WEBVTT 00:00:10.830 --> 00:00:13.550 Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host, 00:00:13.589 --> 00:00:16.329 Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my students and 00:00:16.329 --> 00:00:18.870 I bring you content that's informative, positive, 00:00:19.030 --> 00:00:21.809 fun, and uplifting. This podcast is created and 00:00:21.809 --> 00:00:23.969 produced with the help of students from the International 00:00:23.969 --> 00:00:29.870 Community School of Bangkok. There's a special 00:00:29.870 --> 00:00:32.710 kind of magic that only happens in a school theater. 00:00:33.359 --> 00:00:36.219 It's the sound of backstage whispers, the hum 00:00:36.219 --> 00:00:38.719 of a spotlight, and the thrill of an audience 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:41.939 waiting for the curtain to rise. It's the smell 00:00:41.939 --> 00:00:45.299 of fresh paint and old costumes. It's the place 00:00:45.299 --> 00:00:47.799 where, for a few hours, we all agreed to believe 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:50.579 in something new. And right now, the magic is 00:00:50.579 --> 00:00:53.280 running a full power as our school gets ready 00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:56.299 to open the curtain on Wind in the Willows. But 00:00:56.299 --> 00:00:59.320 what does it really take to bring Toad, Mole, 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:02.679 Ratty, and Badger to life? It's not just about 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:05.780 the actors you see on stage. Today, we're pulling 00:01:05.780 --> 00:01:07.900 back the curtain and going behind the scenes 00:01:07.900 --> 00:01:10.879 of the production. Our co -hosts James and Highlight 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:13.400 sit down with the student actors and stagehands 00:01:13.400 --> 00:01:15.879 to find out what it's really like to be in the 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:18.640 show. And later, we'll get the director's perspective 00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:21.920 from the head of the whole production. But first, 00:01:22.060 --> 00:01:23.799 let's hear our quote of the day and get some 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:26.959 headline news. Welcome back. It's time for our 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:29.680 quote of the day. Since we're talking to students 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:31.659 in our first segment who are using their creativity 00:01:31.659 --> 00:01:34.819 to build an entire world on stage, we're focusing 00:01:34.819 --> 00:01:38.659 on the true power of imagination. Our quote comes 00:01:38.659 --> 00:01:41.140 from the acclaimed writer J .K. Rowling, who 00:01:41.140 --> 00:01:44.659 said, Imagination is not only the uniquely human 00:01:44.659 --> 00:01:48.219 capacity to envision that which is not, it is 00:01:48.219 --> 00:01:50.959 the power that enables us to empathize with humans 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:54.260 whose experiences we have never shared. This 00:01:54.260 --> 00:01:56.540 practice of stepping into someone else's shoes 00:01:56.540 --> 00:01:59.359 on stage is the very thing that helps them understand 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:02.299 their friends, classmates, and people in the 00:02:02.299 --> 00:02:05.299 real world better. It is a critical skill for 00:02:05.299 --> 00:02:08.979 life, all learned by just telling a story. Speaking 00:02:08.979 --> 00:02:11.099 of the real world, let's see what's currently 00:02:11.099 --> 00:02:13.379 making headlines in the world of arts and theater. 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:16.419 Highlight is up next with our headline news. 00:02:16.909 --> 00:02:19.210 Thank you, James, for our quote of the day. First 00:02:19.210 --> 00:02:21.469 up, let's talk about one of the most anticipated 00:02:21.469 --> 00:02:25.669 movie musicals in years. Variety has just confirmed 00:02:25.669 --> 00:02:29.930 that filming has wrapped on Wicked Part 2, the 00:02:29.930 --> 00:02:33.169 second half of the massive film adaptation starring 00:02:33.169 --> 00:02:37.770 Cynthia as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. 00:02:38.379 --> 00:02:40.979 For anyone who doesn't know, Wicked is the record 00:02:40.979 --> 00:02:44.000 -breaking Broadway sensation that tells the untold 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:47.020 story of the witches of Oz. It's been running 00:02:47.020 --> 00:02:50.259 for over two decades, so the pressure to get 00:02:50.259 --> 00:02:54.020 this movie right is huge. Director John M. Chu 00:02:54.020 --> 00:02:58.150 assured fans that the late 2025 release date 00:02:58.150 --> 00:03:01.650 is locked in. It's always a huge challenge to 00:03:01.650 --> 00:03:04.830 bring a beloved stage show to the screen, but 00:03:04.830 --> 00:03:09.129 with that all -star cast, expectations are sky 00:03:09.129 --> 00:03:12.830 high. Moving from the screen back to the stage, 00:03:13.009 --> 00:03:15.689 there's incredible news for fans of behind -the 00:03:15.689 --> 00:03:19.120 -scenes drama, Playbill. reports that a new stage 00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:23.800 musical based on the NBC TV series Smash is officially 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:27.000 heading to Broadway, set to open in the spring 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:30.780 of 2026. The original TV show was all about the 00:03:30.780 --> 00:03:33.840 drama, passion, and chaos of creating a new musical 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:37.520 