As some of you may know, every year East Noble Theatre has presented a Children’s Theatre show that is directed by two students. This year my fellow thespian, Austin Gulick, and I were chosen to direct the children’s show, Pinocchio! We are very enthusiastic to get involved in a different aspect of the theatre other than performing. With a few weeks into rehearsals, we have already grown and learned so much from being co-directors together.

While we were excited for such an amazing opportunity, there were and are many obstacles Austin and I have had to face going into this experience. We’ve had to evaluate what we have been given and determine what our approach to being student directors should be. One of the most difficult aspects of a student-directed show is directing your peers. It is not only controversial that students direct other students; it is harder to gain respect when there isn’t much of an age divide. We have been forced to create somewhat of a separation between us and the cast to establish our authority.

Juggling a show with all of our responsibilities aside is another obstacle that Austin and I have faced. Along with directing a show, we are also to attend to our academics, clubs, and the other tasks we do on a daily basis. First, it’s really important that we are aware of what needs done in our classes and extracurricular activities (projects, homework, etc.) as well as in the show (getting props, costumes, etc.). Doing these tasks in an orderly fashion is key for us to keep up with all the responsibilities we are balancing.

Something that may not be difficult (but quite a change) is sitting in the audience rather than being on the stage. It’s a challenge to watch the students perform and not jump on stage along with them. Austin and I have had to keep in mind that we aren’t the performers anymore, but the ones teaching the students how to perform. It’s about ten times the responsibility of being in the show–rather than just being responsible for one individual role, we are responsible for every single character on the stage.

Directing a show definitely isn’t an easy task or something I would refer to as “lots of fun” all the time, but it truly is an experience I am overly thankful that I have gotten to be a part of. It has taught me so much about what goes into a show and helps me appreciate every aspect of the theatre rather than what I had just been involved in previously. I can’t wait to see the outcome of the show and see the East Noble Children’s Theatre cast perform this year! Please don’t miss your chance to come see Pinocchio September 17 (7 pm) and 18 (2 pm)!