| Teaching Philosophy, Research Interests, and Pedagogical Approaches |
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| DEFYING GRAVITY |
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STATEMENT OF TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
SUMMARY
At the heart of my teaching philosophy is the recognition that theatre is a practical art form whose study naturally extends into the various realms of performance; therefore, I bring a working knowledge of rigorous scholarship and professional production experience into the classroom. One of my greatest strengths as an instructor is my passion as both a scholar and practitioner, a passion which many of my colleagues and students have described as infectious. I am always eager to share my enthusiasm for theatre with my students and can only hope that some of it passes on to them in their own lives. I believe that university instructors have a responsibility to be positive role models, and I welcome the opportunity to mentor students as they explore a variety of vocational options in and beyond the performing arts. I also believe that learning should be a cumulative endeavor, and I design my introductory classes as stepping stones to intermediate and advanced courses.
CLASS FORMAT
Although it is sometimes necessary to impose a lecture format on certain courses or subject areas, I prefer a classroom atmosphere that is driven by detailed discussion of the course material. The more interactive a class environment becomes, the more students must exhibit initiative to succeed, which eventually enhances their sense of self-discipline. It also makes the subject matter much more exciting for all involved, myself included. With this in mind, all of my courses feature class participation as a fundamental component within my overall grading system. Currently, I am in the process of designing activity-based workshop seminars in play analysis, which will serve as the template for future upper-level topics courses and intermediate and advanced dramaturgy workshops. This allows students to take control of, and responsibility for, their own learning.
WRITING AND SPEAKING SKILLS
I believe that communication is the key to a quality education, and developing strong writing skills is essential for the university graduate, regardless of major field of study. I stress the need for cultivating writing skills through the regular inclusion of essay questions on exams as well as requiring students to submit research papers and critical response assignments. I encourage students not only to make appointments with me during office hours to help them with their writing, but to seek out campus resources as well. As students progress through the major and enter upper-level courses, my emphasis on writing proficiency increases significantly. In addition, I find that students must also learn to develop effective speaking skills; I promote this by creating assignments that require interpersonal verbal communication, such as in-class presentations and oral readings/interpretations of scenes which we study in class.
CRITICAL THINKING AND INTERPRETIVE SKILLS
I believe that one of the most important skills I can help a student develop is his/her ability to think critically about text and performance. Too often students are not challenged to examine subjects beyond a surface level of interpretation because they are taught to be more concerned with summing up rather than expanding meaning. For example, literature becomes about plot summary, stereotypical character traits, and universally accepted themes, as opposed to a subjective form of expression with the potential for multiple points of view. I encourage students to examine clues in structure, diction, rhythm, theme, which might suggest hidden levels of complexity. I will often provoke students by giving them a handout of a radical critical interpretation of a text and challenge them to defend an opposing view before defending their own perspectives, which leads to passionate debates but also demonstrates the need to be able to validate their own opinions with complex yet concise arguments.
THE ROLE OF PRODUCTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Because of my background as an actor, director, and dramaturg in the professional theatre, I believe it is impossible to separate the literary and historical components of theatre from its practical performative qualities. Therefore, when I direct a production in a university setting, I see the rehearsal hall as an extension of my classroom. So, rehearsals often include exercises and research assignments designed to expand their knowledge of the play and build a strong sense of community among the company members. I challenge the student cast and crew to perform up to the same rigorous standards that they would encounter in a professional environment, while at the same time recognizing that their skills are still in the developmental phase. In the end, production involvement should teach them about self-discipline, collaboration, community, and maintaining a sense of fun while engaging in demanding work.
CULTURAL AWARENESS
I am continually challenging myself to be as informed about the world around me as possible, and I expect no less of my students. It is important that my students are aware of major productions of classic and contemporary plays, significant new voices in the arts, and other relevant trends which are significantly impacting the study and practice of the performing arts, so I will distribute handouts from recent issues of American Theatre, New York Times play reviews, etc., for inclusion in class discussion. Whenever possible, I also try to connect course subjects with contemporary trends not only in theatre, but in politics, media, science, economics, etc., so that students learn that the arts do not exist in a vacuum. How does The Trojan Women resonate with the events at Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib? Why is it possible for Sondheim’s Assassins to be so popular in 2004, when it closed after 18 performances in 1990-91? Is it accurate to say that Susan Smith is a modern-day Medea? How did kothornoi come back into fashion? What do Molière and Three’s Company have in common? How accurate is Black Adder’s scathing indictment of Restoration actors?
