Springfield resident to make theatrical directorial debut

Group in Xenia to tackle Oscar Wilde.

There’s an old showbiz saying about actors — what they really want to do is direct.

Count Connie Strait in that category.

The Springfield resident and longtime community theater actress will make her directorial debut this week with the Xenia Area Community Theater’s production of Oscar Wilde’s classic satire, “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

It opens at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 31, at the Xenia Area Community Theater, 45 E. Second St., and continues 7:30 p.m. April 1, 7 and 8 and 3 p.m. April 9.

“It’s exciting,” said Strait, who has performed in Springfield Civic Theatre, Springfield StageWorks and Ohio Performing Arts Institute productions. “This is one of my favorite plays.”

Strait said she’d thought about directing for a while, and with the need for directors in community theater productions and this title, the timing was right.

The transition to director has meant going from being concerned with saying lines and hitting marks to also thinking about lighting, sound, set design, costumes, props and scheduling.

But having been on the stage has helped, having acted everywhere from Springfield and Dayton to Chicago and Berlin, Germany.

“Acting gives you a big leg up on rehearsals,” Strait said. “It’s a challenge to get everybody in the same mindset. But I feel my vision was clear enough.”

Fellow Springfield Civic Theatre director and actress, Kathleen Day will perform in “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

The roles will be reversed in a few weeks when Day will return to the director’s chair and Strait to acting when Springfield Civic does “Rex’s Exes,” a sequel to last year’s “Red Velvet Cake War” May 19-20 at the John Legend Theater.

Strait said she’d like to direct again in the future but is eager to first share her vision with “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

“I hope people will come out and enjoy this classic,” she said.

Contact this contributing writer at bturner004@woh.rr.com.


How to go

What: “The Importance of Being Earnest”

Where: Xenia Area Community Theater, 45 E. Second St., Xenia

When: Friday, March 31, 6:30 p.m.; April 1, 7 and 8, 7:30 p.m.; April 9, 3 p.m.

Admission: $20 March 31; $14-17 all other performances

More info: 937-372-0516 or www.xeniaact.org/

About the Author