In the director's chair

Roberto Marin hopes life won't imitate art for his directorial debut Friday at Harlem High School.

The school's annual faculty production marks the first time the 17-year-old senior will sit in the director's chair.

This year, the faculty will perform Faith County II, which showcases the havoc wreaked when a small town attempts to stage a production of Romeo and Juliet.

"In trying to put this production on, everything is going wrong," Marin said of the play's plot. "So far, everything has been going pretty well for me."

Marin, who is directing the play as part of his senior project, admitted to some initial uneasiness at directing a cast that included some of his former teachers.

"It was very interesting, because you're always taught as a child to respect your elders," he said. "Here I am, put in a completely different situation, telling them what to do and how to do it."

Eventually, his discomposure subsided, and the cast is working very well together, he said.

In addition to directing the play and preparing for his high school graduation, Marin also was prepping himself for an important audition, held Friday at the University of Northern Colorado.

Earlier this year, Marin participated in a group audition at the Georgia Theater Conference in front of drama scouts from 22 colleges and universities.

He received 12 callbacks, but a Northern Colorado representative took special notice of his talent, Marin said.

"I had never heard of the school before, but the representative was very interested in me," he said.

"After talking with him and finding out about the school, it became evident to me that this was a really good place for me to learn."

Marin said he wants to get a degree in musical theater and become a stage actor.

"If someone offers me gobs of money to be in their movie, I wouldn't turn them down," he said.

"But there's something about the stage and live theater that really draws at me.

"It has to be right every time, and you're really bringing people out of their reality and into your unreality."

Faith County II will be staged at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Harlem High. Tickets are $10.

Proceeds from the production go to the Harlem High Drama Boosters for drama scholarships.

For more information, call 556-5980.