DIVERSITY
I believe that in the current sociopolitical climate, it is more important than ever to engage students in dialogue that is as culturally diverse as possible. Recent examples of emerging artistic trends stress an awareness of the global community, and I believe that course materials and the production selection process should actively embrace these strategies in order to reflect the complex composition of our audiences. I attempt to openly address issues of race, gender, politics, sexual orientation, religion, etc., in my courses when relevant, and I vigorously endorse a racially-blind open casting policy in university productions. As my doctoral work focused heavily on Asian theatre forms, I include non-Western texts, theories, and techniques as a comparative framework for traditional Western models.
MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY
When I lecture, I often accompany the material with PowerPoint presentations that highlight key terms and concepts, and I also encourage students to utilize existing technology, such as the Internet, to aid their studies. However, I require that students not rely exclusively on Internet resources for class projects, and I place a limit on the number of non-print resources allowed on such activities. I will often assign activities that can only be completed by going to the library in person, such as annotated bibliographies or a theatrical variation of a scavenger hunt. I believe that video and multimedia resources are invaluable in class as a means of conveying the unique performance aspects of theatre, and have amassed a large personal library of theatre-related videotapes, DVDs, and compact discs (recordings of live performances, film adaptations of plays, documentaries, etc.) specifically designated for such educational use.
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RESEARCH INTERESTS
CONTEMPORARY NONREALISTIC DRAMATIC LITERATURE
My
primary research interests as a scholar and artist focus upon
nonrealistic contemporary dramatic literature and performance
techniques, as represented by the work of such innovative American
writers as José Rivera, Paula Vogel, and Naomi Iizuka. Recently, I
have also become increasingly captivated by the newest generation of
British and Irish playwrights, particularly Sarah Kane, Marina Carr,
and Martin McDonagh. By experimenting with nonlinear narrative
structures, metaphoric language, meta- or hyper-theatrical staging
devices, and epic themes, these writers seek to explore new theatrical
vistas and thereby provoke audiences to re-examine their preconceived
notions about drama and its conventions. I find that these plays often
strike a profoundly resonant chord with college students because the
sense of aesthetic distance is less pronounced than with the works of
established authors like Shakespeare, Ibsen, or Miller. However
chaotic, fragmented, or dreamlike, the world of these plays is familiar
territory; it is often the same world inhabited by today’s young
theatre artists, fraught with the same concerns about gender, race,
politics, economics, social responsibility, etc. that they share.
CONTEMPORARY DIRECTING TECHNIQUES
I
am attracted to the directing theories of such contemporary figures as
Anne Bogart, Robert Wilson, and Julie Taymor, as well as film auteurs
Derek Jarman and Peter Greenaway. Because my theoretical interests
directly influence my theatre practices, I have integrated many of the
performance theories advocated by these artists into my own work as a
director, as can be clearly seen in my productions of Iphigenia and
Other Daughters, Marisol, Dancing with a Devil, Four Modern Noh Plays,
and The Laramie Project. Having trained and worked professionally with
Anne Bogart, I am familiar with her Viewpoints and Composition
techniques and utilize them in performance classes and rehearsals. One
of my professional goals within the next few years is to train with
Robert Wilson during his summer workshops at the Watermill Center on
Long Island.
STRATEGIES OF DRAMATIC ADAPTATION
As evidenced
by my doctoral research, I have a special affinity for contemporary
stage adaptations of classical literature, most notably those which
experiment with formal structure. Yukio Mishima’s development of a
“modern Nō” aesthetic, Ellen McLaughlin’s fragmented reinterpretations
of Greek tragedy, John Barton’s epic stagings of Greek and
Shakespearean sagas, and Deborah Brevoort’s attempts to frame recent
American history within the formal constraints of Nō and Greek tragedy,
all appeal to me as a scholar, dramaturg, and director. I am eager to
work with students to explore methods of adaptation in the creation of
original works for the stage that blend archetypal patterns of
storytelling with the 21st perspective of today’s young theatre artists.
