It’s a cliché among actors to express a desire to direct, but few get the chance at the professional level, let alone in public school.
But one Bonney Lake High School student and actor received the opportunity to serve as assistant director for his senior project.
Evan Hildebrand assisted in the direction and choreography for “Seussical Jr,” a musical production staged Friday and Saturday by Lakeridge Middle School’s drama club.
“I met Jen Garretson (the show director) down at Mane Stage in Sumner and she was talking about how excited she was to do ‘Seussical,’” Hildebrand said. “She mentioned that she was looking for an assistant director, and I mentioned that I was looking for a senior project. So we set it up and things just went from there.”
Hildebrand was involved in the entire process of setting up the show, from casting to set design to providing notes in rehearsals.
At a recent rehearsal which Garretson couldn’t attend, Hildebrand guided his performers in repeated run-throughs of the musical numbers, providing suggestions for how to make each one better than the last.
“OK, guys, ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ was a lot better than the last time I saw it,” Hildebrand said after the group had completed a run of three songs.
“And, everyone, when you’re performing ‘Oh The Things You Can Think,’ remember to s-m-i-l-e,” he said, using his fingers to draw his mouth into a grin.
It is Hildebrand’s first time working from behind the scenes in a drama production. Hildebrand has acted in eight shows through the high school drama club, most recently performing a lead part in the musical “Singin’ in the Rain.”
Some of his experience has transferred over in terms of giving performance notes but most of the transition to production work has been a learning experience, he said.
“It’s such a different aspect of theater,” he said. “It takes a lot more creativity behind the scenes. As an actor, I thought all the creativity took place on the stage, but the backstage stuff includes so many problems to solve in the directing and stage design, so it takes a greater level of creative juices.”
For the show, which lasted more than an hour, Hildebrand choreographed two musical numbers: the opener “Oh The Things You Can Think,” and “Amayzing Mayzie.” He heavily modified the opener from an existing choreography guide and the latter was created entirely from scratch with the input of the students playing Mayzie and the Bird Girls.
He’s been lucky to have a great group of kids to work with, he said. Knowing that a show is meant to be a fun experience for the cast, he avoided yelling to demand attention when the kids wanted to talk, instead encouraging them to come together and be respectful.
Bonney Lake High School’s senior project requires 15 hours of hands-on time recorded in journals. By one week before the show, he had 22 hours. But that’s the time commitment it takes on a project meant to entertain an audience well, he said.
