"I always trust the Gordon's Fisherman," declares Spencer Ellsworth to the class of theater students, who grin broadly as they applaud his monologue. Some people call out comments on his performance, and chuckles break out anew when one student remarks upon the over-exaggerated mime used. Such mistakes are common to all present, though, and so Spencer shakes his head wryly in acknowledgment and promises to do better next time. This is the prevalent mood of the Washington-Lee theater department: a combination of dedication to excellence, originality, and a good sense of humor.
There are many celebrated actors sitting in this circle, and not a few promising talents. Ellsworth himself has received commendation for his acting from several sources, including the Folger Library's Shakespeare Festival judges; he accepts his criticism with grace, confident in his own abilities. Someone else already walks forward to begin, and the process starts again with performance and peer feedback. These actors don't limit themselves to comedy, as one after another they explore themes of love, illness, and social standards without reservation for themselves or their audience. The exercise is designed to help each student explore his or her creative limits by creating a character with opposing traits. For example, an outgoing girl portrays a submissive wallflower, or a shy boy puts everything on the line as he performs in drag.
Exploring limits has been a theme of this theater program for the past few years as director and teacher Pamela Ricker dares her students to move beyond comfort levels, both within acting and the choice of text. Avant-garde playwrights such as Georg Kaiser and Bertold Brecht find their way to high positions upon this stage; Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle took its place as the featured autumn play during last year's season. But little-known writers cannot inspire all that makes up a thought-provoking show. Actors must invest their very selves in the characters they strive to create; technical crews must commit to the overall artistic vision and give countless hours toward its realization; directors must infuse each person with a lust for precision. All are integral, and none plays a mediocre role.
With such a goal continually in mind, Washington-Lee theatre invigorates and engulfs those who enter it. These students represent the epitome of amateurism: art for the sake of art, toil for the love of expression. What's more, they give their reputations up to the world's scrutiny through their choice of texts. Instead of insisting on the great plays tested by time, they select from our unsung heroes. This theater works upon the concept that obscurity indicates only a lack of proper attention, and it is determined to bring a hidden America into the spotlight.