The singer, actress and Broadway dreamer, is directing two one-act plays written by a Moses Lake student a few years ago. So far, the transition has been easy.

“This is my first time being able to direct and it’s so much fun,” Gish said. “When I first read a script, I always visualize the characters, the setting and the way I want the play to go. Now I get to have the play done through my vision.”

Gish gets to make her own rules.

“I get to chose exactly what I want to focus on each day,” she said. “As an actress, your job is to help out the director, but now people are helping me out.”

The plays are a part of Masque and Gavel, the high school’s drama group. Residents can watch the plays Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. at the high school theater.

“I thought both plays were really funny,” Gish said. “They are stupid funny, which is what my dad likes. Whoever comes will laugh because the characters are so odd.”

The plays are “Hansel and Gretel and Jack and the Beanstalk/Batman and Robin.” Hansel and Gretel is the traditional story of children finding a gingerbread house and trying to escape the evil witch living inside of it.

“Hansel and Gretel is the familiar story, but slightly different than how we all know it,” Gish said, a mischievous smile on her face. “Both plays focus on the characters and what happens when they meet each other in unusual situations.”

Jack and the Beanstalk/Batman and Robin features the character Jack selling his cows for money and getting magic beans instead. The story takes on a new twist as Jack climbs the bean stalk and finds Batman and Robin battling the Joker.

“I like that there is a lack of a story in both plays, really,” said Isaac Jensen, senior and actor. “There’s just random silliness in each play that is a lot of fun.”

Gish remained calm and smiling as actors came to her with questions while she set up the stage.

“Go put your costume on and get ready,” Gish said to several actors laughing around her.

The students listened to Gish and asked her for acting advice.

“She’s a good director and she gets things done,” Jensen said. “She is not afraid to tell people what to do firmly, but she never does it to the point where it bothers people. As a director, you can’t be a pushover because then no one will listen to you and Rebecca has the perfect balance.”

Things didn’t look so promising for Gish at the beginning.

“There were two people that tried out and one dropped out,” Gish said. “It took me another week to get everyone else on board.”

Gish then had to plan practices around different schedules.

“The hardest part has been attendance,” Gish said. “Everyone is so busy. But we’ve managed to get it together and adjust.”

The 11 student actors have been hard at work since January and are ready to perform.

“Everyone has been great,” Gish said. “It’s awesome bonding with the students. I yell at them when I have to, but they know I love them.”

The experience taught Gish how to be a better actress. She plans on pursuing acting when she graduates.

“This has helped me look at myself as an actress,” Gish said. “Usually when I’m in plays, I look at one character and imagine how they are. Here, I’ve looked at every character and tried to get into their minds.”

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