Director's Notes
Hanna Freitas - Director of Utopia
When Joshua first brought the concept of Utopia to me, well over half a year ago now, we knew that we wanted to create something that was a wonderful blend of the campy vibrance of the 80s media aesthetic while still diving into aspects of the world we continue to see around us. As this concept continued to develop from those early stages, with the writing process evolving, the assembling of the creative team, and the work done in rehearsal, the show came alive far beyond anything we could have conceived way back when it was a scribble in a notebook. With its mix of upbeat sitcom aesthetics in a sci-fi horror setting, Utopia is an invitation to consider how we continue to behave as human beings, despite the evolution of the world around us.
The introduction of new technologies radically changes our interactions with the world and each other. The past century has seen technological advancements at an unprecedented rate; the birth of the online world, the development of AI, and the rise of social media and digital communication—these new inventions have changed how we discover our place in our lives. Yet, human beings continue to find themselves in the same conflicts, only now having more access to tools that can bring them to self-actualization or self-destruction. This is a story set inside a simulation with promises to fulfil the characters’ every desire, but the heart of it lies in the questions we ask ourselves every day—who am I, and what is the life I choose to lead?
Jasmine Rajaballey - Director of The Waiting Room
The Waiting Room by Roza Tasneem is an absurdist script, with the action on stage representing students’ first shots at the genre from all angles. Absurdism as we know it in this day and location, often, in broad terms, rejects realism and explores the idea of life having no meaning, and using humour to cope. So… what’s the point? Why are you here? Why did I spend December through March devoting my life to directing these wonderful humans into the piece you’re about to witness? Well, the thing about humans is that we have a knack for assigning meaning, regardless of if something is objectively meaningful. A light becomes the coming and going of a character, a half circle becomes a fourth wall, a creak becomes a door. The concern is for time and not money, therefore they’re in a particular country. The setting is political because theatre is political. Genderblind casting is a statement about gender because the audience sees certain body types differently than I do. A beautiful thing about absurdism is that the nonsensical makes us question. Different people give different importance to different topics, and the biggest compliment I can get from you is your discussions about this piece on your own time.
Our trio, Dylan, Aamir, and Tee’s evening in The Waiting Room does NOT go as planned. Nothing makes sense, an omnipresent seeming Nurse is looming over them, and they’ve lost their studying time. Tensions ignite as what they truly value keeps coming into question, in this cartoon-like realm we’ve jumped into.
Kye Stevenson Hatayama - Director of Hell Weeks
I wrote Hell Weeks last summer as an outlet for my thoughts about my university experience: from seeing and feeling the stress from managing their academic, personal and social lives, the frustrations over questionable institutional investments, to failures of campus safety. I found that using demonic representation was the best way for me to explore these issues.
Originally a screenplay, I’ve had the opportunity to adapt Hell Weeks into a mixed media stage production for UpStart25. It has been a fulfilling process working with both students and professionals, understanding the necessary skillsets and thinking processes needed to put on a show. Seeing all the contributions that fellow students have made to what were originally bedroom ramblings of a a student into a story that fills a stage has been extremely exciting.
I am thankful for everybody who has contributed and trusted in this story, and I am honored that Hell Weeks has been able to highlight the many talented students that have put so much care into the UpStart25 Festival.