Eastern’s theater department debuted its third show of the Fall 2005 semester at the Village Theatre last Friday, but for the directors, it was no ordinary opening night.

For “An Evening of Student-Directed One Acts,” senior theater majors Rocco Renda, Cory Vogt and Marissa Tieri were each chosen to direct a one-act play.

With Friday night’s performance starting in less than half an hour, both Renda and Tieri sat in the lobby and said they were not so much nervous as anxious for the show to start.

“I’m just glad that there’s finally an audience; the audience truly affects what the actors are,” Renda said, adding that it’s the live audience that sets theater apart from other popular mediums like television and movies.

Tieri nodded in agreement.

“Every audience makes or breaks the show,” she said. “Audience response is very much a part of the experience.”

Their experience, one which required the students to direct their peers, was not as troublesome as one might think, the trio said.

“I think at this point it’s not really an ego thing anymore,” Tieri said of directing students her own age.

The actors respect that the student directors are qualified to do the job. They are also serious about acting, so the student actors see it as another opportunity to advance in their craft, she said.

“I was a little nervous at first,” Vogt said. “But they (the actors) respected me enough to be a director.”

Vogt called the project an “amazing experience,” and said the actors helped the process run smoothly by being so dedicated to their scripts.

In fact, Renda said working with peers makes directing a little easier at times.

They have had the same experiences and understand the same references, he said, so it’s easier to explain some things to them.

This firsthand understanding was also beneficial to the directors when dealing with Eastern’s theater department because, although the one acts were student-produced, the faculty and staff still played an important role in the show.

“They’ve been there before,” Renda said. “They make us try new things to help us see what works the best.”

The directors agreed the faculty and staff were helpful while allowing the students to take ownership of the projects.

“They are a constant guide to help us understand what we’re doing; like an extra eye almost,” Tieri said.

The option to direct as a student begins with an application process after completing a basic directing class in one’s junior year of enrollment. Each of the three students chosen by the department then chose three plays at the end of last spring. From the total of nine, they took the summer to discuss the plays and came to a final decision by the first week of the fall semester.

After making sure the three one-act plays were somewhat related, the directors started working on their projects in mid-October. They must also be enrolled in an advanced directing class while developing the performance.

Renda and Tieri agreed there is not much difference in working with their casts, which range from three to five students each.

Renda worked with a cast of three in “The American Century” written by Murphy Guyer.

The students said using triangles in blocking scenes is one popular visual technique they learned in directing classes.

Tieri had to make use of such methods in another way with her cast of five in “Faith” written by Israel Horovitz.

“With five people, I can create different pictures on the stage,” Tieri said.

Vogt directed a cast of four in “A Dead Man’s Apartment” written by Edward Allan Baker.

Although the one acts were the students’ first solo directing efforts, each has previous theater and directing experience. They also plan to use their experience at Eastern to their advantage in the future.

Vogt has a performance emphasis at Eastern and said she has been involved in various aspects of theater, including high school directing, for nearly 10 years.

Directing, as opposed to acting or backstage work, is more of “a complete vision,” Vogt said. Instead of just worrying about a specific part or task, directors are concerned with the mesh of all areas in a performance.

“Directors are really thinking about everything at once,” she said.

Vogt, who is also a member of the improvisational theater group Hello Dali, said she plans to go into theater and comedy. She said her involvement with student direction has developed her sense of empathy toward other directors.

“It’s nice to get the experience because now I know what the director is going through,” she said.

Tieri, who has an emphasis in stage management, said she has always had an interest in theater and directing and did some work with both in high school.

One of the good aspects of directing, Tieri said, is that it’s a “well-rounded experience so I can work with many areas of theater.”

“(Directing) helps you step back and look at everything,” Tieri said. “It twists your mind a little to let you see the big picture.”

Tieri said she wants to be involved in production for major television studios after college, and Eastern’s directing courses will help her with organization.

Renda said overseeing the project from a director’s perspective also helps “solidify” everything he has learned so far at Eastern by piecing together various aspects of theater.

But the directing experience has personal benefits in addition to professional ones.

The experience has also helped develop Tieri’s “ability to communicate what you’re thinking.”

Renda, describing himself as a usually passive person, said directing has expanded his leadership and decision-making skills and has helped him “stand up for what I believe in.”

Renda has a performance emphasis and wants to further pursue acting, directing and writing. He said the “great opportunity here at Eastern” will help him in his graduate work.

“Directing helps me see what directors look for in scripts so I know what to emphasize and what to leave out in my writing,” he said.

Renda helped as an unofficial assistant director in high school and community theaters. In some performances, he helped direct his own work, but neither he nor Tieri plan to pursue such goals in the future.

Letting someone else direct ensures the audience would better understand the script; besides, doing it all is boring, Renda said

“Everyone interprets everything differently,” he said. “(When writing and directing) It’s all me, all my ideas; the more people involved, the more universal it (a production) can become.”

Tieri agreed and said it’s important to “step back” from one’s own work.

“If you do too many aspects, you can’t take criticism,” she said.

None of the theater students had anything negative to say about taking the role as director.

“It was an all-around good experience,” Tieri said.

Following the first performance, both Renda and Tieri were pleased with the outcome of their efforts. Tieri said being able to sit back and watch was nice, relaxing and “very satisfying.” Renda said he watched the audience for their reactions for the most part.

“I knew what was coming up,” he said. “I was anticipating it.”

After the weekend of performances had come to a close, a pleased Vogt said it was “almost boring” the show went so well.

“There wasn’t a glitch,” she said.

As for future student directors, Tieri advised them to look toward the experience with confidence.

“Come into it, and feel comfortable,” she said. “Don’t put any guards up.”

Renda said it’s important to be flexible and that making plans too rigid can be “a huge road block.”

“Don’t set anything in stone,” he said.

Tieri also said directors should expect to be pleased with the project.

“Be prepared to feel rewarded,” she said. “Being able to see your final product, it’s kind of heart-warming in a sense.”