Those pursuing a theatre minor here at Moravian need to complete a project that can be tailored to your interested area of study. I wanted to direct a full-fledged production, but I couldn’t really find a play that spoke to me. Then, I asked: “What if I just wrote the play I wanted to see with a message I wanted to share?”
What was challenging about my project is not only did I write a play, I also brought it to life and directed it as a production for the Moravian University Theatre Company. In a comical sense, I had never taken a script writing or directing course and only had a brief stint in directing last semester’s production of Sure Thing by David Ives. In hindsight, writing and directing a full play with no formal training sounds like a terrible idea.
Chameleon is a story that came into existence from a collection of thoughts, real scenarios, and passion from me and others. I cannot pinpoint the exact start, but I do recall many elements that went into this. For starters, my favorite movie, The Truman Show, blew my mind as a kid, as Truman’s whole life is televised, and the world watches as he tries to break the illusion. Then, Dr. Christopher Jones told me about a play called Who Am I This Time by Kurt Vonnegut, which I liked for its concept of people thinking the actor is actually the character on stage. When my Dad put on Dancing Nancies by Dave Matthews Band, I resonated with the words of: “could I have been anyone other than me?” Between that and my love for how Seinfeld draws from daily life, I realized I had plenty of material just from observing my own life in my everyday scenarios. They do say “write what you know,” after all.
I only had a rough outline of what I wanted, but I needed more refinement. I had a workshop event with the theatre company last semester where we did a read-through and ran some improv prompts based on scene ideas, and the members offered thoughts and feedback. The creativity in this room was suffocating! Everyone had such brilliant ideas and helped me expand my concepts and figure out what I was trying to say in my head.
When it came time to start directing the show, we assembled a team of 20 cast and crew members, a record high in my time at Moravian. Since the script was mine and not from a publishing company, we had the freedom to revise it during rehearsals. It was definitely a unique experience for many of the actors to be able to adapt while acting, almost like working on real debut performances.
Directing was not only helping the actors bring their best on stage, but also in their lives by leading them in creative thinking, adaptability, and ways of thinking about human connection. To achieve this, we created a space where people could be honest, vulnerable, and even bizarre at times. I learned that directing meant being the person everyone turned to for answers. Every detail had a question attached, and I had to figure out how to answer (often on the spot). It was all worth it to see the amazing crowds come out, the smiles, and the thought-provoking discussions I had with those who came to see it.
I highly encourage you to support and join theater at Moravian. Myself and many other students have been taking creative endeavors here. Most recently, Josiah Dalpezzo ‘25 wrote Time Stuck, which performed in February, and many of our members wrote their own monologues in our Monologues of Hope performance last semester. Rumor has it that there’ll even be another student-written show next semester.
Before wrapping up, I’d like to give out a few thank yous. First and foremost, a major thank you to Professor Christopher Shorr for being my advisor and helping me every step of the way, even when things looked bleak, you never said stop. Your guidance helped push this show to become a reality. I of course want to thank the cast and crew for being a part of this production. Thanks again to the friendly folks at The Comenian, always a pleasure working with you, make sure to read their other articles. Finally, thank YOU, the reader. I highly encourage you to find what you are passionate about and find a medium to express yourself creatively. It is a satisfying payoff to see your ideas come to life, and I hope you can also find the same joy I had in writing a play.
