The students of “Theatre 303: Directing” recently ended the semester putting the finishing touches on their short plays for the annual Director’s Showcase. This year’s class is particularly of note for its sheer size. Enrollment far exceeded any number in recent memory, breathing an exciting new energy into the typically small and intimate class. Regardless of size, the tradition of Director’s Showcase continues. Performances of the student-directed pieces recently took place in the Barrett Theatre.
To get a better idea of the work that goes into these student productions, here is a breakdown of the process by the numbers.
76 The largest number of lines said by an actor in a single show. The challenge belongs to actor Robbie Lane ’20 who performed as R in Ohio Impromptu by Samuel Beckett.
25 The number of student actors who were cast in the short theatre pieces. “Although the event is called Directors Showcase we are all really excited to showcase a large bunch of very talented actors in our pieces,” said Caitlin McQuade ’18.
11 The record-breaking number of student directors who presented shows during the Showcase. While each student is responsible for their own show, Jake Bolster ’19 explains that “Director’s Showcase is an inherently collaborative process that, at its best, brings out strong leadership and creative qualities in its directors”.
10 The average length of each show, in minutes.
5 The largest number of actors in a single cast. Zach Oscar ’18 directed the large production of Banging Ann Coulter, a comedy by Michael Elyanow.
2 Number of nights of Director’s Showcase. Typically, the performances are all on the same night. But because of the number of student directors, shows were divided over two evenings. The event provides “a great opportunity to apply the concepts that we have learned throughout the semester to an actual show. Actually working with actors and putting together a full show is both terrifying and exciting,” remarked Stephanie Kall ’19.
0 The cost of admission to the show. There is no ticket price for Director’s Showcase, as it is the course’s final project and is intended to serve as a relaxing celebration of Hamilton’s talented theatre students.
