Last weekend, Grand Valley State University theatre club STAGE hosted the third installment of the production series, “YIKES.”
STAGE is an official GVSU group open to any student interested in theatre. They group hosts weekly activities like writing, acting, theatrical activities and games. “YIKES,” written and performed by STAGE members, was composed of six mini-productions and despite its namesake, was not held on a stage. The free show in the Pere Marquette Room was one of STAGE’s many events.
Student Payton Wilder wrote and directed one of the short skits, titled “Giggle Fever.” The skit followed a bully forced to work with a class clown who isn’t phased by anything the bully does to him. In the end, the bully is forced to reflect on his behavior.
“I love people’s reactions and seeing it all come together,” Wilder said. “I (was) really excited for my family to see it, because (I knew) they would definitely pick up on the humor.”
Along with writing and directing, STAGE has to cast their own skits through hosted auditions of club members. Actors can specify which character they are trying out for. Being performances contain multiple skits, directors have to take notes on why they want a specific actor if that student is wanted for more than one performance.
“The whole process is awesome, from writing a funny idea to directing the actors with a specific vision in mind,” Wilder said. “I love putting it (shows) out there for everyone to see because I am proud of everyone’s work.”
Some STAGE participants are involved in more than one role, such as Rylie Cook, who acted in Wilder’s skit and another performance. Cook said playing more than one character in the same show can be nerve-racking, but is worth it.
“It can be stressful, but managing it can be easy,” Cook said. “Everyone from every cast is so supportive of each other, and it is a great time.”
Cook added that seeing shows come alive at the end of the night is a highlight of being involved in shows like “YIKES.”
“Seeing everything everyone has put so much time into is the best part of opening night,” Cook said.
Caitlyn Zannetti, who acted in two productions and directed her own short skit called “The Making of an Infomercial,” said this was her second time directing a skit for “YIKES.” She added the process gets easier with experience.
“It’s a little bit daunting, just because of how much creative control we are given as directors,” Zannetti said.
While scheduling can be difficult for actors and directors involved in multiple roles, Zannetti said the community that STAGE offers encourages her want to be involved in as many productions as she can.
“I feel like the core of everything really comes from the relationships you build with people in (STAGE),” Zannetti said. “I’ve done many different theatre (and) performing art productions in the past with different groups, and what really sets STAGE apart for me is the community we have.”
