From Performance to Direction, a Passion Project. Q&A Interview with Zavier Garcia.

November 27, 2021. By Megan Gleason

Zavier Garcia (Center), following his directorial debut. (Courtesy of Stephanie Darrow).

Passion is something people spend the majority of their lives looking for, so how lucky can one be to find it before they’re 15. Zavier Garcia, a 22 year-old actor and director, has found his passion in theater. In Port Chester, NY, theater has been something that has brought the community together and enriched the lives of many students and adults alike. Garcia, an alum of the Port Chester High School theater department, has taken time off the stage and decided to dabble in directing. On November 27, following the opening weekend of his most recent production “Around the World in 8 Plays,” we were able to meet at the local theater to discuss what led him to this decision to direct and what his journey as a director has been like.

Q. How long has theater been a part of your life?

1. Theatre has been present in my life since I was a child, a little over a decade at this point. The roots of it all mainly began when my parents would take me to see broadway productions and I fell in love with everything I was witnessing. None of it felt real, and I knew I wanted to be part of this somehow.

Q. How has it shaped you as a person?

A. My love for this art has changed my life in ways simply beyond words. Some of my core memories were from cherished experiences on the stage. It has taught me so much and many lessons I am so grateful for. I have been able to meet people, some of which are now easily my favorite to walk this planet and our family. My craft has given me room to exhale in spaces in my life where I felt suffocated. I would be a very lost soul without this light in my life.

Q. You have, in the last couple of years, shifted your focus from on stage to behind the scenes, what drove that decision?

A. To be quite honest, it was really me finding a way back to my roots as a kid. Early on I started off wanting to really be a director above all else. My origin is through writing, and building stories, and shaping them into something bigger than what was written on-page. In my old apartment building, I would actually be known for creating my own puppet

shows and performing them in the living room for a bunch of my neighbors. I’d write a script, make tickets out of construction paper and perform all the roles myself. Apparently, they were actually quite good. Performing is always going to be something I’d love to still take part in some way, but I am a creator at heart.

Q. What has that transition been like?

1. Educating yet challenging to say the least however I surprised myself with what I was capable of. The last few years it seemed like my only focus was mainly geared towards gaining a spotlight which clouded other options I had. I never could have predicted being in the position I am in now. I have been able to step back and learn about aspects of the production I never stopped paying attention to, and even if I did decide to shift back to mainly being a performer, I’m glad to have all the background knowledge I do. I have had a great support system and program to work with through it all which is an immense help. After a lot of consistency, and learning not just from fellow production team members but my actors, who inspire me deeply, I feel more confident for sure.

Q. What has been the hardest part about directing? Specifically with high school performers?

1. Prior to the pandemic, the most difficult was really finding my own methods of how to work with actors differently. Everyone is different, and not everyone responds in the same way. Being able to recognize some of the ways each kid catches on is important, especially for high schoolers because these are not professionals, they’re kids and young adults. For most future artists, a lot of their passion starts here, and I understand and take that responsibility very seriously.

Q. What’s the most rewarding?

1. My most recent work in co-directing the latest fall production: “Around the World in 8 Plays”, I had some moments with my actors that really struck a chord. As I said before, I recognize the responsibility I have. Witnessing the growth these actors had, especially with a good portion of them either being new to our specific theatre program or new to theatre entirely, is so enriching. Not only as performers but as individuals, you can just see their newfound confidence. By the final performances, many had come and said they truly feel they now want to make something of this experience outside the high school and build new dreams in theatre. Through them, I have been able to quietly relive some of my greatest moments on the very same stage they stand on. It’s beautiful honestly, and ridiculously rewarding.

Q. Do you consider this a hobby or a career path?

1. I certainly consider this a career path, and at this point, everything else literally bores me except for this entire art through stage and even film. I cannot imagine myself doing anything else at all.

Q. Why do you think theater is important not just to students but to culture and society?

1. There are so many elements in theatre that can be spoken about for days. This art is rooted in so much soul that it creates a culture where people can learn and grow individually but also united. A theatre is a raw form of expression, live with no b-roll to rely on, purely what is right in front of you. There is so much to be learned through this craft, and it is never ending and nurturing.