Directing
I became a director almost by accident. In 2005, I was a brand-new English teacher at Sacramento High School when the drama teacher left mid-rehearsal, and I was asked to take over the spring musical. I'd never directed anything before, and I had some deep reservations. All my experience was as an actor—was I interested in building a production instead of performing in it? Even if I could come up with directing ideas, why would anyone listen to me?
But once I started, something magical happened. I was coming up with creative solutions to creative problems, and I was surrounded by my people—the drama kids. Somewhere in the chaos of putting on Grease, I discovered that I loved it.
Since then, I've directed Shakespeare, musicals, and contemporary plays, primarily in educational settings. My approach is collaborative, with a particular interest in physical theatre and imaginative staging.
Romeo & Juliet at Marin Catholic High School
One of my favourite directing experiences was Romeo and Juliet at Marin Catholic High School in 2016. Marin Catholic had a gorgeous commons area with a large fountain right next to my theatre space—an intimate, converted chapel. I had a really clear vision for the production from the beginning, and the process and result were incredibly rewarding.
I set the first half of the play outside, around the town square/fountain, then moved the audience into the chapel theatre for the second half. Mainly, I wanted to stress the structure of the play, how it’s fully a comedy until Romeo kills Tybalt, when it changes to tragedy. The outdoor setting for the comedy allowed natural daylight and large movement, including an opening sword fight involving the entire cast of 30 students. Then the dark, cramped indoor setting emphasized the tragedy of part two.
With high school actors, process is at least as important as product, and when they’re doing Shakespeare, I find less text is more effective. I came in with a cut script, then during the first table read and into early rehearsals I paid close attention to what I was hearing. Really hearing. If words were blurring over my head, nine out of ten times they could go, unless they were absolutely crucial to move the story forward.
I found as many opportunities as possible to involve physical theatre, both with stage fighting and dance/movement. We also set the prologue to original music written by students and sung by the cast, which repeated throughout the production.
The elements almost all had the effect I was going for, and the result was everything I’d hoped for.