about Marilyn Monroe. Now, that story is becoming 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:40.439 a real -life Broadway show, directed by the legendary 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:44.840 five -time Tony winner Susan Stroman, the genius 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:47.919 behind The Producers. It's a perfect example 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:51.120 of art imitating art, a musical about making 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:54.879 a musical. That's a theme I think we and our 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:57.819 listeners know a little something about right 00:03:57.819 --> 00:04:01.259 now. And for our final headline, a story that 00:04:01.259 --> 00:04:04.159 proves that the classics never fade, the New 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:07.080 York Times announces that a major revival of 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:11.020 the iconic musical, Oliver, is coming to Broadway 00:04:11.020 --> 00:04:15.219 next season. Based on Charles Dickens' timeless 00:04:15.219 --> 00:04:17.800 novel Oliver Twist. This is the show that gave 00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:20.720 us unforgettable songs like Food, Glorious Food, 00:04:20.920 --> 00:04:24.759 and Consider Yourself. This new production was 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:28.120 a runaway success in London and is being mounted 00:04:28.120 --> 00:04:31.439 by the same producer who brought Malin Rogue, 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:35.360 the musical. to life. It's a powerful reminder 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:37.779 that great stories can be reinvented for new 00:04:37.779 --> 00:04:40.959 generations, finding new ways to reconnect with 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:44.199 audiences, which is exactly what every theater 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:46.620 company from Broadway to our own school aims 00:04:46.620 --> 00:04:49.600 to do. And that ends our headline news for this 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:52.040 episode. Thank you for the quote in the headline 00:04:52.040 --> 00:04:54.459 news. As we just heard in the news, putting on 00:04:54.459 --> 00:04:56.819 a show this big is a massive community effort. 00:04:57.300 --> 00:04:59.720 Now we're going to hear directly from the students 00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:02.500 who are living it every day. I'm handing the 00:05:02.500 --> 00:05:04.819 microphone over to James and Highlight, who are 00:05:04.819 --> 00:05:07.519 sitting down with some of the cast and crew of 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:11.779 Wind in the Willows. We welcome Josiah, Layla, 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:15.920 Sibel, Ginny, and Talent to the studio. James, 00:05:15.939 --> 00:05:19.079 go ahead and get us started. So guys, how did 00:05:19.079 --> 00:05:21.519 you bring your character to life in the musical 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:23.379 so that people don't really think that you're 00:05:23.379 --> 00:05:26.079 acting, but you're embodying your role? For me, 00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:28.439 getting into the role was quite easy. After getting 00:05:28.439 --> 00:05:31.250 my cane, I just... worked around the cane, and 00:05:31.250 --> 00:05:33.449 then I became the old wise badger guy that I 00:05:33.449 --> 00:05:36.870 needed to be. For me, I play the role of barge 00:05:36.870 --> 00:05:39.649 woman and also rabbit. So one thing that really 00:05:39.649 --> 00:05:41.689 helped me distinguish between these two roles 00:05:41.689 --> 00:05:45.930 are my physicality. So I use, there's this guy 00:05:45.930 --> 00:05:48.819 named Laban. So it is like the different ways 00:05:48.819 --> 00:05:52.500 of how you move your body, like fast, slow, light, 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:55.160 heavy, things like that. And I also use this 00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:57.699 levels of tension, the seven levels of tension 00:05:57.699 --> 00:06:00.560 by Jack LeCocq. So it's very physical. These 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:04.600 two roles are much more physical than psychological 00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:09.220 for me. In this show, I am a stout, which is 00:06:09.220 --> 00:06:12.079 an animal that looks similar to a weasel. At 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:15.459 first, I didn't know what it was. But I feel 00:06:15.459 --> 00:06:18.019 like if you are acting as an animal, by looking 00:06:18.019 --> 00:06:20.620 at their pictures and videos, you can get a more 00:06:20.620 --> 00:06:23.040 clear sense of how they act in their everyday 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:25.379 life. So that's something that helped me a lot. 00:06:26.579 --> 00:06:30.899 Yeah, similar to Jenny, for me, I had to think 00:06:30.899 --> 00:06:32.819 about different techniques that we learned in 00:06:32.819 --> 00:06:36.920 theater with the weight of the character. And 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:40.620 for me, it was more psychological because I feel 00:06:40.620 --> 00:06:44.589 like I'm very similar to my character. in physicality. 00:06:44.829 --> 00:06:50.350 So yeah, it was a lot of using techniques that 00:06:50.350 --> 00:06:53.870 I learned in theater, making sure that I remember 00:06:53.870 --> 00:06:55.990 that when I'm actually acting it out on stage. 