Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons
By Sam Steiner
Director
Produced by University Theatre, Winter 2026
Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons is the first-ever University Theatre production to be directed by an undergraduate student….
at the University of Oregon Department of Theatre Arts. This opportunity was given through the Undergraduate Student Director Pilot Project created in collaboration with directing and acting faculty, Tricia Rodley and me. Within this production, I was given the resources traditionally provided to faculty and professional directors. This allowed me to hone my craft as a director in a professional environment.
Lemons…, being a 90-minute two-person play, challenged me as a director to create a clear, engaging story, dynamic stage pictures, and characters and situations you feel connected to. The script structure of Lemons sets a non-traditional, non-linear story, with scenes ranging from 1 word to 10 pages, shifting from one scene to the next in a matter of seconds. To further incorporate strong designed storytelling into my production, I felt inspired to blend film to lengthen certain transitions between scenes to incorporate the strong designs from costumes, props, lighting, sound, and projections.
Working with Cinematographer, Ella Moriatry…
I was able to create and add an original cinematic story element to the stage play. The non-linear fashion of the text made these scenes between Bernadette and Oliver feel like flashing memories. Flashing from the most romantic moments, tender in bed, and flashing to the loudest argument they’ve ever had. To maintain this memory narrative structure, I used film snippets of the two in their life, holding hands in a park, cooking dinner, watching TV, with subtextual context to the health of their relationship.
This allowed me to strengthen my skills by taking the role of a film director. By working with my stage actors on acting for the screen, and my cinematographer and editor, Moriatry, to weave this cinematic element seamlessly into a play.
These sections of film were woven into the text carefully and acted as a memory reel for the audience to reflect on. Before the final scene of the play, the projections are acknowledged onstage, allowing the character to reflect on the growth and decay of their relationship before speaking their final lines.
Final Cuts by Cinematographer & Editor, Ella Moriatry:
Still Shots Cinematographer & Editor, Ella Moriatry:
Press:
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University Theatre: Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Preview: