As the theater lights flicker indicating the audience to take their seats, the curtain is prepped, the actors say their final prayers, and the director anxiously waits – waits to see their imagination come to life.

“I really, really, love directing,” Maya Hardison, 19, studio art major said. “I’m in an auditioning class, but I’m really torn because I really love doing both. I really love acting and playing characters but I love directing and seeing a vision come to life.”

Soft black curls that bounce to one side of her head, she coyly breaks into girlish excitement as she recalls how her journey began. “I graduated [from Culver City High School] in 2012, so I have been attending EC since [that] fall,” Hardison said. “I am a visual art major but I do a lot of work in theatre.”

During her formative years, the Los Angeles native was first introduced to the theatre realm just a few years ago through a program called Possibility Project of Los Angeles, a program that gave young students the opportunity to experience theatre and arts.

“This program took kids from different parts of L.A. county – they didn’t cast us based on our ability to act or sing or anything like that, but casted us on our drive and compassion in wanting to make a difference in our neighborhood,” Hardison explained. “Through the process of improve and pulling improve from real moments in our lives we would create original musicals. I was cast as one of the leads and it was very terrifying for me because it was my first time on stage.”

Prior to the current One Act, Hardison has never participated in an EC theatre production, nonetheless was thrust into directing by her trusted advisor following her initial exposure to EC theatre classes.

“I didn’t even think about directing until [Scarlatta] mentioned it to me. I think he picked me because he saw my work ethic,” Hardison recalls.

“I’m an artist, but I’m also an academic person – I like to have everything organized and get all my work done and just really like to be on top of things. And I think he noticed that in my work – I turned in all of my assignments and made sure to get good grades.”

Ronald Scarlatta, Theatre professor, is Hardison’s most notable acting teacher and happily confirms to be the one that pushed her into the directing direction.

“She’s a special lady – she has a real strong core and (is) very disciplined,” Scarlatta said about Hardison. “She loves acting and one of the things that a director has to do besides being creative is organized and have that follow through – she has all that.”

“She has really good insight into the characters and also a really good work ethic,”

Scarlatta said. “The director [has to] hold the whole project together, especially in an educational setting – where people are coming in with different levels of commitment and discipline – she’s got that core of commitment that inspires her actors.”

Hardison recalls the directing class as being pivotal in recognizing the demand of being in the director’s position and recognizing what it takes to do so.

“It consists of eight or nine students that are picked by [Scarlatta],” Hardison recalls about the production class. “It is very intensive and we work together, we become very close and by the end of the semester we each make a ten minute play that we cast from open casting calls for students at [EC]… We pick the music, we pick the lights, we do everything.”

Kate Graham, 23, theatre major, was in the directing class last semester along Hardison and is proud to be working under her direction for the first time.

“She’s a really hard worker – this isn’t even her major – but she’s so dedicated to it,” Graham said.

“She’s so organized and has a strong work ethic, you always feel like she’s in control – especially as a director, she knows exactly what she wants and she’s really good at getting it – and in a positive way.”

It was after being exposed to these types of valuable experiences and opportunity that Hardison found not only her niche but her passion.

”I have [always] been really, really into movies. What compelled me so much is that people could create stories and could become a part of my life in some way,” Hardison says as she recalls her childhood inspirations.

“So my dream with art – art in general – because I’ve always seen drawing as a medium to create life and bring a story – because really I’m a story teller and that’s why I love directing so much,” Hardison said.

“I’ve always just really wanted to bring something to life and kind of impose on other people that feeling of – this is something personal to me and I can connect to this and I can bring this back up whenever I feel down or it can remind me of a place I once was. I just feel like art really affects people and I want to help affect other people.”

The One Act Plays are on Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11.