00:06:56.610 --> 00:06:59.990 So I play Reddy and some of the techniques that 00:06:59.990 --> 00:07:04.089 I used were the same as what the previous actor 00:07:04.089 --> 00:07:06.589 said, like LeBron and everything. But something 00:07:06.589 --> 00:07:09.470 that I did personally was I read the script and 00:07:09.470 --> 00:07:12.500 I really digested the scene. And so what that 00:07:12.500 --> 00:07:14.620 allowed me to do was it really allowed me to 00:07:14.620 --> 00:07:18.939 apply real human feelings to the scene. Okay, 00:07:18.980 --> 00:07:20.879 thank you all for sharing the different techniques 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:23.540 you used when performing. What was the most challenging 00:07:23.540 --> 00:07:26.100 or rewarding part of preparing for this production? 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:30.379 So one of the most challenging things for me 00:07:30.379 --> 00:07:32.579 when preparing for this production was definitely 00:07:32.579 --> 00:07:36.540 the accent. Because, I mean, a lot of the times 00:07:36.540 --> 00:07:38.500 people can be like, oh, you're just doing an 00:07:38.500 --> 00:07:40.819 easy British accent, but... That's the thing 00:07:40.819 --> 00:07:43.019 about me. I don't want to do just a British accent. 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:46.279 I want to sound like a native speaker. Also, 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:48.519 something that was really challenging with the 00:07:48.519 --> 00:07:52.920 show was definitely the vocals. Because sometimes 00:07:52.920 --> 00:07:56.079 my character has to sing these really high notes 00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:58.360 that I think I can't reach. But honestly, it's 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:04.560 just like, it's all mental. For me, I loved the 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:06.439 singing aspect of things. I think that was the 00:08:06.439 --> 00:08:11.100 most rewarding part for me. When I finally reached 00:08:11.100 --> 00:08:14.839 a note that I had a mental block about in my 00:08:14.839 --> 00:08:21.019 big solo song, I like had such a big high note 00:08:21.019 --> 00:08:26.439 that for me, I kept going flat on and it was 00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:29.920 stressing me out so bad that every time I sang 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:32.139 it, it was just mentally like, I can't do it. 00:08:32.179 --> 00:08:34.580 I can't do it. But then when I finally hit it 00:08:34.580 --> 00:08:37.200 in our recent rehearsal, I got so excited. For 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:40.090 me, that's the most rewarding part. I also want 00:08:40.090 --> 00:08:42.470 to talk about the part that I felt like was the 00:08:42.470 --> 00:08:46.690 most rewarding to me. So this is my last year 00:08:46.690 --> 00:08:51.309 in ICS as a senior and also my last year as a 00:08:51.309 --> 00:08:54.750 dance captain in our school musicals. So I'm 00:08:54.750 --> 00:08:57.149 spending more time this year to just look around 00:08:57.149 --> 00:09:00.159 me at the different... people from different 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:03.720 grades all acting and dancing together. And this 00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:06.460 is a sight that we don't get to see in other 00:09:06.460 --> 00:09:10.059 classes or during the school day. So I felt like 00:09:10.059 --> 00:09:13.820 it was really rewarding to see all of those people 00:09:13.820 --> 00:09:16.720 with the same passion about theater together. 00:09:17.320 --> 00:09:20.559 For me, a really big struggle is juggling all 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:24.220 of the workload. Not only am I like the assistant 00:09:24.220 --> 00:09:27.919 director and actor, I am also part of tech and 00:09:28.620 --> 00:09:31.399 Apart from that, I also have AP classes that 00:09:31.399 --> 00:09:33.580 I'm taking at school. I'm currently taking three, 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:36.480 which to some people might not be a lot, but 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:38.899 all of these classes have their own source of 00:09:38.899 --> 00:09:41.080 struggles that I have to deal with apart from 00:09:41.080 --> 00:09:43.659 being part of the musical. And not only that, 00:09:43.740 --> 00:09:46.480 I have to deal with, as I said before, I am a 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:51.460 techie, so I have to make props and work more 00:09:51.460 --> 00:09:55.970 than others because... I have like my duties 00:09:55.970 --> 00:09:59.250 as assistant director too, so I can't go to tech 00:09:59.250 --> 00:10:02.210 rehearsals. So I have to do it outside of class 00:10:02.210 --> 00:10:05.269 during my own like home time or free time. So 00:10:05.269 --> 00:10:09.769 it's definitely been a struggle to balance between 00:10:09.769 --> 00:10:12.250 all of these different aspects, both musical 00:10:12.250 --> 00:10:16.169 and my personal life and my academic life. Mine 00:10:16.169 --> 00:10:19.419 would probably be a lot like talent. It's more 00:10:19.419 --> 00:10:22.539 of a rewarding and a challenging thing as I did 00:10:22.539 --> 00:10:25.440 have a lot of mental blocks for some notes in 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:28.659 my singing and the fact that I was able to overcome 00:10:28.659 --> 00:10:30.539 those mental blocks and be able to sing it was 00:10:30.539 --> 00:10:33.820 quite rewarding. Alright guys, we have one final 00:10:33.820 --> 00:10:36.620 question. Were there any particular