Tales of the Tragedians
Story by Gunner Stuns | Design by Makayla Zayic | Photos by Dylan Hanson
Tales Of The Tragedians
You step into an auditorium and immediately, the buzzing of your fellow audience-members fills your ears. Each voice is rich with excitement towards the story you’re about to see play out before your very eyes. As you find your seat, the vessel between your world and theirs, the stage is silent. Right now, it looks utterly unremarkable, but in mere moments, that will all change.
The lights dim, signaling for the voices of your peers to hush as a single light takes center stage. Soon enough, a costumed-character steps out from behind the curtain, launching you into another place, another time, another reality. By the time all of the actors have taken their bow and the audience erupts into applause, you’ve lived a work of art.
But how did this come to be? To put on a stage production, student thespians have to create and embody an entirely new world, facing themselves and the eyes of dozens of total strangers at the same time.
In The Writer’s Room
Every production begins with an idea. A complete show is the work of several talented creatives, but to begin, it takes a person with a story they want to tell. One such writer is Second-Year Film major, Miles Baker. Baker’s latest work is the stage play “Dream Of The Butterfly,” which he wrote for CWU’s Winter Short Works Festival.
“Why did I choose to write?” recalls Baker, “I think it comes from a natural instinct to sort through a lot of confusion or stress that I have in my life, and especially as kind of an introverted person.
Baker goes on to state that writing and creating characters is an avenue he can use to express himself when otherwise, he feels it would be more difficult. Each of the scripts that he writes says something about how Baker perceives the world around him. The characters featured in his stories also sometimes behave in ways and face struggles that are more personal.
“All my characters are kind of a little part of me, I would say, and each of them represents some facet of my personality,” says Baker, “And maybe I'll exaggerate some of the aspects for dramatic purposes, but all of them definitely feel like a part of me.”
To create characters that represent parts of himself and face conflicts that may resonate with others takes a lot of courage in his opinion. Especially when considering that most of the audience attending a stage play will be total strangers to the writer.
“When you put your work out there, you are opening yourself up to the same judgment that you are allowing your work to be exposed to. And that can be pretty intimidating,” says Baker.
However, the Film major also clarifies that those risks are well worth it to see the end result in his opinion.
“I will say that there is a great reward in that risk. And a sense of greater understanding can come about from putting yourself out there like that, where a lot of people will have made a sort of vicarious connection with me through my characters,” Baker says.
Another writer with similar experiences to Baker is Caelyn White, a senior double-majoring in Theatre Studies and Professional Writing. White has written several plays, but her most recent work is “Circe & Nyx,” which debuted at CWU earlier in the Spring. She too feels that writing is what fulfills her, recalling that she began at an early age.
“I've just been writing since I was a little kid. And then I started doing theater when I was a Freshman in high school, and I was like, ‘wait a minute, I can put these together,’” says White, “I've just found it's the art that makes the most sense to me. It satisfies me the most to do it.”
Also like Baker, White feels that she writes characters with aspects of her own self. While she does try to make each of them very much distinct from herself, White says, “There's always something of me in all of them. It's like a sprinkling of salt on top of it.”
White acknowledges that the degree she relates to a story depends on its setting and subject matter, but that sharing her work is a very difficult thing no matter what she’s written, even after years of perfecting her craft.
“It makes it kind of hard to watch sometimes,” White says, “It's really hard every time it's opening night or the first time people aren't reading it. Because, I'm like, ‘oh, no, everyone's going to see this and think I'm weird and throw tomatoes at me.’”
But, despite that daunting feeling, White still loves to write for the theater. The joy of getting to share her work with others trumps that lingering self-doubt, and White believes this fact is what helps her improve as a writer.
“It can be scary, but it's always been really rewarding and helpful [to share my work]. So, you have to get over the hill every time,” she says.
Eye of The Director
A writer alone isn’t able to bring their story to life on stage. The job of the Director is to take the writer’s script and guide the production to fully realize their vision for how that story will play out for an audience. While she typically avoids it, White has also tried her hand at directing productions, having most recently directed Baker’s “Dream Of The Butterfly.” Even if it is different from writing, she’s found directing is another skill she enjoys honing.
