By Jennifer Mustoe
In this time of Covid-19, many theaters are using innovative and interesting options to bring live theater to us, and Next Step Theatre Company is doing just that with their Night Chills: Tales of Terror by Edgar Allan Poe, adapted by Billy St. John.
Recently we interviewed Devin Manfull, director and editor of Night Chills.
FRR: What is the craziest or most creative way you can think of to summarize the plot of Night Chills: Tales of Terror by Edgar Allan Poe?
DM: An auditory dive into the dark mind of Edgar Allan Poe.
FRR: If you had to describe the process of putting on this show with one word, what would it be and why?
DM: Adventurous! This is a type of theatre that I’ve never created before and all of the recording and editing was self taught.
FRR: If any part of this production worked like a dream-come-true, what was that, and who is the responsible party?
DM: All of the actors were responsible for recording their own parts. Some from their own homes and some came to record with me one-on-one. The actors really came through and gave me some amazing recordings, making it so easy for me to put together.
FRR: What is the most interesting (or bizarre) thing you’ve learned while working on this production?
DM: Learning to take 11 people’s individual recordings and put them all together – along with underscoring and sound effects – was a huge learning experience for someone who has never done anything like this before.
FRR: What was the most critical part of this production that you were worried would fall apart but didn’t?
DM: Having the actors record their parts separately worried me at first, as I wasn’t sure I would have the know-how to put it together. It took me about three weeks to figure it all out for the first episode. After that, the other two episodes were a breeze.
FRR: What do you do right before each performance to get ready? Right after each performance?
DM: As this is not a live performance, there isn’t much to do except watch the video/listen about three or four times to make sure everything is ready to be posted. Once the show is available to the public, I check on it a few times every day to see how many views we have.
FRR: What is your favorite part of this production?
DM: As there are three episodes, there are parts in each that are my favorite. But, when the characters finally reach that insane, dark place and begin to act irrationally. The darkness in them escapes.
FRR: Tell us about your cast.
DM: The cast is amazing! This is our first show where we held auditions to the public and I was shocked at some of the amazing and talented people who came out to be a part of this production.
FRR: What is your background and training as a director?
DM: I graduated this May from the U of U theater teaching program. Most of my experience is in directing youth.
FRR: What is the biggest challenge of directing in general?
DM: The biggest challenge has been to stay organized. For this production we did not have a stage manager and I was doing it all.
FRR: What are the surprises and delights you’re finding in directing this show?
DM: I have been so delighted with what every actor has brought to this production. They would send me their recordings and as I would listen I would feel so inspired and they would give me direction.
FRR: What is the biggest disaster you’ve had as a director?
DM: While I was editing, my laptop crashed and I thought I had lost everything. It took me a couple hours and I was able to recover all of the work we have done, but not going to lie, I cried.
FRR: What is your greatest success as a director?
DM: My greatest success is when we finally have a final product and people leave feeling excited and inspired. I love seeing the actors praised for the great show they put on. This cast has been so amazing and easy going. The energy has been so good, even though we have only seen each other through Zoom/communicated through email. Everyone has a great attitude and they are always smiling!
In speaking with the company, Front Row Reviewers is pleased to support this project because they are practicing all kinds of precautions as we deal with this pandemic. They said: we always wanted everyone to feel safe 
and while it required a bit of effort – it really wasn’t any inconvenience, you know? It almost just feels part of the new normal. We actually had all rehearsals over Zoom. Since it’s all pre-recorded voice acting, most of the cast just recorded their parts individually – several had their own pro equipment, so those recordings turned out very well. A few cast members scheduled times to meet one-on-one with the director/editor to record their parts with the new studio equipment we just invested in. All of these recordings were scheduled on separate days, they were socially distanced with masks (aside from actively recording), had plenty of hand sanitizer available, and disinfected the space thoroughly both before and after each session.
Next Step Theatre Company also presenting the episodes in the format of a video with captions – in an effort to be more inclusive and accessible. The told us: Our primary goal as a company is to provide safe and accessible art – for our actors, production teams, and audiences. This was a great opportunity and the community has been super supportive so far. The first was a part of the virtual Salt Lake Fringe Festival back in August. Each episode will be available to view for free through our website, though we are graciously accepting donations. Please go to the company’s Facebook Page, Next Step Theatre’s website, Night Chills page to stream (this page also has cast bios, and a photo of their Zoom rehearsal), The Cask of Amontillado Facebook Event, Next Step Theatre Co on Instagram: @nextsteptheatre. They ask to please follow them on Facebook and Insta! And finally, they say: Our website has our mission statement under “About Us.” We also have info there on how to get involved on the “Contact” page, as well as info on donating via Venmo or PayPal under “Donate.”
We at Front Row Reviewers want to thank Next Step Theatre Company for taking the time for this interview, and especially their willingness to embrace alternate forms of theater during the pandemic.
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