playbill vip

Thank you for coming to our performance today. My name is Miller Kiser, and I am the student Director of this play, The Election. Many people worked really hard to make this show happen, and it is important to acknowledge their work.

Firstly, I want to thank the cast who have worked tirelessly since the second week of school; coming to rehearsals, memorizing their lines, learning their blocking… It is an enormous amount of work and I am so immensely proud of every single one of them and their families.

I also want to thank the technical team for working on the set, lights and sound. As you will see throughout the show, we have an amazing set, and I cannot be more grateful for their work and sweat and labor. I want to thank Mr. Conley, the tech Director, for leading the entire tech crew, and making sure the play flows as smoothly as possible.

I want to thank Mr. Mann, who has been an exceptional mentor, and I am so grateful for him trusting me with this position of leadership.

I hope you all enjoy the show. It’s a comedy that satirizes the political campaign process. Though it is not meant to be taken seriously, I hope you will find moments to both laugh and reflect.

Although this has been an immensely fun and satisfying process, there have still been lots of challenges. Firstly, I had to gain my actors' respect. I’m the director, but still their classmate. When rehearsals first began, I was aware that it may be difficult for the cast to view me as their boss, rather than their friend. As we progressed, however, I learned how to balance personal interactions with directorial ones; I gave my actors feedback, showed them where to move, told them to how to speak, maintained a fun but firm work environment, and as the play moved forward I really embraced my position of leadership, and the cast acknowledged that.

It has been an exceptionally rewarding and maturing experience, and I am so excited to share everyone’s hard work with you. Enjoy the show!