KIDSTAGE
Village Theatre KIDSTAGE Summer Independent Program
A behind the scenes look from KIDSTAGE Director, Brayden James about their experience Directing Head Over Heels at Village Theatre KIDSTAGE in Everett.
What is your name, and your role in the show?
My name is Brayden James (they/them), and I was the Director for Village Theatre KIDSTAGE’s Summer Independent production of Head Over Heels in Everett.
Why did you apply to be a director with KIDSTAGE Summer Independent?
A big reason I applied to direct was that I wanted more experience. Directing is something that I want to do professionally, and the KIDSTAGE Summer Independent Program gave me an avenue to get some amazing hands-on experience producing a show from the ground up! In addition, I wanted to create space within the KIDSTAGE program for Queer and BIPOC youth to both thrive in the production/design process and showcase their excellence onstage. I also wanted to share with audiences the beautiful history of drag, ballroom, and queerness in all of their forms! The Head Over Heels cast and crew was made up of predominantly LGBTQ+ and POC students, which I was very intentional about when hiring members of my production team and casting the show.
What was your favorite thing about directing for KIDSTAGE Summer Independent?
My favorite part of the process was working with my OUTSTANDING production team and cast. Big shout outs to all of my designers, my direction and management teams, and my cast. We had limited resources to work with, combined with several production hurdles we had to overcome and we still made some MAGIC baby! And that is what doing drag is all about.
If a student is interested in submitting a proposal for KIDSTAGE Summer Independent, what advice would you give them? What advice would you give them if they were selected for the program?
- Know. Your. Show. Research the history of its run, characters, even the actors performing in the show. Read the script (obviously) and make sure that it’s a story you want to be telling.
- Have a clear vision. This goes hand in hand with the last one! Once you know the show, decide what you want to do with it. It sounds obvious, I know, but I’m serious! Decide early on what moments you want to happen/what references you want to make. As an example, for Head Over Heels I knew that I wanted the story set in a non-descript drag bar between the years 1985-1990 and that I wanted to showcase drag and ballroom.
- Know your timeline. I had a 5 week rehearsal process for Head Over Heels, which (for a show of this size) is exactly just enough time. Make sure you can actually get all of the work you need to get done…well…done! My direction team and I pre-made an entire rehearsal calendar with what we wanted to do on what days of the week about a month and a half before our first rehearsal. Making a rough rehearsal calendar and revising it as you move along will absolutely save you several headaches.
- Know your resources. We had limited resources provided to us for Head Over Heels and we had to get creative when building elements for the show. We thrifted a LOT and tore up old clothes and resewed them. We used scrap wood from local warehouses and old set pieces. Things of that nature! Whatever budget/space onstage/time you think you’re going to have, always be prepared to work with less.
- This is a Summer Independent, emphasis on Independent. All of the work done in the workshops, in the rehearsal rooms, on the stage, is entirely done by the team that you hire/cast as the Director. Make sure that you feel good about the people working for you and supported by them!