Casey Bostian and the RRHS Thespians Impress with “Water Lily”
By Loree Johnson
Photo Courtesy of Melanie Estrada
Photo: Casey Bostian
Caption: “Water Lily” writer and director Casey Bostian
At the Winter Showcase on December 10th, RRHS junior Casey Bostian demonstrated his writing and directing talent with his one-act play “Water Lily.”
Bostian said he had always wanted to write “a character study about the growth of someone who has hit a rough patch and how it affects their work.”
Oliver, the main character, is a chef who has “put aside his inspiration and creativity” and has settled for running a restaurant.
Director of RRHS Hawk Theater Company Liana Carrasco praised Bostian’s initiative. She said he spent most of the fall break writing “this wonderful play” which was inspired by his favorite chefs.
She believes in letting students exercise their independence.
She stated, “I never want to get in the way of my students and their own creativity.”
The play was entirely student-led with Bostian as the director, RRHS junior Miren Miranda as the assistant director, and Carasco “mainly facilitating the technical aspects, such as arranging with the Culinary Arts department to provide dishes with authentic looking food and chef’s uniforms.”
She explained she had the costume crew place patches over the RRHS logo “to take us out of our Rio Rico world and take us into Casey’s world.”
Carrasco praised Bostian’s directing skill.
She said he helps the actors “really dive deep into their characters.”
RRHS junior Jorge Curiel, the actor who played “the critic” Jean Kilmer, also commented on Bostian’s special talent for helping actors become their characters.
He said, “You mix a little bit of yourself in them; it makes it more believable.”
Bostian even helped him speak with an authentic French accent.
He said he couldn’t have done it without “Casey’s tricks that helped him develop it in his own way that made it more natural.”
RRHS junior Atticus Birkett, who played Oliver, said that it is important to Bostian that actors exercise their own creativity.
He said, “Casey is a brilliant writer and was always helpful with directions of what he wanted but more so what I wanted. He always emphasized the actor's connection to the character.”
He really liked playing Oliver and identified with him because we all have “times when we are down on our luck or feeling like our past self was better.”
RRHS senior Carlos Perez was “surprised” and “happy” to receive the role of the second main character, Eric, one of Oliver’s protégés. He feels that he shares similar characteristics with Eric because he is also concerned about the happiness of others.
He stated, “Eric worries about Oliver because he sees him as a father figure.”
Miranda, in addition to being the assistant director, played the role of Jan Parker.
She said that they had been looking for a play since before fall break.
Bostian texted her during the break to say “I got it.” To her surprise, he said that he wrote it himself.
Because she was part of the casting crew, she never planned to audition because she felt it “wouldn’t be fair.”
However, one actor got sick a week before the production and another got sick the night before. Because she knew the script well, she decided to play the role herself.
Astoundingly, they put the entire production together in about a month and a half.
The Thespians are looking forward to the RRHS production of Grease March 23-25.
Bostian will be serving as assistant director and teaching acting.
Long term, he plans to apply to acting colleges and work in New York and eventually pursue a career in film.