James Weippert '14: A Director in the Making

by Stephen Levine

The New York Theatre Workshop’s Summer Residency (June 17–June 26, 2014) is hosted by Adelphi University this year. With a focus on directors as initiators and/or significant collaborators on theatre productions, six Adelphi students will be participating in various capacities this year.

One of them has returned for a second consecutive year, and brought a healthy set of expectations as a result of his experience at last year’s residency.

“Last year’s residency was fantastic,” said James Weippert ’14, a former theatre major. “I learned so much in such a short period of time, and it was absolutely thrilling.”

The residency is providing playwrights and directors with the time, space and opportunities to collaborate and fine-tune their works. The experience has helped Mr. Weippert change the way he manages his artistic process during his last year at Adelphi. Mr. Weippert said the residency has served as an “eye-opener,” and inspired him to try a lot of different techniques he hadn’t considered prior to his attendance the first year.

According to Mr. Weippert, the best aspects of last year’s residency was the inclusion of the students and the hands-on experience he gained.

“We got to sit in on all of the meetings, participate in discussions with these huge directors and playwrights from the industry, and actually give our input to them, “he said. “We were treated as their equals, and that made it all the better.”

Being familiar with the residency will allow Mr. Weippert to enjoy the experience even more his second year—he had no reservations and was eager to see the progression of last year’s fellows in the projects they discussed last summer.

It has also encouraged him to continue to grow in the field that he loves.

“As an artist, but more importantly as person, I can never stop learning and growing,” he said. “Nothing in the arts, or in life for that matter, is ever exactly the same twice in a row. So by doing this residency a second time I’ve been able to reconnect with people from last year, and meet new people.”

Now as an Adelphi alum, Mr. Weippert’s experience in the residency often comes up as a topic of conversation. He draws upon the knowledge and experience he acquired in the residency, as well as four years in Adelphi’s theatre programs to break into a tough industry.

“I plan on just going out and auditioning for things,” Mr. Weippert explained. “I’d like to get into more film work, as that really interests me. Here at Adelphi I also found a love for directing, so that’s something I’d like to explore more, too.”