CONCEPT SHAKESPEAREAN PRODUCTION
A
large percentage of my dramaturgy experience involves adapting
Shakespeare for modern audiences. Beyond judicious cuttings and
high-concept visuals, I try in these endeavors to fuse the re-imagined
world of the production with textual and cultural themes that will
illuminate the plays in a refreshing, yet faithful, presentation.
Whether it be a Laugh-In inspired hippie-fest for As You Like It or an
antebellum New Orleans sense of style and gentility driving the manners
of Twelfth Night or a 1950s tract-house littered suburbia for The
Taming of the Shrew, I try to use concept as an extension of the play’s
inherent premise or tone rather than the arbitrarily imposed thumbprint
of an auteur director. I find working with Shakespeare and other
classical authors in this manner turns them into our contemporaries, as
Jan Kott would assert, and rejuvenates texts that might otherwise be
regarded as museum pieces.
ASIAN THEATRE
Since 1996, I have
been attracted to the dreamlike quality, aesthetic discipline, and
formal style of Japanese theatre. After completing my first course in
Asian drama under the tutelage of Dr. Rebecca Copeland, I have pursued
research in various types of traditional and contemporary Japanese and
Chinese theatre. I share this awareness of non-Western techniques with
my students on a regular basis, and apply its tenets in my own
directing (enhanced by the formal systems codified by Tadashi Suzuki,
Anne Bogart, Julie Taymor, and Robert Wilson). It also informs my
readings of Western drama, whether overtly in the works of Brecht and
Yeats or more subtly in Sophocles or Beckett. I hope to participate in
Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble’s intensive Noh Training Project in the
near future.
CONFERENCES AND PUBLICATIONS
Almost all of my
conference and publication experience arises from one or more elements
of the research interests described above, and I intend to continue
this pattern of applied scholarship well into the future. My research
in classical and modern Nō not only provides the basis of my
dissertation thesis, but ultimately led to the production of Four
Modern Nō Plays by Yukio Mishima, which included the professional
English language premiere of Yuya in 2003. My graduate production of
Caryl Churchill’s Vinegar Tom provided the groundwork for a recent
scholarly article in the New England Theatre Journal. And my work with
the Tennessee Repertory Theatre resulted in an article about the
practical dramaturgy of re-conceptualizing Shakespeare, which is a
specialty of mine that I intend on continuing in my academic and
professional career. In addition to participation in academic
conferences, I am a member of several professional theatre unions and
advocacy groups and plan to become more active in the regional and
national events that each sponsors.
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PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES
INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE/THEATRE APPRECIATION
I
approach this type of course as an opportunity to acquaint theatre majors and
minors with key vocabulary terms, concepts, and personalities necessary
for continued study in the performing arts, and also to give non-majors
a basic understanding of, and enthusiasm for, the theatre as a vital
art form with a rich history and living contemporary relevance. Class
lectures are supplemented by extensive video and multimedia
presentations in order to convey the dynamic, diverse visual nature of
theatre. Additionally, students are required to attend departmental
productions during the semester in order to prompt positive audience
behavior and jump-start healthy theatre-going habits. Further,
in-class discussions and activities complete the learning process by
compelling students to integrate what they have learned into an
articulate dialogue about the art form. Ultimately, my primary goal
for all of the students in this course is to empower them as informed
audience members with valid perspectives.
Grading: routine
vocabulary and reading quizzes are accompanied by performance reviews,
with a comprehensive midterm and final exam
DRAMATIC LITERATURE AND CRITICISM
I
design these courses, whether as general surveys or special topics
seminars, to focus on close text reading, complemented by critical and
historical perspectives. I regularly contrast traditional works with
obscure or experimental texts in order to explore issues of canon,
structure, and intertextuality; this technique also teaches students
that there’s more to Ibsen than A Doll’s House and that Kushner would
not be Kushner without Brecht. Again, I do all that I can to include
performance-related materials and issues in class discussions so that
students are able to appreciate the inherently practical nature of
dramatic texts. Often this is done by exploring the production history
of a text, including signature contemporary stage and film versions.
For example, what can Robert Wilson’s Hamlet: A Monologue unearth in
Shakespeare’s text that Kenneth Branagh’s cannot, and vice versa? What
about Diane Venora’s portrayal of Hamlet under Joseph Papp’s direction
is similar to, or radically different from, Sarah Bernhardt’s late 19th
century portrayal, and what does this consequently tell us about
nontraditional casting techniques? Because my academic background
includes many years of studying non-dramatic literature and theory, I
strive to incorporate analytical methodologies which may be foreign to
theatre students, but which may also be helpful in illuminating the
complexities of textual analysis and even inspire a practical onstage
application.
