Interview with The Outsiders Director, Kevin Kuchar

Before seeing The Outsiders at Georgetown Prep this weekend, I sat down with the director of the show, Kevin Kuchar, to discuss his career as a director, as well as his choices in this particular production. 

J: Where do you work and why do you choose to direct shows at Georgetown Preparatory School?

K:  I work in the Musical Theatre Department at the Levine School of Music. We do most of our practice at the Strathmore school so I am close by. Three years ago I was the assistant director of a Prep show. Two years ago I was asked if I would be the sole director. I think I come to Prep because I just love working with the boys. The moment you get a freshman, you just can’t say no. Working at Prep is wonderful because it is more than a cast; it is like a family. Theatre is, by nature, a communal activity. The thing about educational theatre, just like professional theatre, is that once you are hooked, you are hooked.

J: Where did you become interested in theatre and directing?

K: I went to college at Viterbo University, which is, as it sounds, a very small school in Wisconsin. I was a Psychology major and I started hanging out with the theatre people; mostly because I just thought they were more fun! I started trying theatre out more intensely and I loved it! I fell in love with it in college and wanted to make it happen in life. I mean, I think it is addicting. It is the most thought provoking art form. We get to take the most thought provoking ideas and make commentaries on culture that are accessible to people.

J: Do you have a favorite show? Is it one that you have directed?

K: Any director who tells you they have a favorite show is a liar! I mean any show you direct has aspects that you love. One director could put on the show Oklahoma and it could be terrible, but the next could put on the best show you have ever seen. So no, I don’t think I have a favorite show. That said, one show does stand out as a pivotal moment in my growth in theatre. Almost twenty years ago I saw James and the Giant Peach. The set was an offset curved peach edge and characters would come out of the peach. I learned so much about what aesthetics can do on stage. I mean this was before a lot of the technology we can use on stage today was even available and yet through the use of creativity and puppetry, amazing things were possible. So I would say that that was a very important show to me, and it made sets very essential to me. I like to make sets that are expandable, integrated, and static because of it.

J: Do you favor a specific methodology when directing a play?

K: No! You really have to see your cast and meet them where they are at. That is the approach I take with my kids. I might incorporate some aspects, but I don’t focus on a particular theory  or style until I know what I am working with.

J: Do you take feedback from the students you direct?

K: Constantly! If you want to give them an experience based on their organic experience, you have to participate in conversation with them.

J: How did you decide on The Outsiders for the Prep players?

K: Well originally we were planning on putting together the show Great Expectations but after the cold reading the first day of auditions, I realized that that show wasn't the right choice for us. We wouldn't have been successful with this cast. You have to stay flexible and pliable when creating a show. That’s how you become successful and make discoveries. The boys wanted to do something physical and with contemporary language. The Outsiders was the perfect choice because, I mean, every other kid reads it in seventh grade. And the relationships between the socs and the greasers are so interesting and relate-able.  You know at Prep, the boys who do theatre are such a small group that they are kind of like outsiders too.

J: Do you have a favorite scene at this point?  Favorite character?

K: I think the “Rumble Scene” is my favorite because they worked really hard on it. There is a  lot of athleticism and bravado, and I think the boys really bonded over it and had fun. I don’t really have a favorite character but in general I just love the ensemble. It is more than an ensemble; it’s a brotherhood. It’s the idea that we are a family because we are chosen to be one, and the idea of each person watching out for the other.

J: What motivated your decision to double cast several of the roles?

K: It makes a bigger cast and gives more opportunities to more people. I believe that theatre is an under-appreciated art and I’ll take the people I can get, especially at a boys’ school.

J: Should the audience expect any surprises?

K: Haha, just that baseball players can act!

~Julie