By Elana Volfinzon

Arts Reporter

Lizy Szanton, a junior at South, is lively, spirited student who has devoted much of her time to the arts. One of the most interesting aspect of Szanton is that she doesn’t just do one thing. Although she played a role is the musical Bat Boy several weeks ago, Szanton has assistant directed, designed costumes and props, and has been involved in singing, dancing, poetry, and really any other creative thing that goes on at South. In a nutshell, Szanton runs the aesthetics department.

In general, how long is the process from the time you receive your script to the time when you’re ready to perform the piece?

Fall auditions were right before finals and we were cast the week after, but we started rehearsing the last week of August, which means about six weeks to create a show! That’s pretty standard, though– bigger shows during winter season usually have closer to two months to rehearse.

What has been your favorite play to be a part of in South Stage and why?

I’m actually pretty new to the acting side of South Stage, so I don’t have a basis for comparison! I spent most of freshman and sophomore year dabbling– a combination tech (prop designing and assistant directing), acting, and other things involving singing, poetry, running, and creating art. It sometimes bothered me that I couldn’t find one activity that was a singular, all-consuming passion, but I don’t regret the experimentation. I think there’s a lot of pressure at the high school level to specialize, and I think that’s absurd! No 17 year old should have to have their whole life figured out, and the world– both at South and outside of it– is full of variety and wonder.

When did you start acting– what pulled you in and made you realize your passion for acting?

I started acting at a day camp in elementary school, but I was pretty shy then and followed my best friend into going. Playing Golde (the Jewish mother) from Fiddler on the Roof in the fifth grade musical at Zervas, was what made me realize that there was something magical about performing. I also think acting is a strange because it touches on the narcissism within us, and because it encourages (and literally applauds) the loud, the showy, and the attention-stealing– all things we generally discourage in the fight to be considerate, decent people. Acting is peeling yourself open while wearing the skin of another person. I guess in that way it’s both natural and unnatural.

Are you planning to be a part of any other productions this year?

I’m not sure yet what I’ll be involved with this year.

How are the incredible costumes made and where do you get them?

Our costumes [for Bat Boy] were designed by the wonderful Morgan Truncer! There’s a whole crew of brilliant costume goddesses who work in the costume room (in the basement under the lab theater) to design, find, alter and sew costumes for the whole cast. It’s pretty incredible, and takes an absurd amount of talent and effort.

What was your favorite part about Bat Boy in terms of cast, costumes, and overall experience?

The best part about Bat Boy was undeniably the cast. It’s impossible not to feel close to people after spending over seventy hours with them, and I became closer with some really incredible souls!

Was it hard playing the role of the opposite gender? What did you like and dislike?

When I first was cast, I was a bit surprised and unsure. It’s generally the goal to really become your character to the extent that you “don’t have to act”, but I have no idea what it feels like to be a man, let alone a middle-aged hardware-store-owner from West Virginia (the character I created for myself, because you gotta do something to make two lines interesting). I didn’t know how to make the part feel authentic without falling into the deep, dark hole of method acting. I had a lot of fun with the part, though, once I realized I began to talk and carrying my body differently. It helped that the show was a satire based on types, or caricatures. It also helped to not take myself too seriously. Then the fun could start.

What are other plays and events that Newton South students can look forward to seeing this year?

I’m psyched to see Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead– a funky, existentialist play that’s the result of a collaboration with North and some remarkable co-directing by Abby Lass. R&G performs the last week of October. The blowout winter musical this year is Rent, and the winter play is a Commedia dell’Arte show, which is a sort of organized improv show. Spring always features student directing festival and a joint North-South Shakespeare production. Another show is Frosh, the freshman play that performs the third week of November. It’s a really wonderful thing that introduces nineth graders to South Stage, but it can also feel like jumping into a cold lake to transition from Frosh Play to the bigger world of South Stage. Freshmen: if you love it, pursue it. It’s not going to be easy at first, but if you keep auditioning, you will get into a show. And don’t listen to the people who will doubt you.