During the first few rehearsals without the aid of scripts, student director junior Danielle Stompoly runs off and on stage, reciting her own lines and helping out backstage, feeding her fellow actors any forgotten lines or on-stage movements.

For each production, director Jon Copeland receives help from a select number of student directors, like Stompoly. This year’s student directors include Stompoly, juniors Claire Biles and Bethany Coleman, sophomores Savannah Hurd and Kelsey Poje and freshman Julia Feuerborn.

“When we started double casting and adding performances, it just became more important to have student directors to help run the alternate cast rehearsals if I’m up on stage with the other group,” Copeland said. “There would be no way they would be ready if they didn’t have other repetitions.”

Students who are interested in student directing must apply at the time of audition. The application includes questions regarding their skills, goals as a student director and personal acting philosophies.

One major difference in this year’s spring production from past shows is that, instead of one play, there are three one-act plays, each with a different story line.

According to Stompoly, a third-year student director, this change has resulted in a greater need for assistance from student directors than past productions.

“We’re all stretched pretty thin,” Stompoly said. “There’s six of us and we’re all doing eight different things at once … We just have to juggle a little bit more and be a little bit more flexible with how things go and help keep the peace between everybody and make it easier for the actors to kind of get through everything.”

First-year student director freshman Julia Feuerborn learned that student directing requires the ability to keep the cast focused.

You have to be OK with putting your foot down,” Feuerborn said. “[The actors] have so much chemistry … that sometimes they won’t get everything done that they need to.”

Despite all the responsibilities, Feuerborn saw student directing as an opportunity to give her own input on the production and enjoy all three of the one-act performances.

“I like seeing all the casts and knowing they actually care about what I think about their scene,” Feuerborn said. “This is a three one-act extravaganza, so I’d only get to see one show. But, as a student director, I get to see all three shows.”

After three years of student directing, Stompoly said she has become more outgoing and encourages other students to apply.

“I’ve become much more vocal with [my] own opinions and ideas,” Stompoly said. “It’s definitely a good experience for someone who is quieter. It gives them a chance to be heard and then run with that from there.”