Tonight is opening night for Student Directed One-Acts! It has been a super quick process, and it is already show-day. Our final director is Radhika B, who directed The Accident. She has been working with Encore for three years, and we are excited to have her step into this role.
Encore: Why did you choose to be a director?
Because I wanted to see the entire show come together as a whole, rather than just being a small part of it. I wanted to experience seeing the beginning and final product, and making the vision in my mind come true.
Encore: Why did you choose the play you’re directing?
Because it sounded like such a fun play with a lot of creative freedom to make choices.
Encore: What has been your favorite part of the process so far?
I loved seeing the progress that my set pieces have made!
Encore: Who is a director that inspires you, and why?
A director that inspires me is Jim. He is so creative and makes the experience so wonderful. I love hearing the input that he has and I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor for this production.
Encore: This season is Encore’s Season of Courage, what part of this season has taken courage for you to pull off?
I feel as though for me, the choice to put on ‘The Accident’ took a lot of courage. This play requires a lot of physicality, and can be extremely hard for some actors to do. However, when I made this choice, I was confident that the actors that I would be working with are mature and will make the right decisions.
Encore: What are your favorite parts of theatre?
My favorite part of theatre is probably either acting or FOH. I love seeing all of the audience members before the show and the excitement on their faces when they walk into the theater. And there is nothing like the adrenaline when the stage lights hit your face on opening night!
Encore: What are you most excited for audiences to see at Student Directed One Act Plays?
I am most excited to see the final product of this production. I have no doubt that all of these actors will do a truly wonderful job.
Encore: This is our first season doing student directed one act plays, what advice would you give to directors in future seasons?
I would tell them that they should provide input and give an outline of what the show should look like, but let the actors make most of the choices. Let them explore their creative freedom so that one day they can also have the imaginative ideas that a director would need.
Happy opening night to all of our Student Directors and their actors! We are so excited to see the results of your hard work tonight and tomorrow.
Interview by Emma Crawford, edited by Parker Nelson. Photos by Emma Crawford.