moments in 00:10:36.620 --> 00:10:38.620 the process that felt more meaningful to you? 00:10:38.700 --> 00:10:41.139 Something special or personal to the experience 00:10:41.139 --> 00:10:44.019 as a whole? I can't really say any particular 00:10:44.019 --> 00:10:48.019 moments, but just the entirety of being the older 00:10:48.019 --> 00:10:50.679 person that the younger people in the cast look 00:10:50.679 --> 00:10:54.559 up to sometimes, it's been very nice to just 00:10:54.559 --> 00:11:00.399 be the person who's giving them advice as I grew 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:02.500 up with other people giving me advice, and now 00:11:02.500 --> 00:11:05.320 I can pass that down. For me, something that 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:09.549 was really particular... That felt really meaningful 00:11:09.549 --> 00:11:12.690 to me is getting to see all sides of the process 00:11:12.690 --> 00:11:16.009 of making the musical. Because as I said previously, 00:11:16.169 --> 00:11:20.049 I have a lot of roles apart from the things that 00:11:20.049 --> 00:11:24.629 you might expect as an actor. So as like a future 00:11:24.629 --> 00:11:27.620 theater major. I really do appreciate seeing 00:11:27.620 --> 00:11:29.899 all of these different facets of theater making 00:11:29.899 --> 00:11:33.240 because now I have more ideas on what I want 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:35.840 to do in the future and how I might take these 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:38.519 skills that I've learned by being part of this 00:11:38.519 --> 00:11:41.519 musical and applying it to my future college 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:45.460 life and my future career. So I am part of the 00:11:45.460 --> 00:11:49.220 Wildwooders in the play, and this year our dances 00:11:49.220 --> 00:11:54.059 are really cool. And I remember when we finished, 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:58.340 This one dance got taken over the hall and we 00:11:58.340 --> 00:12:01.440 did like the whole thing together for the first 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:03.840 time ever. And then we finished and everyone 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:06.620 was like, wow, that was so amazing. And I really 00:12:06.620 --> 00:12:10.200 felt like it was a really meaningful moment just 00:12:10.200 --> 00:12:13.940 to be able to dance with everyone. For me, a 00:12:13.940 --> 00:12:18.259 moment that was very meaningful was there's just 00:12:18.259 --> 00:12:20.580 been so many parts. I can't necessarily choose 00:12:20.580 --> 00:12:23.220 one, but the one that keeps coming to mind is 00:12:23.220 --> 00:12:25.769 there's a few rehearsals where we have spent 00:12:25.769 --> 00:12:30.029 lots of time laughing less time actually rehearsing 00:12:30.029 --> 00:12:33.289 and there's no particular reason as to why we'll 00:12:33.289 --> 00:12:35.409 just come on stage we cannot keep a straight 00:12:35.409 --> 00:12:41.389 face and it takes so long um but they're really 00:12:41.389 --> 00:12:43.570 fun and I think they really bond us all as a 00:12:43.570 --> 00:12:48.590 cast uh yeah I mean really this whole process 00:12:48.590 --> 00:12:51.669 is actually really meaningful to me because um 00:12:52.350 --> 00:12:54.309 I started acting since elementary school. And 00:12:54.309 --> 00:12:57.169 so I get to see all these people that I've been 00:12:57.169 --> 00:12:58.970 growing up with. I get to see how they progress 00:12:58.970 --> 00:13:01.389 as actors and I get to see how I progress as 00:13:01.389 --> 00:13:04.429 an actor myself. And so just seeing all these 00:13:04.429 --> 00:13:08.590 people around me and how they become better at 00:13:08.590 --> 00:13:10.769 acting and seeing how the upperclassmen, seeing 00:13:10.769 --> 00:13:13.490 them lead us, it's just, it's all really meaningful 00:13:13.490 --> 00:13:16.990 to me. Wow. Thank you, everybody. What a great 00:13:16.990 --> 00:13:19.230 conversation. A huge thank you to our student 00:13:19.230 --> 00:13:21.659 guests for sharing those stories. It's one thing 00:13:21.659 --> 00:13:24.159 to see the finished show, but it's another to 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:26.759 hear about the personal journey, all the challenges 00:13:26.759 --> 00:13:29.840 and rewards that happen behind the curtain. We're 00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:31.639 going to take a quick break for a message. And 00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:33.700 when we come back, we're going from the stage 00:13:33.700 --> 00:13:42.779 to the director's chair. All right. In this episode, 00:13:42.899 --> 00:13:45.620 it seems we've been hearing amazing stories from 00:13:45.620 --> 00:13:48.159 the cast of The Wind in the Willows. And it's 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:50.759 more than just a musical. It's a masterclass 00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:53.460 in teamwork. Whether you're a stage manager, 00:13:53.679 --> 00:13:57.000 a lead, or part of the ensemble, a production 00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:00.460 only works if everybody shows up, listens, and 00:14:00.460 --> 00:14:02.799 supports each other. That kind of dedication 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:06.279 translates to everything you do, from group projects 00:14:06.279 --> 00:14:09.919 in science to leadership roles in clubs. So, 00:14:10.039 --> 00:14:13.639 here's our public service announcement. Embrace 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:17.100 the ensemble. Look for ways to contribute. Commit 00:14:17.100 --> 00:14:19.960 to your responsibilities and celebrate your teammates' 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:24.019 successes on the stage and off. The skills you 00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:27.340 build being a wild wooder or a riverbank animal 00:14:27.340 --> 00:14:29.980 are the same ones that build strong students 00:14:29.980 --> 00:14:33.259 and strong communities. Get involved, show up 00:14:33.259 --> 00:14:36.320 for the arts, and be a great collaborator. Let's 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:38.620 jump back in and hear more about life backstage. 