I've always thought of learning as an activity brimming with adventure, as we explore the limitless frontiers of any topic or skill that ignites our interest. There is a special satisfaction in making discoveries, but an added bonus is that formalized learning invariably opens us up to even broader vistas of knowledge and mastery. As a teacher, I think the best thing I can model for my students is my own enthusiasm for studying and practicing the art of theatre. I want to encourage them to exercise their power to learn and succeed in class by taking full advantage of the coursework, activities, exercises, and assignments. I also want to inspire them to continue educating themselves independently once they're out of school. I hope I can impress upon them that the investment of time and energy for any project they undertake will have a direct correlation to the amount they'll be able to learn and the sense of achievement they'll be able to enjoy.
As I continue to work on developing my teaching methodology, I acknowledge the fact that people learn at their own rate of speed, according to their unique abilities, desires, and willingness to work on the lessons covered in a course of study. Teachers have a responsibility to do what we can to motivate students, focus their attention, and lead them on a prescribed path that will hopefully give them a quality result. Sometimes students will need more attention than others or special accommodations, but all students should be able to succeed in some way if they are willing to become actively involved in their own learning, while making maximum use of the teacher as one of their resources. One of my favorite playwrights, George Bernard Shaw, is quoted as having said, “I'm not a teacher: only a fellow-traveler of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead -- ahead of myself as well as you,” and I admire the wisdom of this statement.
I believe a good approach to an “Introduction to Theatre” class is to spend part of the time covering the major historical movements in Western theatre beginning with the Greeks, while also touching on other traditions around the globe. Exposure to the various aspects of the work done by playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and technical staff will help students understand how much collaboration is involved in producing theatre. I recently made a documentary video that shares interviews with various cast and crew in preparation for a production of the Jacobean comedy, The Tamer Tamed by John Fletcher. Showing this video to students can provide a “theatrical” learning tool, in addition to the textbook or lecture. Taking a tour of any theatrical facilities on campus is also a good way to make theatre terminology and concepts more concrete for students. I have also found that incorporating a segment of rudimentary acting games into several lesson plans infuses the class with positive energy, while giving them an experiential lesson of the training methods, and the creative processes of actors and directors.
I intend to continue a professional connection to the theatre and to dramaturgical research, so that my skills can be strengthened and revitalized on a regular basis. Along with getting feedback from my students, I think that attending conferences sponsored by associations such as The Association for Theatre in Higher Education and The American Alliance for Theatre and Education can help me to continually improve my teaching skills and stay abreast of what is happening in the field on a national level. I would also like to become involved in programs such as the Lincoln Center Director's Lab in New York, which sponsors workshops on directing topics during the summer.
My research interests include British theatre of the 18th century, especially as female playwrights began to come into the profession, starting with Aphra Behn. I'm also interested in the work of Molière and how he built on the work of commedia dell'arte. I would like to translate and produce a few of Moliere's works for contemporary audiences. As a playwright and director, I am keenly interested in how great works of drama and literature can be adapted and/or staged in order to continue the process of allowing our cultural traditions to live in a dynamic, relevant way. Hopefully, I can contribute to an ongoing evolution of the performing arts, which incorporates the goal of ensuring that the voices and wisdom of theatrical artists from previous centuries is passed down to future generations.
Because I had many exemplary teachers who inspired me in the past, I have a strong desire to shed that same kind of light for others. I would hope that I can motivate students to pursue their education as an exciting journey and a lifelong process. I would also be thrilled if through their studies, they were moved to agree with me that theatre is important for the cultural and spiritual health of the community at large as well as for human beings on a personal level.
It seems to me that the the goal of a good teacher is to serve the community by nurturing the talents and raw potential of its youth. My personal goal is to stimulate interest in live theatre, so that students develop an appreciation for its aesthetic beauty as an art and its relevance to society, both as a mirror and an influence on the future evolution of our culture. If any of my students follow through with a desire to participate in theatre, whether as a professional, a hobbyist, or an audience member, I will be happy to have made a small contribution to their enrichment and the well-being of society in general.
