Being A Student Director

Episode 134: Being a Student Director Amelia Trimble directed her first play this year. She was thrown into it by her teacher and the experience has been a rewarding one. What’s it like to direct your peers? How do you direct when you’ve never done it before? Listen in to hear Amelia’s story. Show Notes * Censorbleep Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP – The Theatrefolk Podcast – the place to be for Drama teachers, Drama students, and theatre educators everywhere. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello! I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. This is Episode 134. You can find any links for this episode at the show notes – theatrefolk.com/episode134. Today, I am talking to a student director. I was invited and I went to see a run-through, a rehearsal, of a play of mine – Censorbleep – and the group was getting ready to take it to competition the next week. And, even though they were struggling a little, you know, trying to put everything together – the lines and the blocking – and even though things weren’t as put-together as they could be, I was amazed at the student director. She was a force. She was in control. She knew what she wanted and, not only that, she was able to get this group. They didn’t fight about the issues they were having. They collaborated together and I knew, as I was watching, that I really wanted to talk to her and get her on the podcast, and so I did! Let’s get to it. LINDSAY: I am here and I am talking to Amelia Trimble. How are you, Amelia? AMELIA: I’m good. LINDSAY: You’re good. I’m good, too! AMELIA: That’s good. LINDSAY: And the reason that we are talking is you directed one of my plays. AMELIA: Yes. LINDSAY: Which one did you direct? AMELIA: Censorbleep. LINDSAY: Censorbleep. AMELIA: Yes. LINDSAY: And this was for a local festival. AMELIA: Yes, Sears Festival. LINDSAY: Sears Festival, and this was the first play that you have ever directed. AMELIA: It’s, yes, the first play. LINDSAY: Now, your teacher kind of put you put to it. AMELIA: Yes. LINDSAY: Sort of – sort of maybe? AMELIA: Yes. LINDSAY: Pushed you into it with both hands? AMELIA: Pretty random how it happened. LINDSAY: Yeah, how did it come about? AMELIA: So, I act as well and I wanted to be the lead in this play but certain things are happening with my health that didn’t think I could do the lead. Originally, Fiocca was directing it and I was just going to do a small part. And then, I actually missed one of the rehearsals and I got a text from my friend saying that Fiocca made me full director because he was also making me co-director then I got full director and I was like, “Oh, okay, sure!” and it didn’t really hit me until, like, he wasn’t there and then everyone was looking at me, going, “What do we do?” I was like, “Oh, okay, yeah, I guess I am, like, the leader.” LINDSAY: Have you done any directing before this? AMELIA: No, I’ve acted a lot. LINDSAY: So, what do you think made him see a director in you? AMELIA: I’m bossy; I have pretty clear images of what I like and what I want; and I have good spatial awareness; and I guess, last year, when I was the lead in the Sears Festival play that we did, I was very, like, wanted things to be a certain way and I always have very, like, big ideas and creative and I’m a leader.