Kat Farrell

To me, a director in theatre is the audience’s representative in the rehearsal process. This, in a basic sense, is my directorial purpose: to represent the needs and experiences of the outside world and to lead the charge in putting those voices on stage. I prefer a more active phrase, though, when I am asked why I want to direct- I would like to live in a world where artists are first responders. When disasters, natural or otherwise, arise, I want it to become normal to see artists flood the area along with emergency responders. Art, and especially theatre, is so helpful to humanity. Whether it is there simply for a smile, like when Friends was renewed after 9/11, or to put an oppressed voice on stage, like in The Brothers Size by Tarell Alvin McCraney or Anna Deveare Smith’s new Notes from the Field, or to actively educate, as with Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed techniques, I think theatre is a vital part of human continued existence. In the words of Anna Deavere Smith, “Art convenes. It is not just inspirational. It is aspirational. It pricks the walls of our compartmentalized minds, opens our hearts and makes us brave.” Art should be an indispensable part of human recovery. I believe that as a director, I can help make that a reality.

It used to be when I was asked why I wanted to direct that I would respond, “Well, it combines everything that I like! Literature, history, performance, the challenge of making something one dimension into something multidimensional.” All of that is still true. However, my exposure to art and sociology has expanded my desire to direct from simply personal enjoyment to a burden to help those in need. We need directors in the world who are paying attention to oppression-what is being hidden, what is uncomfortable, what needs to change- and we need those directors to put on theatre that addresses it. We need their voices, representing the public at large, in rehearsal. That is what I want to do with my life and that is why I want to be a director.