Back when I was working at a musical arts program in Omaha, I had the honor of directing two musicals for their students–The Sound of Music Jr and Annie Jr.
I had performed in operas, studied musical theater vocal technique, and had taken years of theater classes, but I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the amount of work involved in being the director.
But I loved it!
Directing helped me become a better leader, a better communicator, and a better delegator, but it also helped me in a way I didn’t expect:
It helped me become a much better writer.
Here are my two biggest lessons learned:
1. “More” isn’t “Better”
One of my biggest learning curves was realizing that more isn’t better.
At first, it was overwhelming sifting through all of the endless possibilities and decisions. Which costumes? Which set pieces? What lighting? What props? It was exhausting!
But, honestly, having a tighter budget and tighter time constraints challenged me to choose pieces that specifically told the story (and helped me to quickly throw away the things that didn’t.)
Key Writing Takeaway: Don’t waste words on things that don’t propel the story forward.
2. Blocking
Blocking (or staging) was my favorite part of directing. Working with young students challenged me to dive deeper into the script to help them connect with their characters and bring them to life.
(“This is your character’s greatest fear. How can you show that on your face? How would she carry herself as as she walks over to the desk,” etc.)
After all, the story is much more than just the words on the page!
Key Writing Takeaway: Write with “the backstory” in mind.
I’d love to direct another musical one day. It was during rehearsals for “Annie Jr” that our little Jr came along, prompting the need for a break!
I’m thankful for the friendships I made at MKS Studio and for all the ways I’ve grown both as a person and as a storyteller as a result!
Thanks for reading!
Christa
Leave a Reply