Young director takes the stage

WASILLA – Mariah Schachle has been hanging around Valley Performing Arts for over five years, but never with responsibility quite like this. At just 22, she’s at the helm of Season 40’s premiere show, “Jane Eyre.” Along with her siblings Wasilla High senior Stefani and older brother Luke – she has dedicated hundreds of hours to this dramatic tale and its ensemble cast.

Schachle spent her childhood as a homeschooled gymnast, and was later drawn to scriptwriting in a Wasilla High videography course. A classmate tipped her off to community theater, and she began auditioning. With just four major plays under her belt as an actor, she can now add director to her resume. Weeknights through the late summer were filled with blocking and sound checks, and weekends now have a Gothic luster as the conflicted late 1800s tale visits Wasilla.

Schachle stepped in with confidence and the ease of partnering with her siblings. After selecting a cast, she immediately compiled and distributed a calendar of the upcoming three months, and wore a path from her day job as a teacher at Denali Gymnastics to the Fred and Sara Machetanz Theatre on Swanson Avenue in Wasilla. The siblings’ easygoing temperaments are disarming, each giving a nod to the other when it comes to the logistics of such a major project.

“I don’t do anything here, I’m just the stage manager,” said 24-year-old Luke, an engineer by trade.

In reality, the stage manager must be on call for expectations onstage, as well as behind-the-scenes during performances. Sister Stefani has assisted with props and costuming, as well as wrangling the nearly 40-member cast through scene changes and corrective notes.

“I couldn’t do this without her, wouldn’t want to, anyway,” Mariah said.

When asked about the biggest surprise of the directorial process, Schachle described the joy of seeing weeks of tedium and attention to detail transformed to a fluid, commanding story. She sees a parallel between the creative process and a duck gliding above water, with unseen constant motion propelling it beneath the surface. The cast and crew are often giddy to know the small errors or frantic repairs, which are sometimes part of an otherwise seamless performance. It seems to unify the players – these dropped lines or abandoned props which the average watcher is unaware of. She notes the actors all deserve the heartfelt response their talents have elicited from audiences since the play opened Sept. 11.

“Every person in there is a volunteer,” she said, motioning to the well-lit house on a recent weeknight. “It’s just the coolest way to come together, not chasing personal glory at all, but telling a story.”

Raised by local entrepreneurs, the trio had no formal theatrical background beyond Mariah and Stefani acting in various plays. Both Mariah and Stefani look forward to expanding their newfound skills into directing comedies or musicals.

For all its demands, Schachle has grown into the role of director with enthusiasm.

“You have to love it. It’ll never feel like work once it’s in your blood.”

Valley Performing Arts’ production of “Jane Eyre” continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Sept. 27. Showtimes are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m on Sunday. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $18 for students and seniors. For more information, visit the VPA website at valleyperformingarts.org.

Tiffany Borges is a freelance writer from Wasilla.