Grading: routine reading quizzes are accompanied by
an annotated bibliography, one substantial research paper, and in-class
presentations
THEATRE HISTORY
After observing and attempting
various strategies for introducing students to these courses, I am
still divided about what is the most effective way to engage and
maintain student interest in what often is perceived as dense, dry
subject matter. The central question for me usually revolves around
choice of textbook(s): Do I guide students through a historical,
chronological reading of plays, or do I use an established text like
Oscar Brockett’s History of the Theatre? I have used both strategies
and recognize strengths and weaknesses in both. However, one technique
I have found that seems to work well is assigning students in-class
presentations on plays or topics that we do not have time to cover
in-depth during the course. For example, if we read Agamemnon as a
group, a student may be assigned to give a presentation about the
remaining plays of the Oresteia. At the conclusion of these courses, I
am most interested in discovering if students are able to integrate
what they have learned by properly contextualizing major developmental
trends of theatre.
Grading: routine vocabulary quizzes are
accompanied by a comprehensive midterm and final exam, with essay
sections, as well as a substantial research paper and in-class
presentations
DIRECTING
I design directing courses after
a workshop model, in which students learn by doing, so these courses
are heavily practical in nature. Beginning directing students use a
standard directing textbook (I prefer Robert Cohen’s Creative Play
Direction, but it has not been updated since the mid-80s, so I am
currently searching for an adequate replacement text) to introduce them
to basic directing concepts and exercises, as well as directing several
small assignments and two major scenes during the course of the
semester. Advanced directing students examine issues surrounding
professional development, rehearsal management, and collaboration, but
focus their attention on developing their own artistic voices through
the exploration of various elements of style. By examining well-known
directors and their methodologies, these students begin to apply
well-known styles to a variety of scenes throughout the semester,
culminating in a public showcase of short plays. For example, they may
be asked to direct one scene in three distinctly different styles, but
with the same cast of actors. I believe that students learn best from
each other through observation; so, each directing assignment is
accompanied by open in-class rehearsals, which supplement standard
outside rehearsal sessions.
Grading: routine reading quizzes
(beginning course only), in-class presentations, directing notebooks
with supporting materials, open rehearsal and scene presentations
DRAMATURGY
For
me, dramaturgy as a discipline has always been about developing a
practical, artistic approach towards an application of literary and
historical study within the theatrical process. My professional
background convinces me that the dramaturg should be an integral part
of the production team, not merely a textual advisor or playbill
editor; therefore, dramaturgy students should acquire some basic
functioning proficiency in acting, directing, and design, in both a
theoretical and hands-on rehearsal/production environment. Student
dramaturgs should also be trained as playwrights, to prepare them in
case they are called upon in the future to attempt new translations or
adaptations of classic works or to provide new play development
assistance in a workshop environment. Introductory courses will explore
historical and contemporary perspectives surrounding the development of
the role of the production dramaturg in European and American theatre.
In addition, students will work closely with assigned texts in order to
develop projects such as production histories, script annotations and
study guides, and playbill notes. In intermediate and advanced
courses, which will be designed as workshop seminars, students will
further explore the role of the dramaturg in new play development, in
assisting the conceptualization process for a production, in preparing
cut or adapted scripts for performance, and in developing valuable
feedback techniques for playwrights and directors, as well as the
employment challenges facing dramaturgs in the 21st century. Upon
completion of these courses, students will have prepared exhaustive
professional dramaturgy portfolios (either for actual or virtual
productions), as well as a variety of in-class presentations
concentrating on a specialized topic that they will adopt for the
entire semester and for which they must sustain long-term research. In
addition to coursework, students should be assigned to departmental
productions in either a primary or assistant dramaturg capacity, and
student dramaturgs should be active in any workshop programs to develop
student-written plays. As a faculty director, I would be proactive in
assigning and training student dramaturgs within the framework of
departmental productions, and provide opportunities such as pre-show
and post-show discussions in which they can serve this function in a
public arena.
Grading: routine reading quizzes, annotated
bibliography, production history, in-class presentations, group
activities, preparation of a professional dramaturgy portfolio
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