00:14:43.740 --> 00:14:46.639 Welcome back. In our first segment, we heard 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:48.879 from some of the cast and crew about their experience 00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:52.820 on the front lines. But who is the person responsible 00:14:52.820 --> 00:14:56.879 for guiding the entire process? We are now joined 00:14:56.879 --> 00:14:59.799 by the director of Wind in the Willows, our very 00:14:59.799 --> 00:15:03.240 own Mr. G, as we like to call him. Welcome to 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:05.720 the show, and James will get us started again. 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:09.059 All right, Mr. G. Looking back at your first 00:15:09.059 --> 00:15:12.019 show with us up until Wind in the Willows, what 00:15:12.019 --> 00:15:14.700 is one moment or performance that stands out 00:15:14.700 --> 00:15:17.759 as a personal highlight and what made it so special 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:21.000 for you? Okay, I will say I can never choose 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:23.419 a favorite because I always have so many things 00:15:23.419 --> 00:15:25.519 I like about all the different shows and I think 00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:28.460 there's highlights in all of them. But I will 00:15:28.460 --> 00:15:35.019 say that the first time I started doing more 00:15:35.019 --> 00:15:38.049 serious acting shows so it began with Lord of 00:15:38.049 --> 00:15:40.809 the Flies which was my second show and then we 00:15:40.809 --> 00:15:43.610 did like 1984 we did Arturo Uy so a lot of a 00:15:43.610 --> 00:15:46.570 lot of our our like shows that have handled I 00:15:46.570 --> 00:15:48.190 mean I love musicals don't get me wrong but I 00:15:48.190 --> 00:15:50.450 like the shows where we really challenge people's 00:15:50.450 --> 00:15:53.350 acting so in terms of like from the beginning 00:15:53.350 --> 00:15:56.509 till now like everything in Wind of the Willows 00:15:56.509 --> 00:15:58.970 all the talent that you see it's not based off 00:15:58.970 --> 00:16:01.070 like oh wow they're so talented no they built 00:16:01.070 --> 00:16:03.889 that like over years and years of the program 00:16:03.889 --> 00:16:07.289 just building on itself And so I think that would 00:16:07.289 --> 00:16:11.850 be my highlight is like seeing the growth from 00:16:11.850 --> 00:16:14.769 year one to year eight. And that that's not just 00:16:14.769 --> 00:16:17.710 me. That's like also the students reaching down 00:16:17.710 --> 00:16:19.950 to the younger classes. Right. So I think that 00:16:19.950 --> 00:16:21.889 would be my highlight or my special thing is 00:16:21.889 --> 00:16:24.370 like seeing the student leadership evolve and 00:16:24.370 --> 00:16:26.970 grow and then also take a big hit during COVID. 00:16:27.429 --> 00:16:29.330 Right. Because then we were online. It was much 00:16:29.330 --> 00:16:32.350 harder to do stuff. And then. rising back from 00:16:32.350 --> 00:16:35.169 the ashes like a firebird. I would say that would 00:16:35.169 --> 00:16:39.509 be my highlight of the whole time. Yes, it's 00:16:39.509 --> 00:16:42.009 definitely amazing to see that growth over the 00:16:42.009 --> 00:16:45.210 years, especially after the pandemic and how 00:16:45.210 --> 00:16:46.990 you've helped students build that confidence 00:16:46.990 --> 00:16:49.970 on stage. So as the director, what's the most 00:16:49.970 --> 00:16:53.129 rewarding part of your job? The most rewarding 00:16:53.129 --> 00:16:57.370 part is also the saddest part at the same time. 00:16:58.009 --> 00:17:00.970 is the is actual show days because when you see 00:17:00.970 --> 00:17:03.409 the actual show days and everything's like going 00:17:03.409 --> 00:17:05.210 really really well because we practice it like 00:17:05.210 --> 00:17:08.750 crazy and then also just the confidence boost 00:17:08.750 --> 00:17:11.430 that gives everyone even myself because sometimes 00:17:11.430 --> 00:17:13.450 i'm like will we make it and then yeah we made 00:17:13.450 --> 00:17:16.410 it where you were fine um that's hugely rewarding 00:17:16.410 --> 00:17:19.009 but it's also sad because you know that by the 00:17:19.009 --> 00:17:20.829 final show night which is usually a day or two 00:17:20.829 --> 00:17:23.849 later that's it like that show's over so these 00:17:23.849 --> 00:17:26.190 people that you've spent literally hours of your 00:17:26.190 --> 00:17:28.160 time with I mean, you'll still see them, but 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:31.039 you won't see them as much. So it's both super 00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:34.160 rewarding and super sad at the same time. All 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:37.000 right. Well, on that note, speaking of the process, 00:17:37.259 --> 00:17:39.519 over the years, you've seen countless students 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:42.460 grow from tentative beginners to confident performers. 