CSU student directors take lead in new productions for first time in school history
With the help of two talented students in their senior year, Columbus State University’s theater department has premiered an idea that one of those students hopes will become a new tradition.
Two productions,“Circle Mirror Transformation” and “Dry Land,” have both had student directors at the helm.
“It seemed like an opportune time to pump these up a bit and offer them as part of our season,” said Larry Dooley, professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at Columbus State University. , .“That’s not something we have done before, but the timing was right.
“It was a fortunate moment when we realized that we had two strong seniors in our program who both are preparing to be directors,” he said.
“Circle Mirror Transformation,” directed by Gabrielle “Elle” Solomon, showcased Feb. 2-5. And Lauren Alexandra is directing “Dry Land,” which opens March 2 at CSU’s Riverside Theatre Complex in downtown Columbus, Georgia.
“It really does feel like I am a part of history,” Alexandra said. “ I remember coming into this department three, four years ago and there weren’t really a lot of us in the directing concentration.”
She said it feels good that new students coming into the department see what she and Solomon have accomplished and are encouraged to try a directing concentration.
Dooley said students like these would typically produce a senior project that’s a low-budget production geared for CSU students and the broader campus community, but not necessarily a public event.
“As a university theater program, we are always looking for opportunities to highlight student work, and these projects are an extension of that commitment. It is also our privilege, or perhaps even obligation, to produce shows that push the envelopes in terms of content.
Dooley said this has been a rebuilding year for for the theater department. He said they chose to build the season as it progressed because the COVID aftermath is still making it difficult to accurately predict who would start attending live theater.
“I suppose that this is a classic case of making lemonade when you’re handed lemons, and we could not be more pleased with either the process or the product,” Dooley said.
Alexander said this is her last show before she graduates. She said directing “Dry Land” was a necessary experience before becoming a working professional, and hopes others have the same chance.
“I would hope that at the very least that this could become a new but welcome tradition of every season let’s make sure that one of our main stage shows is a student-directed show,” said Alexandra.
This story was originally published March 2, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