“I love directing is what I learned this year,” says White, "You have to be so conscious, because as a director, you want to ask the actors character questions. When I was directing my own play, I was like, ‘I don’t want you to feel like I'm telling you how to think about this.’”
White acknowledges that as a Director, collaboration is really the name of the game. One of the aspects of directing a show she struggles with is how much of a hand she should have in making decisions, particularly where the performances of actors are concerned. White also laments that she sometimes wonders if her creative team is always forthcoming with feedback when it comes to her work.
“It's really easy to not want to tell me to change something. I'm always like, ‘how do you feel about this line?’ How do you feel because I want it to grow, but I understand that's so difficult,” White says, “we’re peers.”
Even with that concern in mind, White knows input from others is key to creating a well-rounded production. A certain degree of trust in the director is necessary for a show to proceed smoothly, especially where the writer is concerned, as the show is a vision of their script. White is also able to look at it from that side of things, so she makes an effort to work closely with the writer.
“I had a good time directing a play Miles wrote. Yeah, that was really fun because he was in the space, and he could offer feedback on what he thought, and we could just sort of work together on what things meant,” says White, “It's a whole different thing, directing. You're pushing the limitations of what you're given, and that's not a bad thing. Limitations are what helps us think of creative ways to do stuff.”
On the subject of working with a director as a writer, Miles Baker was also very positive. Having worked with White on “Dream Of The Butterfly,” Baker says, “yeah, it really is an extraordinary load off. And especially working with someone who's going to be very incisive, but also very attentive about the work you've already done, and is going to do it justice. It's a process about trust.”
Baker also recognizes that having someone else to worry about technical aspects of bringing the story to life is a weight off his shoulders.
“It's a great collaborative experience that, you know, that for me personally, was a great way to ease into the theatrical process,” says Baker, “It just allowed me to tell the best story I could tell.”
The Performer’s Perspective
Of course, what’s a stage production without performers? In order to embody the characters in a story, actors must overcome several hurdles, from the auditioning process to creating strategies for becoming someone else entirely. One actor with extensive experience in these subjects is Marcus Wolf, a fourth-year Theater Performance major. Wolf recalls that his was a humble beginning when it comes to his craft.
“I needed something to do other than play video games,” he says, “when I was starting young, my parents wanted me to have some hobbies. So, at one point, my twin sister was doing an audition for a community theater play that my older sister was a part of, and I just said, ‘what if I did it?’ and so I auditioned. I got into the show.”
Wolf has since come a long way from his community theater’s production of “A Christmas Story.” The actor has had roles in several productions over the years, but he notes that the process of auditioning is still a hurdle to jump every time.
“It is very, very scary. Well, it's scary if you make it scary. Which is very hard not to do,” says Wolf, “Because the thing is, an audition is basically a job interview. That's what it is. Because it's you providing your skills to the directors, the writers, the producers, you're providing your skill set.”
In spite of the nerves that can come with being vulnerable to a room of strangers, Wolf chooses to look at things more positively, even in regard to his fellow actors who might be competing for the same role.
Wolf says, “something you have to ask is, ‘do I view this as a competition?’ Or do I view it as ‘I'm just going to put in my best, and I'm going to show you who I am?’”
While he acknowledges that it took him some time to learn to view things this way, Wolf says he believes it helped him get over the nerves that come with auditioning for a show.
Another experienced actor is third-year Theater Studies major, Isaac Corpus. Corpus’ time as an actor began in the seventh grade, when one of his teachers encouraged him to audition for a show his school was putting on.
“When I auditioned, there was lots of praise after I did it and there was this naturalness to acting that I had,” recalls Corpus.
This natural call to acting followed Corpus throughout high school and into college. Having had a role in several productions, Corpus has his own viewpoints on the process of auditioning.
“It was harder as an introverted person, the thought of being said no to is very scary,” Corpus says, “and so when I first started auditioning, it actually was really terrifying and I would have stage fright a lot.”
