The Varley Players at Byram Hills High School delivered a whirlwind of comedy with “Buy One-Act, Get One-Act,” featuring six one-act plays.
In a twist, the 10-minute comedies were solely directed and designed by students. They staged fantastic performances of “Sure Thing,” “Words, Words, Words,” “The Universal Language,” “Cosmic Fruit Bowl,” “Out of Order” and “Surprise” on May 15-16.
The directors, juniors Ben Andrew-Silby, Liana Brown, Dario Cobos, Jack Levy, Darby Schlosser and ninth grader Alex Petlyuk, took great ownership over their plays. They each built their own team of students who served as their stage manager, assistant stage manager, lighting designer, set designer, costume designer and sound designer. The directors held auditions and cast their own plays, which starred two to four actors each.
“They did an incredible job,” said Dr. Douglas Coates, the Byram Hills chorus and theater teacher who oversaw the production. “It’s stunning what they achieved and what they’ve learned.”
Directing allowed the students to see theater from a different perspective and get a full view of the creative process.
“The experience they are gaining is invaluable,” Dr. Coates said. “When an actor understands the technical constraints of the lighting designer, or a director appreciates the organizational burden of the stage manager, they become better collaborators and more empathetic leaders.”
The directors, who had all previously been cast or crew members with the Varley Players, enjoyed their new role and learned a lot.
Directing “Out of Order” was “incredibly rewarding,” Darby said.
“The cast and rest of the creative team were a dream to work with,” she said. “They understood what I was looking for and made it happen without hesitation.”
Darby, who starred as Roxie Hart in “Chicago” last year and as Marie, the Fairy Godmother, in “Cinderella” in March, said being on the other side of the production team was eye-opening.
“I learned so many organizational and communication skills through this process,” she said. “From rehearsal schedules to tech schedules, it was essentially all up to us students. We really took charge and worked with each other to stay on track.”
As the director of “Sure Thing,” Jack, a third-year Varley Player who starred as Prince Topher in “Cinderella,” also noted the difference between acting and directing.
“I had to think of the whole picture, like how the actors interacted, how the scene flowed, and how the audience would experience, and hopefully appreciate, each moment,” he said.
“I learned how important collaboration is,” Jack added. “A lot of the best moments came from working with the actors and trying different things until it clicked. I also learned how many small details are needed to make a good show, especially in a short play where every line counts.”
Dario said directing “Words, Words, Words” was a great experience, though a little stressful because of the organization, planning and time management needed to put on a successful show.
“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “The final product was really rewarding, but the process of doing it was definitely stressful. It also made me grow as an actor.”
Dario, who appeared in “Almost Maine,” “An Ideal Husband,” “The Hollow,” and “Cinderella,” said he gained a greater appreciation for the work of directors and “how much work they really do to make sure the final product is as great as you see it is on stage.”
Dario also noted the important collaboration he had with his actors and the other directors.
“It was very helpful to have that experience of collaboration because it really is all on you,” he said of directing.
Liana, who directed “Surprise,” said: “I learned that there is so much work behind the scenes that goes into making the show successful. I got to step into many roles and step out of my comfort zone to make my vision come to life, and it was so rewarding in the end.”
The students were happy with their productions.
“The finished product turned out absolutely amazing!” Darby said, noting that her show got many laughs. “The audience's reactions were priceless!”
Jack said his cast, made up of fellow directors Dario and Liana, “did an absolutely incredible job.”
“Hearing all of our friends and family reacting in every moment was proof that our play came together,” he said.
Jack, who also appeared on stage in “Words, Words, Words,” said acting in a student-directed play was a great experience.
“It felt more collaborative, there was much more artistic choice, and it was exciting to see how different directors approached their shows, and the interpretation of each script,” he said.
“This was one of the most valuable experiences I've had in theater,” Jack said, “and I learned so much about both acting and directing from it.”
