Hana Keegan (The British Virgin Islands, UWC Atlantic College 2011-2013, Pearson Seminar on Youth Leadership 2013) is directing the production of Waiting for Lefty, a feisty 1930s play, at the Crested Butte Mountain Theatre in Colorado, USA. Her passion for theatre began whilst studying with Dave Booker at UWC Atlantic College. Here is her story.

Hana always felt drawn to topics related to social and climate justice. At UWC, she worked as the Chair of the Sustainability Council, organising a two-day extracurricular conference and developing the Atlantic College Sustainability Charter. Although Hana found immense joy during her IB theatre classes, she prioritised what felt like more useful, academic subjects. During her first year at College of the Atlantic, Hana consistently decided to not take theatre courses, following an inner narrative that theatre was not as valuable as, for example, economics. It was whilst attending the UNFCCC COP21 in Paris that Hana witnessed the bureaucratic nature of international negotiations. The experience opened her eyes to the immediacy of working with a group to create a performance and then share it. The following semester Hana performed in a student production of The Sneeze, a series of comic skits by Anton Chekhov, and in an outdoor spectacle performance of The Odyssey with the Double Edge Theatre collective.

“My professors and peers have rigorously challenged me to question what is “political,” what it actually means to take “world changing” action. I have come to see the act of creating, sharing and going to see live theatre as a profoundly political act in and of itself” she reflects”, says Hana .

Hana is now embarking on an independent project during which she will form and direct a company of actors to produce Waiting for Lefty in Crested Butte, Colorado. Written by Clifford Odets and first produced by the Group Theatre in 1935, Waiting For Lefty is a feisty, agit-prop play popularly known as a classic example of American theatre activism. “I chose this play because it is an unapologetically fast-paced investigation of how and why we decide to take political action,” says Hana. “In consideration of the recent presidential elections, the underpinning questions of the play feel particularly relevant. How, when, and why do we choose to act? How does our gender, race, ethnicity, age, education or class influence how we engage with a political movement?”

Hana is excited to explore how Waiting For Lefty may be meaningful to Crested Butte through working with locals and investigating the town’s mining history. Eighteen community members were recently cast in the play and it is hoped that more will help with other aspects of production.

“I’m excited to see if the process of producing this play will build community and stimulate conversations about socio-economic gentrification, town policy and what it means to be politically engaged” she says.

Rehearsals for Waiting for Lefty began the first week of January 2017 with final performances between March 2nd and 5th. In addition, Hana will be running a weekly, youth drama club and hosting community discussions about the play and the questions it raises.

“I strongly believe that theatre practitioners do not create work to impart a pre-determined message. Instead, we create work that is personally meaningful, share it on stage and then ask the audience: “what did that mean to you?” This is where the most exciting conversations begin.” she wrote.

Follow Hana’s production process on this blog or like the Waiting for Lefty’s Facebook Page.