When I started this project back in September of 2019, my goal was to direct a musical to provide students with – not just the experience of doing a musical – but the joy, family, and excitable energy that comes along with doing a show of this size. I never knew back then that in March of 2021 this message would be even more necessary.
My friends and I started this journey by asking our professor, Jessica Thonen, how we can accomplish this. She told us this can only happen if we did our homework and came prepared to pitch our show to the faculty. I wanted to appear as professional as possible, so I spent hours researching and planning the perfect pitch to the theatre faculty, And to our surprise, we had the mainstage. This experience has been an extreme rollercoaster of emotions and gratitude. The content of this show provides a fun and extravagant way to explore campy characters with a beautiful score. My vision statement for Heathers is a hot summer day on a playground with broken glass.
To anyone who wants to direct a musical, do not take this challenge lightly. Be prepared for sleepless nights, getting behind on work, constant stress, and the possibility of heartbreak, but know that this project comes with so much joy and lifelong friendships; I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. I’ve deeply loved this project. Being a director is both a challenge and a huge accomplishment that I could have never done without the support of my family and friends. I would like to thank the theatre faculty for their support. I’m so grateful they took a chance on me and believed in this project. I would also like to thank my amazing friends who’ve helped create this show with me and my talented cast for their hard work and dedication every single night. And finally, thank you to my parents for supporting me in this endeavor.
I hope you have big fun and enjoy this beautiful show.
–Hannah Hockman
