Lisa：Acting is like exploring another version of myself

I have been experiencing the power of drama because it makes me act another person, different from me. It makes me show another person’s life and personality, just like exploring another version of myself.

Lisa de Boer

14 Years Old

Dulwich College Beijing

Director of Creative Realization and Technology of Drama Festival

Q：As a member on the creative team, how do you comment on the festival?

A：I think this drama festival is very successful and interesting. The day before the performance, I was still worried if the audience would feel bored because each play lasted a long time. Actually, when the play was on, we perfectly arranged the time for all steps, so the audience were totally attracted to both the play and the games. Anyway, it’s the first time for us to organize such an activity, so there were still many things that we could improve. I believe we can do better next time.

Q: Now that the festival has ended, can you “replay” how you were feeling?

A：On the day of the performance, Ms. Guoguo and I were selling peripheral products of the festival. I saw the audience were all very happy, and their happiness infected us and made us happy too. They liked our peripheral products and actively participated in various games and activities. I feel so proud because it’s we who made this festival.

Q：During the whole process from preparation to performance, what scenarios are most memorable to you?

A：What happened on the day of the performance impressed me most. Before the performance, we all actors were putting on makeup in a big tent at the back of the venue. We were happy but we were also nervous and even a bit worried.

At that moment, I was so grateful for the drama festival because I learned a lot here and made many friends. On that day, some “accidents” happened. When we were still changing the light for one “planet”, the actor had begun to speak, but the microphone was still off. Since we had never performed a rehearsal with the light on, we were worried such an accident would affect the actor’s performance.

When this happened, my heart began to tug at it. Fortunately, the actor seemed not affected. He was even more engaged in his performance with a louder voice. Since we did not use microphones in our rehearsals, actors were used to speaking loudly. Even the audience far behind can hear the actor’s voice. In this way, we went through this unexpected “accident”.

Q：In this drama festival, you were an actor as well as director of creative realization and technology. These were all first-time experiences for you. How do you feel about this?

A：I really want to try these first-time experiences. Looking back, I think I could do some jobs better. For example, since I spent so much time on planning, I ended up with insufficient time for implementation. Next time, I would manage time more efficiently.

Q：What do you think is your biggest challenge this drama festival?

A：The biggest challenge is what I just said about time management, knowing what to do and when.

Q：After participating in the drama festival, how do you feel about the power of drama?

A：Drama is fun. I used to join in some drama activities and performances, so this time I did not gain much new knowledge about drama, but I have been experiencing the power of drama because it makes me act another person, different from me. It makes me show another person’s life and personality, just like exploring another version of myself.

Q：Have you gained any new understanding about yourself after participating in this festival?

A：This is the first time for me to be a leader, so I improved my leadership skills. For example, during the rehearsal, I helped my teammate rehearse lines and helped her act. By doing so, my teammate made progress and I gained benefits too.

At first, she was not very enthusiastic about acting, and she was not related to her role. After some time, we became friends, and she was more willing to accept my advice. We discussed that role, including how to speak at a certain time and how to perform freely.

After much practice, she gained a deeper insight into her role, and she was able to perform this role according to her own understanding. Both of us benefited from this learning process.

Q：Have you thought about trying a new role or new position in the next festival?

A：I have a wide range of interests. This time, I not only acted but also did the scene design. To be honest, I feel restricted when acting because I frequently come up with my own ideas. When seeing others act, I always want to instruct them to do this or that. But I am not the director, so they should listen to the director, not me. Next time, I want to be a director because I have my ideas and I would like to help others improve their understanding of drama.