KINGSTON, R.I. — Feb. 17, 2020 — It took Jeremy Chiang one semester to realize that music education wasn’t his cup of tea before he filled out the change of major form and signed on to study theater.

Chiang spends his time behind the curtains, focusing on stage design and directing at the University of Rhode Island. Now, in his final months before graduation, Chiang sees himself as having an “everything but acting” career in theater. He has been involved with more than 10 of the University’s mainstage productions.

Chiang, of South Kingstown, said stage design and directing appeal to him because of his mindset. He often thinks in pictures, and the ability to craft, rearrange and manipulate spaces allows him to convey the picture and message he imagines to the audience.

“As an artist, I really want to create something that has meaning in the world,” said Chiang, who recently designed the set for the URI Theatre Department’s upcoming “Richard III.” “As a director, you’re the author of a production, which allows my voice and my perspective to be heard. You are the mastermind of a production and can say, ‘This is my message that I’m putting out there.’”

Chiang’s experiences and efforts led to him being selected for this year’s regional Stage Directors and Choreographers Society Directing Initiative competition as part of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. He had to come to the festival prepared with a director’s journal/dramaturgy notebook, and the scene he had been preparing for about a month. Chiang’s scene was an excerpt from Paula Vogel’s “Indecent,” and URI students made up his entire cast.

Chiang was selected as one of four students out of 12 from New England as a finalist in the directing category.

“Going into the festival, I was very nervous,” he said. “I didn’t know if my scene was good, and I didn’t know what other people were bringing.”

Chiang was nervous about making it through the first round, never mind reaching the finals.

“Sitting through the first round and seeing the other 12 directors’ scenes, I noticed that a lot of people had brought the same scenes,” Chiang said. “It was interesting to see how they handled it, what their message was with the piece and how mine would compare.”

Chiang was sitting in a Domino’s when he found out that he had made it into the final round, and almost as soon as the euphoria hit, so did the second round of nerves. The next day, Chiang and the other three finalists were interviewed, given feedback on their director’s notebooks, questioned about who they are as an artist, and then given one hour and 45 minutes to change things around before the final showing.

The first round was open only to directors. But the final round was open for viewing to everyone who attended the festival, giving Chiang a much larger audience to present his work.

He credits Rachel Walshe, a lecturer of acting and playwriting in the URI Theatre Department, with giving him the confidence needed to excel in his field.

“She was a personal mentor through this whole experience, incredibly helpful and a great third-eye to have,” Chiang said. “I think she knew that at one point I needed to be more confident in my scene, and kept giving me positive feedback.”

The entire festival was an enlightening experience for Chiang. He was able to learn from people who had a different style of teaching and training than the faculty at URI. He was able to attend various workshops, learn about the other student-directors and was really enveloped in a world of artists with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

For after he graduates, Chiang has applied for a few apprenticeships in tech design and directing, and is hopeful to see where they take him.

Chiang was one of several URI Theatre students to earn honors at the festival. Alumna Emily Turtle ’19 reached the finals of the Maltby Prize in Musical Theatre, and Mary Mullane ’21 made the finals of the Irene Ryan Acting Competition. Melie Hayes received an honorable mention in Achievement in Allied Design and Technologies, and Magenta Kowlakowski an honorable mention in Region 1 Costume Design.

Ian Weiner, a senior journalism major and intern in the Department of Marketing and Communications, wrote this story.