Sarah Haber is a sophomore at Emerson College. She is a BFA Theater major with a concentration in Directing and Arts Management. It is safe to say that Sarah took Emerson by storm the second she got to campus her freshman year. Within one year, Sarah became heavily involved in several student theater groups on campus, particularly Kidding Around and Musical Theater Society. Although such drive and determination is a common characteristic among Emerson students, Sarah’s passion is one for the books. When thinking about Sarah’s motivation when it comes to theater, one cannot help but be in complete awe of all her hard work. Sarah’s experience in the theater is, without a doubt, essential to read about and learn from.
Her Campus at Emerson: What theater experience did you have during high school?
Sarah Haber: I was in the ensemble of Hello, Dolly during my freshman year of high school, when I realized performing was in fact not in the cards for me in terms of pursuing a very much desired acting degree. Fall of my sophomore year I assistant directed our fall production of The Laramie Project and completely fell in love with the production side of theatre. Throughout high school I assistant directed Seussical: The Musical, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Guys and Dolls. Fall of my senior year, I fully cast and directed a production of Little Shop of Horrors, and ended high school co-directing West Side Story. I began working at a local children’s theatre as well, and assisting in a playwriting, acting and improvisation program for kids ages 7-13. Theatre in high school one hundred percent changed my life and opened me up to new opportunities, a chance to make mistakes and learn from them and improve myself as an individual and as an artist.
HCE: What experiences have you had within Emerson theater?
SH: During my freshman year at Emerson I assistant directed four student theatre productions (Legally Blonde, Godspell, American Idiot, and the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). I joined the advisory board for Kidding Around in October of 2015, became secretary in the spring of 2016, and I currently serve as Production Director on the Executive Board. I was the Associate Producer of The Little Prince for KA last spring, and I am the Executive Producer of The Hobbit, opening at the Boston Public Library on October 22nd and 23rd. In addition, I currently serve as secretary on the board of Musical Theatre Society, and I am the Associate Producer on Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party, opening November 1st and 2nd in the Semel. I’ve always wanted to gain some experience on the film/television side of directing, and am fortunate enough to get the opportunity to direct the first ever Emerson teleplay, produced by Emerson Independent Video. This will be filmed live in mid-November and I couldn’t be more excited to working with the VMA department and collaborating with other artists outside of my major.
HCE: How did you know you wanted to work in the theater?
SH: I get this question all the time! It’s funny because my answer really does change every so often. I grew up in Westchester County, about a thirty-minute drive outside New York City, and my favorite thing to do was get in the car with my parents and see shows in the city. I was such a theatre kid growing up and hung up autographed playbills and ticket stubs all over my room. From an early age, I took a weird notice during shows of not only the “spectacle” of theatre, but why the lighting changed at certain times to a different color, the movement of actors to different parts of the stage and how it affected line delivery, if there was a foreshadow behind set design, the casting of shows and how a billboard or media campaign could solely determine the success of a production. The first show I ever directed was The Laramie Project fall of sophomore year, and I distinctly remember standing in our sound booth as the lights dimmed, and that was such a moment of anticipation where absolutely anything could happen. I loved being part of the collaboration that makes theatre successful and having the ability to change the lives of someone who sees your work.
HCE: What was it like growing up with career aspirations in the theater? Was your family supportive?
SH: Any arts related field can be a risky and unpredictable career choice, and I feel like understanding that when I got to college definitely helped put everything into perspective. One of my favorite quotes is, “Don’t live life waiting for the storm to pass. Learn to dance in the rain.” I feel like if you don’t reach for what you want to be, if you never put yourself out there, you’ll never know what you can do or what you’re capable of. It was easy to look at professional theatre directors, casting directors, producers, etc. and think, “I’ll never be as talented as this person” or “I could never do that”. I think aspiring to have a career in theatre from an early age sets you up to counter all of those comments, and at some point you stop worrying about comparing yourself to others and you tell yourself not that I “can” do this or “maybe” but that you WILL. My family was a huge supporter of me growing up and continues to be a constant source of love and encouragement for what I want to do, and I’m so grateful to have them every step of the way.
HCE: What has been the most outstanding production you’ve been a part of?
SH: Hm, outstanding is such a strong word because every show that I’ve been a part of has taught me something different and changed my perspective on a variety of things. The most meaningful memory of any production for me has been working at a community children’s theatre back home, and working with kids to write their own show. As an artist, and as a director, putting on a production is so much more than telling people where to move on stage. You create theatre to inspire, influence and question the world around you. Standing with a group of children and seeing the lightbulb go off in their head, seeing them understand not only what they are doing, but more importantly the significance of “why.” This was the most outstanding and most meaningful production—to see the success of others and to know that you are making a difference in the lives of the future theatre generation.
HCE: What is your favorite piece of theater, and how does it inspire you?
SH: I am so guilty of being a musical theatre lover at heart. There is nothing in the world that gets my heart racing more, than the overture of a show. I had a lot of musicals that were close to my heart growing up, but my favorite musical of all time is Next to Normal. As much as I love and appreciate the big time shows like Wicked, The Lion King, etc., Next to Normal was the first show I ever saw that was a raw, broken down piece of theatre. It has a very minimal set, small cast and jeans and sweaters as character costumes. Next to Normal, aside from being an extraordinary piece of theatre about mental illness and the toll it can take on a family, was the moment I realized that you can create art without it being a spectacle. I remember sitting in the audience and hearing people cry at some parts, laugh at others, and seeing them resonate with the characters onstage. I sat there and thought, “I want to create this experience for people.” This inspired me, still to this day, to construct a piece of theatre that resonates with an audience, and takes them back to that relationship, that time in their life where they felt exactly like a character in the show. I hope one day I have the opportunity to direct a production of Next to Normal, and create my own production of the very show that changed my life.
HCE: What is your dream show to be a part of?
SH: Ah, such a tough question because I’d love to be a part of so many shows in the future. I’d love to direct national tours of musicals, because I love to travel and I enjoy seeing how theatre differs across the country. But I would also just love to direct or cast a new musical, and to create a vision for a show that has never been done before.
HCE: Favorite actor you’ve seen on Broadway?
SH: Oh my god! Okay my top three actresses are Alice Ripley, Montego Glover and Jessie Mueller. Top three male actors are Norbert Leo Butz, Christian Borle and John Gallagher Jr.
HCE: What advice would you give to high school seniors thinking about pursuing theater in college?
SH: Don’t EVER doubt yourself. If you are passionate about your area of theatre, whether that be scenic design, acting, directing, producing, etc. and you genuinely love what you do, you ultimately will be successful in this crazy business. Also, to expect the unexpected. Don’t close yourself off to something because you think it’s not the right area for you. You never know what you might fall in love with in terms of your career. Networking, I think is the most valuable piece of advice that I would give to anyone looking to do theatre professionally. It is NEVER to early to build connections and talk to anyone who could be useful to you! Building connections, collaborating and selling yourself is the most important part of any business, especially theatre. Networking with professionals in your business, whether it’s applying for a job/internship, or just meeting someone for a cup of coffee, can build your career. In addition, the very people you are in class with, can be the next Lin Manuel Miranda, the creator of the newest technology, a future Emmy winner, etc., so talk to your classmates and stay in contact with EVERYONE! High school is such a crazy time, so I would also say to pick not the “best” college, but the right fit for you. You’re about to enter the most crucial four years of your life, and it’s important to pick a school where you think you can thrive the most.