“It is about allowing people to tell their stories but then making your own decisions and trusting your own judgement” says Morgan Ivison about the play they are directing, “A Wolf and Its Shadows,” showing this October.

Ivison is a senior at Drury University and are majoring in Theatre and Secondary Education. They have been involved in theatrics for nearly eight years. Last year, they made their directorial debut at Drury with a one act called “Are Toys Us?” As a student director, Ivison talks about how they navigate directing in all aspects.

Q: Looking back on your Drury Theatre experience, are there any moments that stand out to you that inspired you to direct a play here at Drury?

A: The major one is that in my first year we, in the spring, did the one acts and they were advertised as student directed. I thought, “That’s cool as hell! I would love to do that!” I wanted the experience of directing because I am hoping to be a theatre teacher after I graduate. Having experience with directing before getting into the classroom will be a major boost. Also, there was a professor who left two years ago by the name of Justin Gannaway, and they helped me a lot by being like “Yeah, you can do this. I see this in you.”

Q: How would you say directing is different from the other roles in a theatre production?

A: Directing is a lot more “big picture.” You are basically the head of a big team of collaborators. So, while you are being creative, it is also about listening to others and allowing for them to create. You may do a lot more placing people where they need to be, but they will make what they will make, and you just need to make sure that it is all cohesive.

Q: What is the directing process like for you and what unique approaches do you take?

A: Most directors are very solid in what they want and while I do have my desires, I am always willing to listen to what people have to say. I want them to bring their own experiences so that we can reach that wide range of humanity. My process in general is very much: read through the script, analyze it, find the big things that interest me, build them up, then find my people to help me get the big thing done while letting them bring in their little things. They will help create accents or highlight something else that might be going on the slack from my point of view.

Q: How do you approach receiving feedback from the cast and crew?

A: I always want them to fully tell me what they’re thinking so that I can properly respond to what they’re saying. Not respond to what I need but to what they need and help them reach what we want together. I don’t want to immediately cut what they’re saying, I want to hear them and work with them.

Q: Being a student, is getting this feedback from fellow students more testing as apposed to getting feedback from professors or theatre instructors?

A: I would say that students are a lot more willing to say what’s on their mind than professors or instructors. Professors are very much, “Do what you want!” They are a lot better at subtly telling me things. A cast member will go up to me and be like, “This is what I want.” and I’ll be like, “Ok, give me more details.”

Q: What knowledge from student directing will you take with you and give to others?

A: For myself, I would say that you’ve got to let it be fun. Theatre is not meant to be this stressful and anxiety inducing thing that you dread going into. We get so caught up in trying to make everything perfect or be perfect for others that the fun of theatre kind of falls away. It leaves the show hallow. You need to make sure there’s still enjoyment throughout it.

I would also say if you’re going to direct, you can’t act as though your vision is absolute. Allowing people to put their marks on it makes it more human. That’s what theatre is about, it’s about the humanity.