Author: Will Isenberg
Colin Sears ‘18 has been passionate about acting since high school, when he was first introduced to the script of Wake up and Smell the Coffee. Now, Colin has the opportunity to be a director.
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee is a satirical collection of monologues, focusing on a young actor’s ambitious hunt for fame at all costs.
“It’s about ambition, obsession with fame, and hypocrisy,” Colin explains. “Mixed in with the main plot are several smaller characters, such as a fraudulent spiritualist, a racist news reporter, and a pilot delivering an absurd announcement to his horrified passengers.”
According to Colin, directing a play for the first time brings a whole new set of joys and challenges.
“First of all, I’m constantly thinking about the production, which is both exciting and exhausting,” he reveals. “It’s great to see all my thoughts and brainstorming come to life, but it’s also a 24/7 job. And while it’s almost impossible to coordinate everyone’s schedule, it’s really cool to see how hardworking and dedicated everyone is to the show.”
However, being the director is more than just having actors memorize lines. Colin notes that it’s really tricky to find “right balance between edgy but acceptable.”
“We don’t want to be so crude that it’s impossible for people to watch – but the point of the show is to make people think about issues like racism, greed, selfishness, and sometimes, to make people think, you have to make them slightly uncomfortable.”
The play will be performed the night of Dec 4 and 5, and tickets will be available on-line and at the front desk. The admission is $4.