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:45.660 What is the single most important piece of advice 00:17:45.660 --> 00:17:48.380 you would give to our current and future student 00:17:48.380 --> 00:17:53.180 actors? So my biggest advice is actually ripped 00:17:53.180 --> 00:17:55.599 off from Tim Minchin, who's a comedian and the 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:59.039 writer of Matilda. the musical and he says instead 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:02.400 of setting really long -term goals set micro 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:06.599 goals so really small achievable within like 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:09.980 within a year basically or within a smaller amount 00:18:09.980 --> 00:18:12.220 of time because what happens with a lot of actors 00:18:12.220 --> 00:18:15.680 as well is they set these really high unrealistic 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:18.779 goals that they're impossible to achieve within 00:18:18.779 --> 00:18:20.759 the time whereas when they start setting micro 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:23.059 goals for themselves for example oh all i want 00:18:23.059 --> 00:18:25.720 to do is i want to be able to at least cry this 00:18:25.720 --> 00:18:27.980 semester on stage, right? That's like a very 00:18:27.980 --> 00:18:31.559 small goal, but then I'll say, okay, let's break 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:33.759 that down into even smaller steps. First of all, 00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:35.460 are you even comfortable with sadness on stage? 00:18:35.819 --> 00:18:38.059 Start there. And then I'm like, okay, first you 00:18:38.059 --> 00:18:40.140 have to address that. And so in building micro 00:18:40.140 --> 00:18:43.519 goals is a lot better also because when opportunities 00:18:43.519 --> 00:18:46.140 come up, you won't be so focused on that far 00:18:46.140 --> 00:18:48.140 away goal and you'll actually grab opportunities 00:18:48.140 --> 00:18:50.700 on the side, which build towards your portfolio. 00:18:50.819 --> 00:18:52.400 So it's actually good life advice in general. 00:18:52.500 --> 00:18:55.690 It's not just for acting, but I would say, The 00:18:55.690 --> 00:18:59.309 amount of things I picked up in my life and skills 00:18:59.309 --> 00:19:02.369 I picked up by just being like, yeah, okay. Because 00:19:02.369 --> 00:19:05.369 I wasn't like focused on one crazy far away future. 00:19:05.809 --> 00:19:09.609 It's like way more meaningful and built way more 00:19:09.609 --> 00:19:13.210 skills than, than like my longer term goals. 00:19:13.250 --> 00:19:15.509 Like finishing a degree is cool. But like during 00:19:15.509 --> 00:19:17.890 that degree, you know, serving coffee to someone, 00:19:17.970 --> 00:19:19.549 they were like, oh, you want to follow me around? 00:19:19.710 --> 00:19:22.269 I was like, okay. And I just followed the creative 00:19:22.269 --> 00:19:24.230 director of the theater around because she just 00:19:24.230 --> 00:19:26.730 offered. So if I'd been focused on just finishing 00:19:26.730 --> 00:19:28.230 my degree, I would have been focused on my grades 00:19:28.230 --> 00:19:30.730 and not picked up that opportunity. But I was 00:19:30.730 --> 00:19:32.549 like, yeah, I'm free all next week, sure. And 00:19:32.549 --> 00:19:34.269 like just setting those kind of micro goals so 00:19:34.269 --> 00:19:36.589 you can pick up skills on the side as you go 00:19:36.589 --> 00:19:39.519 would be my biggest advice. Yep, I agree. And 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:42.460 that's important to set like smart goals and 00:19:42.460 --> 00:19:46.099 to see the bigger picture and who you can become 00:19:46.099 --> 00:19:48.420 in the long run, right? Because these incremental 00:19:48.420 --> 00:19:50.799 steps that you take would eventually lead to 00:19:50.799 --> 00:19:53.940 profound personal transformations. So similar 00:19:53.940 --> 00:19:56.059 to setting goals throughout every performance, 00:19:56.160 --> 00:19:59.319 there will be challenges. So which show was the 00:19:59.319 --> 00:20:01.539 most difficult to direct or produce? And what 00:20:01.539 --> 00:20:04.539 was the magic trick or moment that helped you 00:20:04.539 --> 00:20:09.490 finally conquer it? I think every show is hard. 00:20:10.049 --> 00:20:12.390 OK, let's say I don't pick easy shows. Let's 00:20:12.390 --> 00:20:14.289 just put it that way. Maybe I do it to myself. 00:20:14.410 --> 00:20:17.890 But I think every show is hard in different ways. 00:20:18.910 --> 00:20:21.289 So you have some that are emotionally taxing 00:20:21.289 --> 00:20:23.549 for actors or actresses like Arturo Uy. Like 00:20:23.549 --> 00:20:25.029 literally people are pretending to be Hitler. 00:20:25.569 --> 00:20:27.329 Like, you know, the character is basically Hitler. 00:20:27.369 --> 00:20:29.730 So like, OK, how do we tackle that? Right. Or 00:20:29.730 --> 00:20:32.589 how do we tackle the nuance between like being 00:20:32.589 --> 00:20:37.779 really political in that play? and at the same 00:20:37.779 --> 00:20:40.420 time, you know, people not taking it the wrong 00:20:40.420 --> 00:20:42.339 way. So there can be those kind of challenges. 