The HTC Winter One-Act Festival is quickly approaching, and there is no better way to see what it’s about than asking the directors. Dani Ochroch is putting on a touching show called “The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden”, which is all about family. Olivia Sun and Marcel Werder are directing “The Fire”, a funny but dramatic 15-minute show about limbo (not the Hawaiian dance). And finally, “The Audition”, is a comedy with a sweet message, directed by Sam Eisner. These four seniors have been together from the beginning and are super excited for everyone to see the show.

Why did you want to be a student director?

Marcel Werder: I thought it would be a really amazing opportunity to approach theatre from the opposite perspective. I’ve learned a lot from different directors over the years, and I wanted the chance to try and translate some of that to other actors, and to work towards a vision that I/we had.

Olivia Sun: I’ve been lucky to get the chance to direct before, and found that while I like being in the cast, I really enjoy the directing aspect of theater.

Dani Ochroch: I’ve always wanted to explore a show from a directorial standpoint.

Sam Eisner: I’ve wanted to try it for a while. I love helping people prepare their audition monologues and figure out their characters, and as I became more involved in lighting, I developed an instinct for staging. I do script analysis in my spare time because I’m a dork, and I like to work with people. Directing just seemed like a natural thing to do.

How did you pick your One-Act?

MW: Olivia and I picked The Fire because it has really cool undertones, and the script allows us to take it in a bunch of different directions. There is a lot of room to work on different connections made between cast members and to figure out the most effective ways to convey these to the audience.

OS: With the other two shows that were selected we decided that a shorter third show would fit nicely in the time slot. I found the script for “The Fire” by D.M. Larson and knew that I could do a lot with it and make a really interesting show that was both fun to be in and to watch.

DO: I picked my show by looking up short plays by some of my favorite playwrights (Thornton Wilder being one of them).

SE: I took Mrs. Harper’s CEP II and III classes during my sophomore year, and we had a unit on directing. I had found this one-act by Don Zolidis; I fell in love with it after reading it once, and used it for the class project. I knew immediately that I wanted to come back to “The Audition.”

What is your play about? (Short summary)

MW/OS: “The Fire” is a 10-15 minute abstract play written by Emmy winner D.M. Larson. The short story follows a young woman named Tande who finds herself in a strange place. It’s less of a concrete place and more of a limbo area, and the “people” are more essences/shadows of emotional stereotypes left by others who have also passed through.
Not knowing how she got there or why, the only thing Tande has is an address and a vague memory of who she is. While there, she encounters an interesting group of characters, some of which try to help her and others who aren’t so eager. The show is a drama, but has its goofy moments, and leaves the audience with something to think about after it’s over.

DO: My play, “The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden”, is about a family who lives in Newark New Jersey in the late 1920s (1929 specifically), who travels to Camden to visit their married daughter.

SE: My show, “The Audition” by Don Zolidis, is essentially a version of the musical “A Chorus Line,” adapted to depict the life of high-school theater kids instead of Broadway dancers. It’s really funny, even just reading the script makes everyone laugh, but there are also some really touching and heartbreaking moments.

Why did you join HTC?

MW: Theater is my favorite thing to do, and I had the chance to see some awesome shows the company put on before I got to Harriton, which made me so excited to join. Also, I heard about how welcoming the environment was!

OS: I’ve always enjoyed theater and, having always done it growing up, joining HTC wasn’t really a decision but was more just part of the progression from middle school to high school. I guess it also didn’t hurt that the upperclassmen were really encouraging and welcoming.

DO: I joined HTC because I came from BC to Harriton to do theatre.

SE: I moved to LMSD in eighth grade, and I was actually signed up to go to Lower Merion. After I did Seussical at Welsh Valley, Mr. Ginsberg convinced my mom that I should go to Harriton, and all of the friends I’d made were going there, too. So I ended up going Harriton, and Seussical was so much fun that I couldn’t wait to be in a show again. Also, Sage Davis (a junior at the time) pressured me into it, and I was still scared of her, so I didn’t really have a choice. I’ve thanked her countless times since then.

What are your interests besides theatre?

MW: I’m really interested in psychology, and I also enjoy doing other art and music.

OS: I’m going to school for art education next year so I’d say art is a big interest of mine, but I’m also into music and a lot of other things.

DO: My interests other than theatre are literature and poetry.

