Theatre - Student Profile - Amanda Diaz

Amanda Diaz
Sophomore, Theatre and Literature
Chicago, Ill.

What drew you to Hesston College?
I am from a big city, Chicago, but I really wanted the chance to see what it is like living in a small place. A place where you are not overwhelmed by the large amount of people until you fall behind in the shadows and for me Hesston seemed like that place. It seemed like a small-relaxed atmosphere and I liked that.

How challenging are the academics at Hesston?
The classes challenge you to think more not just about the process but how certain things will affect not just you and the people around you but also people in the future. It is also challenging in the amount of work you get depending on which classes but not so much that it is overwhelming and you have no time for anything else. The classes force you to think about things that normally many people just look over and disregard so in that way they are challenging.

What has been your favorite theatre production at Hesston?
I have only been here for two semesters now and it is difficult to choose because I have a favorite comedy and a favorite drama, but if I would choose one I would have to choose one I would choose Two Rooms. I think this production was able to touch so many people through its story. It brought so many questions and many emotions to the surface.

Which productions have you helped achieve? What were your responsibilities in each production?
Since I have been here I have helped with four productions. The first I was a crew member on the set of The Great American Cheese Sandwich, I helped to build the set and then I believe I did tickets for the show. My next show was Moon Over Buffalo; in this show I became the stage manager. I showed up for all rehearsals and I took down blocking notes for the actors and also sent e-mails concerning times for rehearsals. I also helped to build the set and on the nights of the shows I called lighting and sound cues. At the beginning of this year I was once again stage manager for the production of Two Rooms. The last production that I helped with was the Thanksgiving show called A Grand Night for Singing. In this I was once again a crew member and I helped to both build the set as well as take it down when we were finished.

What have you learned from working on the productions?
I have learned how difficult it is to be an actor or actress in productions. I have worked on productions in high school but I was always a crew member. I built sets and helped with running crew on the days of the productions but I never attended rehearsals like I must do as the stage manager. I see how much effort there is in turning out a great performance. Remembering where and how to stand, remembering how to keep your feelings in what you say, remembering lines. Then there is still learning how to move in costumes on your stage with objects and with many people looking on. Now seeing it I don't think that I would be able to do it. I have learned how much work is put into the director's job and how many people work so hard to help the production come together. I learned that there are so many ways that a work can be interpreted and it all depends on the director to bring the vision and help the actors to bring exactly what is wanted.

Tell me a little about Megan Tyner and Doug Peters--what is it like to work with them? What have you learned from them?
It has been amazing to work with both of these people. Megan is an amazing director and though she is the person with the vision and idea of the play, she listens to everyone's thoughts and ideas. She is extremely dedicated and also understanding. She realizes there are important parts to our lives as a student and tries to work around that but she is also firm in the idea that becoming part of the production means we make time and are committed to it. She lets everyone know that no one person is better than anyone else, that everyone in the production is important from the actors to the crew who are behind the scenes. It is not only about work with her, we have our times where sometimes we just talk and have fun just talking. I learned from her that it is important to be passionate about the things we do. She says that for a director in finding the right play you have to really love it because you will have to read it and watch it more than one hundred times. I think I really took this to heart when thinking about finding a career or job because when thinking about that job you have to do the same thing day to day more than one hundred times and if you really don't love what you are doing then there really is no sense in doing it because you will grow to hate it.
      Doug Peters is amazing. He comes up with all the ideas for the sets of the plays and then is in charge of making it come together. He is hard working and also very patient with the students who help to make the sets. I remember one time trying to build the set for Two Rooms and in order to make the stage that the actors where on we were making it a raked stage. So I can remember screwing two pieces of wood together about four times and he just kept encouraging me and my partner to try again. Another thing about Doug is that he has a great sense of humor so he also laughed at our work and our mess-ups again and again. Throughout Two Rooms it was a good thing to have Doug around because this play was extremely depressing and he brought out the humor in the play sometimes. He is innovative and very good at what he does. He taught me how to laugh more at the mistakes that sometimes happen by accident throughout life. He also taught me about the light boards and what buttons control what lights as well as a little about the soundboards.

What is your favorite course you have taken at Hesston? Why?
There are so many classes that I have loved to be in but my favorite so far has been my Literature in Contemporary Society or as our class called it L.i.C.S. with Andrea Krause. It was so fun to be in the class because we were able to read different genres with our class. We were able to read things we like and discussed it with our classmates to see what they thought of them. Another reason is just because I love to read, it is a great way to relax for me. Our final projects were the best part of the class because each of us was able to be creative and do whatever called to us as long as it in some way connected with the class. My friends and I were able to make a short film, a spoof on horror films and it was both challenging as well as fun.

What are some of your most memorable moments as a student at Hesston?
I think one of my most memorable moments happened one day, as I was on my way to my final this last semester. I couldn't get my CD player to work and so I began yelling at it out loud not thinking that someone might be outside as well as me. I said "I HATE YOU! Gosh why won’t you work?" At that point I looked up and realized there a guy I didn’t know was there was looking at me really strange. I just kept walking laughing all the way to my next class.
      Another memorable moment was in creating the horror movie for the L.i.C.S. class and this was me and another student dressed up as angels and went to Mt. Hesston and began arguing and yelling as loud as possible for the camera and then we ran at each other and rolled down the hill. Those moments were so fun especially watching them later on camera.

What are your plans for after Hesston?
I am not exactly sure what college I will be attending after Hesston. I think that I want to be at a school a little closer to home. I am thinking of applying at Goshen (Ind.) College and another college in Indiana called St. Mary of the Woods, which is an all girls college. I think that I would love to continue working with theatre even if it isn't for a career or job. I would even love to just volunteer with a company. Currently my major is Literature and my minor is Theatre. I aspire to be a Librarian but I want to keep up with theatre if possible because I love to be involved with it and it makes me happy.