Before I started grad school, I had only dipped my toes into directing new work a few times and never as anything more than a reading or private workshop. In my nearly two years at The New School, I’ve devised two pieces of new theatre and directed workshops and full productions of three new plays. This next piece has been particularly challenging, but a real joy to bring to life. My very brilliant, kind, and big-hearted classmate Collin has used a fictional apocalypse to explore the loneliness of immigration, the challenges and joys of coming out, and ultimately how much better we are as a people when we come together instead of drifting apart.
This is the first time I’ve directed a play where I have to create a raft, a basement, an elevator shaft, a board room, and a little dingy floating in the middle of flooded Bushwick. It’s the first time I’ve directed a play where one character speaks almost entirely in Korean. This is also the first time where I’ve actually felt like I’ve found my sea legs when it comes to approaching a play that is just taking its first steps. I have felt my notes getting sharper, my problem solving skills getting faster, and it’s showing up in rewrites and performances. I’m excited to share this one. It’s going to be stunning.