Short Play Festival Thrusts Students Into Director Roles
As the second semester began at Niagara University, the juniors in the theatre department produced their annual showcase of 10-minute short plays.
Many may not know that NU students have the privilege to design, create and direct their own mini-plays, not to mention hold auditions for students interested in acting in them. The student-directors had four months to work on designing their own pieces, leading up to the performances Jan. 20-22 and 27-28.
Directing the festival performance is one component of THR 425, a specialized course offered predominantly to theatre performance majors. Through a structured curriculum, students learn the nuances of stage direction, including auditions, blocking, pace, rhythm, characterization, composition, picturization, movement, and general design.
With that knowledge as a guide, it’s then up to the student-directors to organize and establish times for rehearsals with their actors and stage managers in preparation for the real performance.