But, he's come a long way since those early days. The fact that during an audition an actor is judged based on their appearance, voice and abilities is not lost on Corpus. Much like Wolf, the actor has a more positive way of viewing the process.
“If you don’t think about it, then it’s just another day where you’re basically performing. And that’s how I think about it, I’m performing,” says Corpus, “I have been told that I have a gift to perform and when you present an opportunity where I can showcase my talent to you, then I will do my best to show the best of what I can do.”
Still, the world of acting isn’t all for the veterans. One of the newer actors at Central is first-year Musical Theater major, Liv Satake. Satake’s time as an actor began in the second grade, when she performed in a children’s theater production, but her passion for acting didn’t begin until her freshman year of high school.
“When there were auditions for my high school’s production of “Chicago,” that was the first year I decided to not do volleyball. Before then, I had been doing volleyball for a while, and I was like ‘okay let’s jump into this and see what happens.’ And from that point I just kind of fell in love with it,” Satake says.
The actor goes on to say the COVID-19 pandemic did impact her opportunities to act shortly thereafter, but digital events such as Washington State’s Thespys, a regional acting festival, allowed Satake to continue to flesh out her craft. Satake also details some of the steps she takes to become a character.
“First I obviously look at the script and I get the details that the script is going to give me. Like if the script tells me, ‘your character has a brother,’ take those basics. But then as I start to dive into it, I ask what is my character doing for this story?” says Satake, “I feel like what can happen is it’s easy to get carried away and think that your character is the center of a story, but no. You are contributing to an overall story to be told.”
She also addresses how much of her performance is the invention of the director, versus what the two of them have come up with through working on production together.
“I think a performance is what the ensemble makes it and so as much as there’s the technical things of staging that a director does… it's the actor’s job on how they’re going to examine it” Satake says, “Are they going to see this object and have a realization because of it? Are they going to have a lot of questions about it? That’s kind of up to the actor.”
Some Assembly Required
The script is written, the set is under construction, actors have been selected, costumes are underway, and the director is at work overseeing all of it. Combining all of these things into a single narrative is easier said than done, and no one person can do it by themselves.
As a writer, this level of collaboration was new to Baker, but he still feels that the experience is an overall positive one.
“My work collaborating with all these other artists who have just been very supportive, I think has allowed me to overcome a lot of that fear,” Baker says.
The writer isn’t the only one who feels that the collaborative spirit helped him produce better work. Writer and director, White also feels that collaboration is necessary to finding “the heart of the story.” If it weren’t for the input of others, she feels she would have lost a lot of the creative solutions needed to bring her plays to life.
“There's so many people involved. We're like, how can we use sound to convey this? How can we use lights to convey this? What prompts can we use? So I think there's a lot of working together,” says White.
Wolf also has thoughts on how the collaborative environment impacts his abilities as an actor. When asked to reflect on his experience working with directors, Wolf notes that it’s always a collaboration between them.
“You have the script, and you and the director are working together to see what this character needs and looks and feels,” Wolf says.
This sentiment is echoed by Corpus, who says that working with so many other artists increases his own passion for a project.
“I try to get super close and in touch with the directors and the writers for each show that I’m in just because it gives me perspective on how they care about the story and what their vision is,” says Corpus, “Just knowing how they work and interact with the rest of the cast helps me build my character, and I develop a lot more passion for the project.”
Satake agrees. The actor says that one of her favorite aspects of a show is getting to have discussions with others about the direction of the story, which she feels is paramount to her own creativity within her performance.
“It also just allows more freedom to, like I said, offer more ideas and bring these ideas to life. Because, you know, the director isn’t the only one who has the final say, and so I think that we all have a lot to offer. And opening up an environment to be more collaborative is so important in creating a full, unique story,” Satake says, “Because we all have something to bring to the table, and when you open that up, it creates so much creativity in the space and that’s incredible.”
