A student director speaks on her 'Garden'

It's Monday, day two of "Hell Week" for Princeton University Players' production of "The Secret Garden," which I'm directing. Following a full day of class, I skip dinner and head directly to Frist. While discussing still-needed props and set problems, I hand-stitch the final fabric panel for the back of the set, then work with the actors and orchestra on potential problem spots where the instrumental music and the singers may not be in sync. At 8 p.m., we begin a nonstop 'run' of the show. After the actors leave, my co-director Julia Cain '07, stage manager Liz Malta '08 and I clean up and close the theatre. Finally, the three of us sit in Café Vivian and, over a quick bite, discuss the next day's schedule, plan an excursion for last-minute items and send out reminder emails to the cast. After all this, I go home and do my work for the next day. My head hits the pillow a little after 4 a.m., only a short while before coming up again for 10 a.m. class.

Though working on "The Secret Garden" was stressful, it also gave me a kind of pleasure I simply don't find anywhere else. The best way to describe the theatre community at Princeton is as a clan — an almost familial community. Shows are supportive of one another, and give 'nights off' to the cast so they will be able to see other productions. This past Saturday, for example, half the cast of "The Secret Garden" saw "A Long History of Neglect," a production put up by the Theatre and Dance Program.

"The Secret Garden" opens tonight after months of preparation, starting with one discussion in March. Julia and I chose the show as a candidate for a co-proposal to PUP. We had both directed productions in the 2004-05 season and knew the work that goes into directing a large show. So we decided to join forces accordingly. We also had a long history of working together on productions (this is our fifth show together).

A large-scale production is defined by a large cast (twenty or more actors) and a need for an elaborate set and large performance space. Other considerations are the difficulty of a given show's music (for both actors and orchestra) and choreography. Large-scale shows are particularly difficult to schedule.

It is typically the responsibility of the director to compose a production team as part of their proposal, namely by approaching students who might be interested. On many productions I have worked on, the most problematic positions to fill are those of rehearsal pianist and stage manager. Both require an intensive time commitment. The pianist must accompany all music rehearsals and be quick, competent and available, a hard order to fill. The stage manger is responsible for scheduling all rehearsals, sending emails, keeping order and making sure everything runs smoothly. Maturity, experience and organization are key. Despite the demands of the job, many students continue to devote much — if not all — of their free time to campus theater. There is a kind of camaraderie that comes from a small community of students telling a story together. Something about the whole process that makes it worthwhile, though it's hard to put a finger on it.

Many theater people I've asked say 'fun' is a large part of it, though I'd redefine it slightly. It's more a kind of pleasure that comes from the whole endeavor as opposed to a continuously good time. For example, few would argue that everything about "hell week" is completely fun. On the other hand, there must be something compelling about theatre on this campus if so many students sacrifice their work for it.