Doing More With Less

Last weekend, at the Washington state's Thespian Festival, my students and I nervously waited for the judges' verdict.

We were representing the Meadowdale High School Drama Club at the statewide competition for high school theatre troupes, one of 37 individual and ensemble productions competing at Western Washington University in Bellingham.

We all wanted to win the cup for Best of the Fest. Immediately below that rung are those handfuls of productions rated "Superior" and "Excellent." Any of these three levels is an honor worth sweating for.

Moreover, the rules for the competition are quite the challenge: do more with less. Minimal set, no lights, no sound, no props (unless you must), no costumes, and no makeup.

Now, bear in mind, the work we were performing for the competition - Act II of "You Can't Take It With You"—features exploding fireworks for the climax. 

How do you create exploding fireworks without lights and sound? Without strobes going off or dimming and flaring lights? Without recorded booms, bangs and soaring Roman candles? Without so much as a snap, crackle or pop?

You do it with acting.

Needless to say, this news did not go down well with my students at Meadowdale High School's Drama Club. I'm sure you can imagine the howls of indignation.  How do you act without a set, for crying out loud?

(Full disclosure: We did have a minimalist set—11 chairs to represent a Manhattan home with all of its art deco furniture. The kids were not impressed.) 

In fact, my students might well have thought I was crazy.  Bear in mind, too, that the kids and I have known each other just three-and-a-half months.

Nevertheless, during those two weeks that we sweated our way through rehearsals, I was able to get across the vital point that superior visualization creates a poignant performance like little else in theatre. 

We don't have a dress for you to wear? Show us that dress by twirling in it across the stage.

We don't have a xylophone for you to play? Show us that xylophone through careful pantomime, not to mention ventriloquizing each of the notes struck.

We don't have light and sound cues exploding to show fireworks going off? Show the audience, not to mention the judges, the fireworks with your acting. Cover your ears and duck your heads to show us the panic.

In the end, the kids trusted me. They might have thought I had a screw loose, but they decided to go with my suggestions. 

And the competition's judges? They rewarded that trust. The post-performance feedback began with the remark of how impressive our visualization was, and went on from there.

We were rated "Excellent." Meadowdale High's Drama Club has been walking taller since.