00:20:42.619 --> 00:20:46.720 I find those kind of challenges fun. I think 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:50.119 in terms of, like, this show, Wind of the Willows, 00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:54.380 there's a lot of in... The acting has actually 00:20:54.380 --> 00:20:58.079 been easier. A lot of the actors mentioned, like, 00:20:58.099 --> 00:21:01.259 the singing's really hard. But they can do a 00:21:01.259 --> 00:21:03.579 lot of that independently and really work on 00:21:03.579 --> 00:21:05.900 that. And the acting for a lot of, especially 00:21:05.900 --> 00:21:08.079 our really experienced ones, it's, you know, 00:21:08.099 --> 00:21:10.640 they can use Laban or Laban, however you want 00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:13.420 to say it, or a lot of like simple acting techniques 00:21:13.420 --> 00:21:15.099 because the characters are musical theater characters. 00:21:15.720 --> 00:21:18.099 And so they've just been able to nail that. And 00:21:18.099 --> 00:21:20.799 a lot of my notes are quite basic, like, oh, 00:21:20.859 --> 00:21:22.559 remember to do this, blah, blah, blah. It's a 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:24.720 lot of like small corrections. Versus other shows. 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:28.019 Whereas the technical side of how things flow 00:21:28.019 --> 00:21:30.640 in the show. I mean there's like. There's three 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:36.359 boats. Two trains. Two cars. And all the normal 00:21:36.359 --> 00:21:38.940 locations. So there's just a ridiculous amount 00:21:38.940 --> 00:21:41.660 of tech construction. That's been really difficult. 00:21:41.859 --> 00:21:45.119 And I would say the magic trick. For all theater. 00:21:45.400 --> 00:21:49.500 The magic theater dust is overtime. Like it's 00:21:49.500 --> 00:21:52.160 just. If you put in a lot of work into something. 00:21:54.020 --> 00:21:56.859 you do well. And so as someone who kind of skirted 00:21:56.859 --> 00:21:58.680 through life in my early days, because I was 00:21:58.680 --> 00:22:00.880 easily memorizing things in school, right? That 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:03.440 was, that was the easy part for me. So I would 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:06.799 just like not try being surrounded by constant 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:09.299 challenges that I actually have to work. Like 00:22:09.299 --> 00:22:11.500 no one's going to do that magically for me. Same 00:22:11.500 --> 00:22:13.259 with my tech crew. I always tell them like, no 00:22:13.259 --> 00:22:14.799 one's going to magically clean up for you or 00:22:14.799 --> 00:22:16.160 no one's going to magically build that thing. 00:22:16.220 --> 00:22:18.720 You build it. So I would say the magic dust is 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:21.539 over time and hard work and lots of sweat, blood, 00:22:21.640 --> 00:22:24.920 and sometimes tears. Well, that's a very long 00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:29.440 answer, Mr. G. Sorry. And as we sadly know, Wind 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:31.079 in the Willows will be your final show here. 00:22:31.240 --> 00:22:34.460 So I'm going to ask a more sentimental question. 00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:38.460 Is there a theme, a message, or even just a specific 00:22:38.460 --> 00:22:41.079 piece of music from this production that feels 00:22:41.079 --> 00:22:44.299 particularly resonant or meaningful as you close 00:22:44.299 --> 00:22:48.900 this major part in your life? Yes. So, there's 00:22:48.900 --> 00:22:52.380 two actually. One is there's a song in the musical, 00:22:52.519 --> 00:22:54.480 which a lot of people heard in the preview, which 00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:56.400 is called A Friend is Still a Friend. It's about 00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:58.920 if your friends mess up and you still forgive 00:22:58.920 --> 00:23:01.220 them and move on. But for me, that's personal 00:23:01.220 --> 00:23:05.380 because I view my life as chapters, kind of like 00:23:05.380 --> 00:23:07.940 you said. So if there's different chapters in 00:23:07.940 --> 00:23:09.740 my life, then this is one chapter. But when the 00:23:09.740 --> 00:23:11.380 chapter finishes, it doesn't mean the book is 00:23:11.380 --> 00:23:14.559 closed. So like knowing that, you know, if students 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:16.980 are visiting Europe or whatever, even if they're 00:23:16.980 --> 00:23:18.680 like all the way in Amsterdam, which is like 00:23:18.680 --> 00:23:20.460 an hour from me. I would still be like, yeah, 00:23:20.500 --> 00:23:22.640 dude, yeah, come by. We'll meet halfway. Or, 00:23:22.660 --> 00:23:24.700 you know, I'd try to meet up with them, which 00:23:24.700 --> 00:23:26.299 I've done with quite a lot of alumni already. 00:23:26.839 --> 00:23:28.920 So that would be one. And the other one is there's 00:23:28.920 --> 00:23:31.880 a song called A Place to Come Back To. And it's 00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:34.339 all about forgetting about your old house and 00:23:34.339 --> 00:23:36.319 then like coming back to your old house. And 00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:38.059 that one always hits me really hard because I 00:23:38.059 --> 00:23:40.480 know that eventually I'll fly back to Thailand 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:43.519 for like a vacation. And I'll have that very 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:46.859 deep sentimental feeling of like this was home 00:23:46.859 --> 00:23:49.359 and it technically still is home. but it's also 00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:52.819 not home at the same way it was. So that one 00:23:52.819 --> 00:23:54.880 always makes me a little like choked up. Like, 00:23:54.920 --> 00:23:57.220 oh, like when she sings that