Julia Santha is a first-year in the College and a talented theatre director hailing from New York City. She jumped in to the UChicago theatre scene immediately upon her arrival, and has already assistant directed a main stage production of This is Our Youth. Long nights spent in rehearsal have been a defining and exciting aspect of Julia’s college experience, and she is currently directing a forty-minute scene from a play called Boston Marriage and designing a set for a production of Henry VI. Below, Julia tells us about her theatre experiences and the opportunities that await her as a director.
What got you started in theatre?
I started doing theater in eighth grade as the youngest member on the lighting and sound crew. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was a lackey; I had no creative control whatsoever, but it didn’t bother me. I learned the mechanics and the intense dedication and concentration it takes to be part of the apparatus of a production.
I stayed on the tech crew and eventually became its head after two years. Then, I finally gathered the courage to actually audition for a show and acted in two lead roles. By my junior year in high school, I had been involved with every aspect of the production process, and thinking about how the elements fit together was exhilarating.
So, I decided to try directing—to try being the mind who fits it all together. In my senior year, I directed a full, 26-person production of The Drowsy Chaperone. It had a full orchestra, 50-person crew, and $2,500 budget. In fact, one of the musical’s writers came to see it and loved it. Directing the musical was the most difficult but most exciting thing I’ve ever done. I started the process thinking it would just be one of those things I did for fun in high school, but it became something much more. It’s what I want to do with my life now.
What drew you to play directing over other aspects of theater?
I’m drawn to directing because as a director you have to relate to a text on a really intense, raw, visceral level. Then, you have to translate that into a vision, a perspective, questions and answers. You have to know why it is absolutely imperative for you to produce this particular show. You have to find designers, and tailor your vision to each person involved based on their background and strengths. In rehearsal, you have to cast carefully and create an environment in which your actors can give the show and their characters of a life of its own, but all in a coherent way that supports your original vision.
Directing requires intense people-skills and imagination. It’s really stressful, but you get to tell a story and nothing beats that. I watch my actors very closely, ask a lot of questions to get them to inhabit their characters and encourage them to try anything and to not be afraid. The part I enjoy most about directing is when all that maneuvering results in true communication. When someone gets exactly what you mean and builds on it and transforms it—that’s absolutely breathtaking. It’s really like nothing else.
Are there any parts of theater you see yourself exploring in the future?
I’d be interested in set and lighting design. Maybe acting too. Every part of theater takes a different kind of courage and patience.