JustArts: How did you decide to pursue theater after Brandeis?Deborah Finkelstein: Theater has always been my first love, so there was nothing to decide.

JA: Did you participate in any plays during your experience at Brandeis?

DF: I was in a couple Hillel Theater Group musicals, Penelope and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as well of Taming of the Shrew with Hold Thy Peace. I actually am a founding member of Hold Thy Peace and directed both Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) and Merchant of Venice.

I also produced Shrew and Merry Wives of Windsor and stage managed The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged). I didn't do any of the Brandeis Theater Company shows, but I did minor in theater here and take several acting classes, which I still remember fondly and take things from on a regular basis.

JA: What is your role in the Gazebo Players?

DF: I'm on Gazebo's board and I've been directing, producing and acting in their plays since 2006. They mostly do summer Shakespeare in the Park and I was lucky enough to direct Twelfth Night last year. This year a friend of mine, Shelby Bleweis from Brandeis, directed Love's Labour's Lost for them and I was cast alongside another alumna, Pheobe Roberts-and the producer, Amy Klesert '09 was also a Brandeis alumna!

JA: What have been some difficulties in directing your current play?

DF: The biggest difficulty has been the lack of time. I co-wrote Crazy Shakespeare! with 2 other board members at the end of the summer and then the board looked for a director and so by the time I knew I was directing and we put out the first casting notice we only had 2 1/2 weeks before the performance (which is a 15 min play created for Medfield Day).

The next problem was finding the cast because it was such short notice and people are so busy and already have plans. I think we're all set now though-I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

JA: How long have you been involved in theater productions?

DF: I've been doing theater since kindergarten. I was lucky that Natick, where I grew up had lots of theater that kids could do through the town. I really started learning about theater in Natick Drama Workshop, which is a middle school musical theater program where kids learn by doing. It's great and I'm actually their assistant director and stage manager and I still adore the program!

JA: Have you focused on mainly Shakespeare-oriented plays?

DF: I grew up doing musicals and sort of discovered Shakespeare in college. For some reason I tend to only cast in Shakespeare or musicals. ... I'm actually working on getting Gazebo Players to do a production of The Crucible that I would direct-which is neither, so that would be great and different.

JA: Can you elaborate about what the Gazebo Players is?

DF: Gazebo Players is a non-profit community theater group based in Medfield. We do one Shakespeare in the Park (or rather, at the Gazebo) every year, 2 weekends in Medfield and 1 weekend at Walpole's Bird Park. Every few years we also do a winter show. We've done Brighton Beach, The Little Prince and Love Letters to name a few.

JA: Can you explain what Medfield day entails?

DF: Every year Medfield has a festival where all the various groups and schools in the town get together and have booths to showcase what they're all about. They also have a stage set up so that bands and the like can perform while people are walking around, getting lunch, whatever. So every year Gazebo tries to book a 1/2 block on the stage to showcase what we do best (which of course is putting on a show). Several other towns do similar things, for example, Natick has Natick Days (although it's only one day).

One unrelated theater thing is that I actually work at Brandeis now. I've been in the Development Office for just over a year now. It's not theater, but it's great being back on campus and as a result I'm more aware of what the Undergraduate Theatre Collective, Hold Thy Peace and BTC are up to, and I love that!