Leaning into the faded upholstery of the cushioned sofa, sophomore Hayley Wenk sits with her duct-taped Converses propped up in front of her. She hums a number from Phantom of the Opera to herself, and occasionally lifts her head to contribute to the conversation regarding octave range which is occurring to her left. The theater room, nestled in the hallway leading to the auditorium, is practically Hayley’s second household. It was in this room, freshman year, that she first discovered her passion for playwriting. Already an avid reader and fiction writer during her middle school years, Hayley became increasingly intrigued last year by a writing style called “dialogue versus details,” which emphasizes plotlines written for stage over wordy descriptions.
Wenk now dedicates a large portion of her time to writing and being on the tech crew for school productions. She is currently in the midst of directing her own one-act play, which will be performed in January during the Langley One-Acts Festival. Typically, these scenes (ranging from slightly off-color comedy to emotionally draining drama), are directed by high school seniors. Wenk, a sophomore, is the only underclassman involved in the directing process.
Wenk’s play is a symbolic reinterpretation of Adam and Eve’s act of original sin in the Garden of Eden. The idea first came to her when she heard the quote, “You must have been absent the day God gave out brains.” Wenk then gathered characters from “little bits of people,” that capture the subtle but powerful mannerisms of human beings. Being an actress and undergoing auditions in the past has made Wenk a better director. During the audition process, she was able to identify what qualities she wanted in her actors. She also understands that acquiring the right performer is a long process.
“We stayed in the theater room until 7:15 the day of auditions and casting,” said Wenk.
[nggallery id=83]
Photos by Rosie Brock