song, also Layla 00:23:57.220 --> 00:24:00.019 sings it beautifully. So big props to her. But 00:24:00.019 --> 00:24:02.460 it's like, oh, it just pulls my heartstrings 00:24:02.460 --> 00:24:04.099 every time because I'm like, I know that like 00:24:04.099 --> 00:24:08.200 come next July when school starts or yeah, end 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:10.339 of July, right? August. I'm going to see all 00:24:10.339 --> 00:24:11.619 the pictures of people going back to school and 00:24:11.619 --> 00:24:13.799 I'm going to be like, that's my, that's my place 00:24:13.799 --> 00:24:15.680 to come back to, but I'm not coming back. So 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:19.759 I would say that's my main two takeaways. Yeah, 00:24:19.859 --> 00:24:22.779 like songs can definitely bring so much nostalgia 00:24:22.779 --> 00:24:26.119 and also memories as well as serve as this vehicle 00:24:26.119 --> 00:24:29.220 for you to reconnect with both the past and look 00:24:29.220 --> 00:24:32.240 forward into the future. So while we're sad to 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:34.420 see you go, we're also excited for your next 00:24:34.420 --> 00:24:37.460 chapter. What does your encore look like? What 00:24:37.460 --> 00:24:40.119 musical adventure are you most looking forward 00:24:40.119 --> 00:24:43.839 to tackling next? So that's a bit of a mystery 00:24:43.839 --> 00:24:46.500 right now. European job market moves way faster. 00:24:47.350 --> 00:24:50.529 So a lot of jobs I've looked at, they're like, 00:24:50.589 --> 00:24:52.210 oh, can you start next month? And I'm like, no. 00:24:52.750 --> 00:24:55.089 What? You're looking at next month? I'm looking 00:24:55.089 --> 00:24:57.670 at next year. So that's really hard to know. 00:24:58.029 --> 00:25:00.549 What I do know for sure in terms of, I mean, 00:25:00.589 --> 00:25:03.670 musical adventure, we'll see. There's definitely 00:25:03.670 --> 00:25:06.589 some people I've already spoken to who are like, 00:25:06.670 --> 00:25:09.230 oh, can you help us out? But I'm not sure if 00:25:09.230 --> 00:25:12.490 I'm going to say yes yet. Because, you know, 00:25:12.529 --> 00:25:16.309 it depends how much they pay. Definitely in terms 00:25:16.309 --> 00:25:20.430 of adventure, I'd probably be looking at teaching 00:25:20.430 --> 00:25:25.029 some college level theater as well and maybe 00:25:25.029 --> 00:25:29.109 pursuing a PhD. And music wise, I'd like to do 00:25:29.109 --> 00:25:30.930 my own YouTube channel a little bit more because 00:25:30.930 --> 00:25:33.869 I do that whenever I'm not working on a musical. 00:25:33.950 --> 00:25:37.529 I am always releasing my own music. So, yeah, 00:25:37.630 --> 00:25:39.829 I would say those are the main things. It's hard 00:25:39.829 --> 00:25:41.529 to know right now, but I think that's what it's 00:25:41.529 --> 00:25:44.099 going to look like. Wow, what a great conversation. 00:25:44.460 --> 00:25:47.079 So a big thank you to Mr. G for sharing with 00:25:47.079 --> 00:25:50.039 us. It was much more than just a look at Wind 00:25:50.039 --> 00:25:52.680 in the Willows, hearing you reflect on your personal 00:25:52.680 --> 00:25:55.160 highlights, the advice you've shared with students 00:25:55.160 --> 00:25:58.039 over the years, and what this final show means 00:25:58.039 --> 00:26:00.500 to you. It's clear how much passion and care 00:26:00.500 --> 00:26:02.920 you've poured into our school's theater and drama 00:26:02.920 --> 00:26:05.539 program over the years. We're sad to see you 00:26:05.539 --> 00:26:08.240 go, but we're wishing you the best on your next 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:11.160 encore. What a perfect way to close out this 00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:21.480 production. And that wraps up our behind -the 00:26:21.480 --> 00:26:24.279 -scenes look at Wind in the Willows. If there's 00:26:24.279 --> 00:26:26.420 one thing we learned today, it's that the magic 00:26:26.420 --> 00:26:28.980 of theater we talked about at the beginning isn't 00:26:28.980 --> 00:26:31.339 just what you see on stage. It's in the hard 00:26:31.339 --> 00:26:34.400 work, the collaboration, the empathy, and the 00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:37.160 shared passion of every single student and teacher 00:26:37.160 --> 00:26:40.220 involved. A huge thank you to all the students 00:26:40.220 --> 00:26:42.319 from the cast and crew who shared their stories 00:26:42.319 --> 00:26:45.400 with us. And a special thank you to our director, 00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:48.019 Mr. G, for everything you've given to this school's 00:26:48.019 --> 00:26:50.660 theater program over the years. Now the best 00:26:50.660 --> 00:26:52.759 way for all of us to thank them is to go see 00:26:52.759 --> 00:26:55.319 the show. Thank you, as always, for listening. 00:26:55.579 --> 00:26:58.500 If you liked the episode, please subscribe wherever 00:26:58.500 --> 00:27:00.859 you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. 00:27:01.140 --> 00:27:04.039 And as always, this podcast would not be possible 00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:06.740 without the hard work and support of our international 00:27:06.740 --> 00:27:09.500 student production team. All music and sound 00:27:09.500 --> 00:27:12.099 effects are courtesy of Pixabay .com, a vibrant 00:27:12.099 --> 00:27:14.259 community of creatives sharing copyright -free 00:27:14.259 --> 00:27:17.400 images, videos, and music. And we are signing 00:27:17.400 --> 00:27:20.740 off until next time. We are Students Incorporated. 00:27:20.859 --> 00:27:22.539 Because your voice matters.