In the Tank with Marlie Kass '23

Award-winning student director showcases her talent at Brimmer.

We caught up with Brimmer Lifer Marlie Kass ’23 to discuss the debut of her student-directed play In the Tank and to hear more about her experiences in the Creative Arts over the years.

Was this your first directing role? What was one challenge you tackled, and what was the most exciting and enjoyable part for you?

Directing is an aspect of theater I have always been interested in pursuing, and while I had previously directed shows outside of Brimmer, I knew that tackling the student directed play this year would bring its own unique challenges and rewards. The greatest surprises certainly came up towards the beginning. There were many things I realized I needed to account for, including time restraints, scheduling, cast size, technical elements, and more, before I could even start planning rehearsals. Let’s just say that many, many spreadsheets and Google forms were created in those first couple weeks!

Fortunately, I eventually landed on a perfect show and an amazing cast and was ready to begin! Unfortunately, by that point, I had only three weeks until the set date of the show! So began what was probably the quickest, but one of the most fun, rehearsal periods I have ever experienced. I would spend the day planning rehearsal, taking notes, and rereading the script between classes, and then running rehearsal and writing reflections in the evening. I was pretty used to working on the Zoom stage by that point, and what could have been more perfect for that medium than a play with characters literally trapped in a glass box? So, I had fun playing around, designing and creating virtual backgrounds, and choosing sound effects and music. The small cast ensured that rehearsals could be flexible, and we could really spend time focusing on what truly needed our attention. By the time show week rolled around, I was more than proud to put the posters up around the School. The actual night of the show involved a lot of me running back and forth between my room where I had the show running and watching it and listening to my parents laughing downstairs. It flew by so quickly, but I truly savored every single minute of it.

Tell us a little about what you are focusing on in the Creative Arts Diploma Program (CAP) and outside of Brimmer.

My first year in CAP looked unusual, to say the least, considering I was focusing on performing arts in a year where most performances were unable to happen in person. However, I worked hard to have a productive year, and I’m so thankful for all I still got to do. Of course, there was the Upper School play and musical that, even if they looked very different, gave me the experience of exploring and learning a new show, or a very, very new show in regard to the musical, where it was a completely original script.

Outside of School, I was certainly never bored! One thing that has been a surprising plus is that over the past year and a half, I’ve been able to be involved in things virtually that I would not have been able to do otherwise, especially in regard to out-of-state programs. I had a wonderful time being involved with a wonderful theater based in New York last year and over the summer, and I also enjoyed being part of a teen Shakespeare performing troupe on Zoom for a few weeks. I’ve also spent a lot of time on my playwriting, writing several new plays, some of which got readings in different festivals and such. Other than that, I try to always stay involved and engaged with theater, whether that’s continuing voice lessons, writing workshops and classes, reading new scripts, or simply discovering and listening to new cast recordings! Over the summer, I headed out to my camp, where I was able to not only perform on an actual stage with costumes, sets, and lights for the first time since 2020, but I was also selected for the opportunity to workshop, direct, and produce a play I wrote. Words cannot possibly express how much I was looking forward to it!

What have you learned during your first year in CAP? What do you hope to accomplish by the time you graduate?

In my first year of CAP, I’ve learned that even in times where everything seems to be falling apart, I can still always turn to what I love to do, even if it’s not always what I expect. My CAP journal and Instagram account have been extremely helpful tools for me to record what I’ve been doing; I can then use them to look back on later and see my thoughts and growth. It really has given me a focus point to check in with myself and make sure I have a path for where I want to be going.

By the time I graduate, my one goal is to have done and grown as much as possible! However, I’m not sure what exactly that will look like yet, which is what actually excites me. Of course, I’d love to be actually performing in and directing more shows, but I know opportunities and surprises will come from the most unexpected places, and I can’t wait to see what they’ll become!

Can you share a fond memory or two from your time in the Lower/Middle School performances? Any reflections on how you’ve grown as an artist since then?

I remember that, even way back in Kindergarten, drama was the highlight of my week. It was so much of a standout that I had a dress with movie tickets printed on it in a pattern that I would insist on wearing every single day we had drama class just to celebrate. The excitement I had from finally becoming a “big kid” and performing on the stage in front of the School for the first time, whether that was in the third grade French play or the fourth and fifth grade musicals, still makes me smile when I think of it. I wish my Lower School self could see me now and know that we didn’t lose that joy and excitement, but if anything, it grew stronger and now we’re always finding ways to keep ourselves immersed in the theater world nearly every single day.

The greatest way I think I’ve grown as an artist is through realizing it’s not about the end point; it’s not just about getting that role or being in that show, but it’s about loving what you do, taking joy in creating something new, and just sitting back and enjoying the ride. It’s something I try to remind myself when I need it, and I’ve found that that’s what has kept me motivated to continue to grow and do what I love. ■

Marlie performs with classmate Edan Zinn ‘23 in the Grades 4 & 5 Musical Princess Whatsername.Marlie performs with classmate Edan Zinn ‘23 in the Grades 4 & 5 Musical Princess Whatsername.

Marlie performs in the Middle School production of James and the Giant Peach.