A Lifelong Calling
The hard work and creativity of these student thespians transcends any production they may be currently working on. Though “Dream Of The Butterfly” premiered months ago, in reflecting on his experience working with theater arts, Baker expresses he believes it has made him a stronger writer.
“That, to me, makes it feel like the best distilling of all of my human experience. I'll think of it even now, and just imagine all of the performances we did as pure and elegant as poetry” Baker says.
The Film major also believes that working with his fellow thespians will continue to influence the way he writes, even in regard to screenplays.
“It has made me think, how can I be more flexible as a writer? How can I make decisions that, while not necessarily being what I originally thought was the best way to communicate an idea, might be a better way to help people be immersed in the story? To understand the story to relate to the characters?, which are all kind of essential things, I think, for an audience member to appropriately consume a piece of art,” says Baker.
Caelyn White feels similarly, though she plans to work much more directly with theater, even after graduation. To her, the experience of the collaborative community built by working on productions is unmatched, and has become as much part of her craft as the written word.
“It's just so satisfying, and it feels like a community being formed. I've made all my friends through theater, for the most part. Because it's just like you're really in it and everyone's so dedicated to the same end goal thing. I'll probably be doing something else for some time, but theater’s got me. It’s got me bad,” White says.
Even if she finds herself doing something else from time to time, her future is with the theater according to White.
The actors are less sure what tomorrow holds for them, but each is excited by the idea of what’s still to come, and made it known that theater has been an extremely formative part of their acting art.
Isaac Corpus plans to stick with theater for a while. The actor says that it’s reawakened his passion for the craft, and that he feels fulfilled by the work he’s been able to do with the medium.
“It's a calling. I had a three year hiatus when Covid hit, and as soon as I booked a role in Short Works, it brought back my joy for theater, but mostly my joy for acting and it’s like, oh I could do this for a very long time,” says Corpus.
Corpus also has a word of advice for younger actors who might be trying to get involved, which he wishes he had considered when he was starting out.
“My advice would be to just practice what you’re comfortable portraying and really hone in on that type of role, because eventually you’ll be the master of that type of thing,” Corpus says, “so that then you collaborate on other projects, you’ll be able to act a different way from other people and learn from other people and gain skills that way.”
Wolf also has advice for upcoming actors looking to perfect their craft.
“Sometimes if you fail, learn to make that like a little mini celebration. Because you found something that, you know, if you're in the rehearsal space, you try it out, you find you found out it didn't work, that's great. Now, you know, don't go down that avenue, try something new out” says Wolf.
While he learned this lesson from theater in regards to acting, Wolf also believes that this piece of advice can be applied to all aspects of everyday life. Wolf also finds great success with CWU’s improv group, the Hot New Jam.
“A lot of people have enjoyed seeing our shows and we want to get the word out there to come see our shows. We like to think we’re funny! We’d love for you to come on over and see if we are,” Wolfe says, “and we’re a family too. That’s one thing I’ve learned about art, it’s just a big family. And I personally love it so much”.
To Marcus Wolf, anyone looking to be involved with the performing arts can find a place there, and creating that environment is one of its most important aspects according to the actor.
Liv Satake expresses how she feels that theater has given her plenty of opportunities to explore her abilities at a more personal level.
“It’s just given me a lot of opportunity to explore myself and my own abilities and who I am as a person,” Satake says, “It’s not just the opportunity to come here and be part of the productions, it’s also the opportunity to look at myself and how I function and figure out how I fit into everything”.
The actor also feels that the theater program at CWU is very special. Any creative that glosses over it is missing out on an opportunity to be part of something that will influence the way they express their art.
“I think we are very ahead of our time as far as theater practices go, especially with consent and boundaries within our practice, that is so important and it has been very well utilized here, and we just create such a beautiful community that I encourage others to be a part of,” says Satake, “Because it is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and I could go on forever about the beautiful culture we’ve created at the Central Theater department.”
Regardless of what the future may hold for them, the theater experience has impacted each of these creatives in key ways that will continue to influence them. Even with each of them being different people with completely different backgrounds, the one thing they all have in common is the belief that theater gives future artists a place to grow and belong.