Don’t Be So Helpful”
5. Director Isabella: David, Maya — “Are You Afraid?”
6. Director LiLin: David, Isabella, Maya — “I See it Now”

Take a moment to read each student director’s directorial intention and enjoy these brief moments of theatre.

Maya: I want people to know that it is not good to judge someone if you don’t know them. It is 2022. We are in Paris. It is Sunday morning and two aliens are coming to visit Earth. 

Ameerah: I want my audience to feel sad and somewhat guilty, but also to know the pressures of education can have adverse consequences on individuals, sometimes as bad as extreme depression and suicide. Further, I want my audience to know the internal struggle that suicidal people often have, and that it is not as easy as simply “ending your life.” Suicidal people are not selfish, and they have their own struggles. The pressures of education should be known, as society puts too much pressure on perfect academics and having your life “figured out” without realizing the effects education can have. It is 2010 NYC, New York. Takes place in the afternoon; location = living room (beginning) and bathroom (main scene).

Sharania: I want my audience to feel the tension build-up, I want them to be very thrilled. At the same time, I want them to understand that people can become equal when they are put under dangerous situations. Set in a mountainous pine forest near Nanga Parbat. Very very cold, early morning. It is still dark. We hear crickets chirping in the background.

Sophia: I want my audience to feel sad and upset by the conflict between the two characters. This is because I want them to reflect on how important good communication is to a friendship and what a lack of it can do. Set in 2022 Seoul - afternoon, winter, in a coffee shop 

Isabella: I want my audience to feel entertained and melancholic. My reason for this is because I want to entertain people in a non-traditional way. Instead of making them happy, I want a more pensive feeling. I want them to think of their own relationships with people. I want this because usually, people don’t think about how the people around them are feeling. 

LiLin: I want the audience to understand the relationship between the characters, the relationship between friends is not always understood. I think the audience will enjoy this sense of contrast. Set during a spring holiday, breakfast time, 2030, in a living room.