By Malaikah Barker | March 16th, 2024
Welcome to a small introductory interview on The National Theatre School drama festival (NTS). The Woodlands Drama Club invites students to explore acting, writing, or directing plays in the event. No matter the experience level, everyone is encouraged to join. Look forward to the event in the second semester to make connections, learn new things, and express your creativity!
On the topic of learning new things, this interview features insight into the creative process of a participating student and promotional admin of The Woodlands Drama Club, Halyn Le! Halyn discusses their experiences writing a play, the challenges of writing, and what inspires their work.
The Woodstock (W): What play did you write? Tell me a little bit about it.
Halyn (H): I wrote a short play based on the 5 stages of grief.
W: What was the writing process?
H: It took a lot of thinking and overcoming my doubts and concerns about whether or not I could complete this play. It was hard to squeeze in time to finish a scene in between my rather hectic schedule. Especially when midterms started coming closer, it slowly dawned on me that I did not have as much freedom as before. But, I did eventually overcome it all and submitted it on time.
W: What do you think was the hardest part about writing your play?
H: The hardest part about writing would be the editing process. Rereading what I had written roughly a week ago and rewriting it from scratch took up a lot of my energy. I had to consistently remind myself that I was editing my play rather than rewriting it to conserve what little motivation and time remained.
W: What was the part you enjoyed the most?
H: I enjoyed brainstorming a bunch of ideas for the play! I had three ideas for the play if one did not end up working as well as I had thought. I was originally going to write a story about a boy who makes dolls that look identical to himself and pulls a bunch of pranks on everybody.
W: Did you have any inspiration? If so, what was it?
H: This script was based on a real-life experience that occurred this year when I lost one of the most important people in my life. Their last message was how much they loved my friends and me. I can’t help but think about her from time to time.
W: Why should students participate in NTS?
H: It’s a great way to step out of your comfort zone and try acting on stage! If that does not appeal to you, there are many ways to get involved with this event such as directing. NTS gives a great opportunity for students who have no experience with acting to learn what the process looks like alongside other people with the same goals. It’s meant to be a fun event for everybody involved.
W: How does a student join in NTS?
H: There are many different ways a student can join NTS: acting, writing, or directing. It depends on how they wish to take part in this event. All it takes is for the student to show up and be committed to the part that they choose to play.
W: Do you have any advice for students interested in NTS next year?
H: Don’t be afraid to take that step and try out something new! As I said before, you do not need any experience when it comes to acting or writing. It’s a great way to try something new and make new connections along the way! Stepping out of your comfort zone is going to be one of the best decisions you make.
This interview was edited for clarity. Readers can follow the Woodlands Drama Club on Instagram at @dramawoodlands to stay posted for future events.
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