SE: I am super humanities-oriented. I love literature, and my collection of books doesn’t even halfway fit into my bookshelves. I’m a total Harry Potter nerd – that’s what my IB extended essay is about! I also love music. I got a record player for my birthday, so for the past few months I’ve been fanatically collecting vinyls.

Do you participate in any other extracurriculars besides HTC?

MW: I’m in some of the vocal groups, Student Council, and the Freshman Mentor Program.

OS: I tried joining other things freshman year but I figured out pretty quickly that I didn’t have the time (or the time management skills) to be in multiple; so I when I had to pick one the obvious choice was HTC.

DO: I’m in Jared’s Box, NHS, Pitch Please, and I’m doing lights for Mr. Harriton.

SE: Theater pretty much takes up my entire life. For the past year and a half I’ve been Harriton’s head lighting designer and operator, and I work on shows for the Harriton Theater Company, concerts for the music department, Mr. Harriton, and any other productions that need stage lighting. Outside of Harriton, I’m a Cappies Critic – that means I go to productions put on by other high schools and submit reviews about their shows. I’ve been published in the Philadelphia Inquirer a couple times over the past few years.

What is your hope for the play/how it turns out/the message people leave with?

MW: I hope that the play conveys a really strong, effective message, and that some of our visions will translate to the audience.

OS: I hope it turns out well and that people like it. It’s a unique show so I think everyone will have a slightly different experience but if they enjoy it and find some meaning in it, then that’s great.

DO: My hope for my show would be that people leave with some sort of appreciation for how beautiful simple things can be.

SE: I want it to be real. There’s a lot of over-the-top comedy, but I still want people to be able to connect with my cast. I want people to laugh, and forget that they’re sitting in Harriton’s black box theater. I want it to seem like they’re part of a little slice of high-school theater life.

What do you think is going to be the most difficult part of directing?

MW: The most difficult part of directing will probably be making sure all of the logistical stuff is covered, and making sure everything will be ready on time for performance.

OS: The past the shows I’ve gotten to direct have always been short on rehearsal time with a lot of material to cover. I’m now in the opposite position where we’re still on a fairly short rehearsal schedule but my play is short, so I’m getting the new experience of having to make myself slow down and take advantage of the extra time I have.

DO: The most difficult part of directing for us is mostly that most of us have never done this before (and none of us ever have on our own). Transitioning from looking at a show as an actor or designer or even assistant director to as a director is very hard.

SE: So far, it’s been difficult to figure out how to best meet the needs of all my actors. What works for me as an actor doesn’t necessarily work for some members of my cast, and I have to find the right way to perfect the character and their movement.

Favorite moment in HTC from past 4 years (if you can think of just one)?

MW: I don’t think I could pick one moment as my favorite, but I loved when Dan Rapuano would blast music out of his car while everyone sat on the grass outside Harriton and eat our Wawa before call time. It was the best.

OS: I don’t know if I can pick one, I’ve really enjoyed all of it.

Cappies is always fun. My freshman year, we got to perform onstage when we were nominated for Superstar.  And winning a Cappie last year wasn’t so bad either.

DO: I don’t ever think I could pick just one moment.

SE: During the fall show of my junior year, “The Laramie Project,” I was having a really hard time. It was my first show as lighting designer, and I didn’t know nearly as much as I needed to, and I also had my first lead role. All of that on top of schoolwork very nearly wiped me out. After the second of two 9 hour rehearsals the weekend before the show, I was about a second away from bursting into tears, and all of a sudden the cast and crew sauntered onto the stage with a giant cake from Wawa, singing “Happy lighting to you!” And everything was better. Mr. Ginsberg and the cast had collected money while I was programming the show, and they bought a cake with “We Appreciate You, Sam” written on it. I was so touched. I still have a piece of that cake in the freezer. My mom thinks that’s gross, but it makes me smile.

Anything else you’d like to add?

SE: A huge part of “The Audition” is that high school theater is a haven for people who need it. It’s a home away from home. And unfortunately, that home is being taken away from high school students in lower-income areas across the country. My cast and I are currently researching theater programs in Philadelphia, and we’re going to try to raise some money at our shows with concessions, etc. that we’ll donate to an compromised inner-city arts program. So, come see our show. Do it for the kids.

Now that you know a little bit about the show and the directors, there is only one more step… Come see the HTC Winter One Act Festival! It takes place from February 19^th – 22^nd and is sure to be a blast!

Thursday 19^th – 7:00pm

Friday 20^th – 7:00pm

Saturday 21^st – 2:00pm and 7:00pm