‘I Just Winged It’: How Abigail Harper Landed Her First Big Directing Role
Interviewed by Ana Sunjka
Ana: Why don't you start off by telling us a little about yourself?
Abigail: I’m Abigail Harper, I'm a second year student, studying English and film studies. I'm an actor and wannabe theater director.
Ana: Directing Jekyll And Hyde as a freshman is quite an accomplishment. How did you come to be selected for such a pivotal role, and what did that moment mean for you at the start of your university journey?
Abigail: I haven't been involved in theater in the first semester of first year, I was quite overwhelmed just by being a fresher. So, I stayed away from it because it was quite intimidating, especially in St Andrews. Then before second semester, during the holidays, I saw a pop-up on the musical theater instagram saying they needed a director for the semester 2 musical, which is not how it usually works. Usually there is a proposal, but that initial team dropped out so they needed to form a new team, new director, producer etc. So, I was like why not? Though it was a good way to meet people, I was a first year student, so I didn't think I would even get the job. I did an interview with the MusT (University of St Andrews’ Musical Theatre Society) committee over the holidays, they gave me a song to see how I would direct it, and then I just got put on a whatsapp group with everyone and that was it. I met them at the beginning of semester 2 and ended up spending every day with them.
Ana: How rare was it as a first year to get chosen for the director role?
Abigail: Everyone was shocked to find out I was a first year student. I don't know how rare it is to actually get it, but everyone thought I was older. They found out gradually as we were preparing the show, it was funny.
Ana: Balancing the artistic vision with the practical demands of directing is no small feat, especially for your first project. Were there moments during rehearsals where you felt out of your depth, and how did you push through to make it work?
Abigail: Omg yes. It was always a bit tricky, especially because I didn't know the venue, never been to the Byre theater before. So I had my friend, an artist, draw out a bunch of stuff. She's a student at Dundee, a long-time friend so I trusted her a lot to bring my ideas to life. I feel like getting stuff out on the paper is always better for people to actually see my vision, and it definitely helped.
I was so overwhelmed, from being a first year to all of the sudden having all these people, producer, musical director, choreographer, orchestral director, the whole cast, everybody and they were all like ‘Abi what are we doing?’. And I was like ‘Shit, I don’t know?’. It was very much a professional environment. Thankfully, I had really great help from the committee, some of them were on the production team as well, such as our lighting designer and sound designer which really helped. They supported me on what they have done in the past and what to change. My musical and orchestra directors also have never done anything like it before, which helped cause we were all on the same page. We all were just improvising it together.
Ana: Moving on to the themes of Jekyll And Hyde—identity, duality, and transformation. How did you approach bringing those ideas to life on stage, and were there any specific interpretations that were particularly important to you?
Abigail: Being an English student I focus on thematic concerns. If I was stuck on how I wanted to stage any part of it I would listen to the songs and go back to the thematic concerns and see how I could create an image out of it. I would listen to the tracks over and over till my ears bleed, really to picture what they're saying. The star of the show was the music though. Who really helped me was my choreographer Elena Kalenti. She helped me capture those images and also my lighting designer Shona M’gadzah. The pictures you will see were all thanks to her lighting, she really was the last piece of the puzzle that made the show as it was. She captured the themes using Certain lighting, separating the lighting, representing certain duality, and stuff like that. I worked with our main actor who played Jekyll/Hyde for transformation, he did an amazing job with that playing two characters. He had never really acted before, but was a musician prior and just did an incredible job with portraying both sides.
“I never thought I’d be a director, but looking back, I realize I’ve always been one, I just didn’t know it.”
Ana: Now that you’ve moved into acting, how do you find switching roles? Do you feel like being a director has given you new insight into character work, or do you approach acting from a completely different perspective?
Abigail: It is kind of the opposite for me. Acting is my first love. It will probably be for the rest of my life. I started acting first, from a young age and I didn't really think about directing as an option at all. Even when I was in improv or acting classes when I was a teenager, I was such a control freak. I remember, making sure everyone was doing the right thing and that it looked good. And then I realized ‘omg that is what a director does?’. I practically always acted like one, I just didn't notice it. So, getting to do this directing experience, especially from an actor perspective, it was very interesting. It is a lot easier to talk to actors having been in their shoes, easier to translate and talk about techniques. In this musical most of the actors were musicians first, trained singers before actors, so it was really interesting teaching them and seeing how they progress. Being an actor again now is so nice, going back to my roots is always so good, such a second nature to me. And it is also nice working under a new director, seeing a different perspective and learning from them. I hope to take in what she’s doing and implement it in my future productions as well.
Ana: Being a freshman director must have come with certain expectations or even skepticism from others. How did you earn the respect and trust of your cast and crew, and was there a moment when you realized they truly saw you as their leader?
Abigail: Like I said, my producer and musical director were going into it blind just like myself. I remember going to a pub with some of the team and them saying how good I was in my interview, and that I shouldn't be scared, that I deserved to be there just like anyone else. It was really reassuring hearing it from the older peers. MusT has an amazing tradition where each person on the cast gets an envelope with their name on it. Each person can then get a sticky note to write something for that person, something nice and some words of affirmation, or funny stuff and then at the cast party we get to open it. Just hearing everything from the cast, most of them older than me, was really reassuring. We were all in tears just hearing ‘Hey you did a good job’.
Ana: How long does it take to direct a musical?
Abigail: I started working on it during the Christmas holidays, auditions were in January and then the show was at the end of March. So, around 2 months.
Ana: Directing a cast can be as much about managing personalities as it is about guiding performances. How did the cast get along during Jekyll And Hyde? Were there any moments of tension or drama, and how did you navigate those to keep everyone focused on the bigger picture?
Abigail: I likely didn’t have to. Everyone was really nice to each other and got along. Nobody had any conflicting ideas. It was a really nice production. If there were any mistakes or mishaps, we solved them by working together. Just a great cast with a lot of patience for one another.
“Being a first-year, I didn’t think I would even get the job. But I was like, ‘Why not?’"
Ana: That’s amazing. St Andrews is known for its rich theater scene. What makes theater at St Andrews feel distinct?
Abigail: St Andrews theater I think is most alike the actual industry. As in everybody knows everybody, and that is what it's like in the real world. Networking is one of the best thing you can do in St Andrews, as you know. It is the best thing but could also be the worst. You can get a good reputation and people will want to work with you or instantly bad. If you f*ck up, then you won't be seen in the theater world anymore.
Ana: Are there any instances of people getting roles only because they know someone on the committee?
Abigail: No, I think they’re really good at not conforming to nepotism. I think people definitely know someone auditioning which gets them excited but I've auditioned for things knowing people and not get the role. So, the MusT committee is really good at ensuring no nepotism. So, it's not biased. Even when I auditioned for the director role, everyone else knew someone in the theater world of StA, but I didn't, not a single person, and I still got it.
“Networking in St Andrews is the best thing—but also the worst thing. You can either get a great reputation or if you mess up, you’re out of the theatre scene”
Ana: For students who are looking to take on leadership roles but might feel intimidated, what’s one personal piece of advice you would give based on your experience as a young director?
Abigail: Go for it. Just wing it. That's what I did. I took the interview on a whim but I ended up getting it. It's also a great opportunity to network in general regardless of whether you want to be in the theater world after university or not. You don't have to go face first like I did, there are other opportunities like shadowing and outreach and stuff like that. Even doing the small things is amazing. Every single person on my production team was needed. It's a whole collaborative experience. I wasn't the sole leader of the show, everyone put in their own twist to each role and job they had and it wouldn't be what it was without them.
Ana: That’s great advice. Speaking of your future…is there a particular type of production or character you dream of tackling? What excites you most about your next steps in theater?
Abigail: One of my favorite characters is Blanche Dubois from A Streetcar Named Desire. It is something I would love to have the opportunity to either direct or star in. Hopefully, I plan to maybe propose it sometime in the future. I don't know yet. But I would really love to direct again. I want to do it as a career so I need to build up my portfolio and get as much experience I can.
Ana: You’re in a play right now though? Tell us about it. When can we see you perform?
Abigail: It is in 2 weeks! I'm doing the Crucible by Arthur Miller directed by Sophia David and produced by Carry Chung. I'm playing Mary Warren. It is going to be on the 15th and 16th of October, tickets are out right now! I'm really excited it's going to be so good. It's in the Byre theater, for anyone wanting to come watch.
Ana: We will definitely be there! Looking back at your experience directing Jekyll And Hyde, what’s the moment that makes you most proud? Is there anything you would do differently?
Abigail: I don't think I would want to do anything differently, even the mistakes. I learned from them. The proudest moment I think for any director is watching it all come together. It's the same for any artist. You have this thing in your head. I had it in my mind since December, I was explaining it to actors but they couldn't see it. And then it comes to life in front of your eyes. I watched it from the audience every night and I was just in tears. This was exactly what I imagined and more. My parents, boyfriend and friends were all there. It was just an incredible experience. And seeing everyone backstage after was such a nice way of thanking everyone. I was so proud of everyone's hard work. It paid off. I hadn't seen the tech for it, Shona M’gadzah was incredible. She's graduated now, but is an incredible lighting designer. I didn't know what she was up to during rehearsals but I trusted her and when it came together, you will see on the photos, it was incredible. People can underestimate what lighting can do for a production.
“You come to uni wanting to reinvent yourself, doing something you’re good at. I never directed something proper before, and finally watching it back, I was like, ‘Wow, I can do this.’”
Ana: Lastly, what is the biggest thing you learned about yourself during that process that will stay with you?
Abigail: I think I learned a lot about meeting your people, especially as a first year. You come to university wanting to reinvent yourself, doing something you're good at. I never directed something properly before, and finally watching it back when it was all done I was like ‘Wow I'm good at this, I can do this’. As a career. It gave me the confidence. This is my dream, this is incredible. I want to work for the National theater in London. Dream big you know.
Ana: Absolutely! Dream big, and with everything you’ve already accomplished, it feels like you’re well on your way. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us today. We can’t wait to see you on stage October 15th!
Abigail: Thank you so much! I’m so excited for The Crucible, and I hope you all enjoy it. See you there!
Photography courtesy of Louise Anderbjörk
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own, and may not reflect the opinions of N/A Magazine. Posted October 4th 2024.
Edited by Ana Sunjka