Teaching Philosophy

My number one priority as an educator is to invest in the agency of every student whether it be in the classroom or during the production process.  Specifically, as an educator at a community college, I am interacting mostly with traditional students at the beginning of their careers, and these students carry financial, emotional, and academic obstacles.   These obstacles in general, breed a fear of failure and the fear to try - I use theatre as a vehicle to model that success, ownership, advocacy is not a straight line, but a journey in stages.  The students interact in a process where “exactly right” does not exist and missteps can serve a stronger final product.  To create environment for personal and academic success, I provide support and opportunity towards the goal that the student will learn to advocate for themselves and cultivate a willingness to work.

In the classroom, I lecture theory, I complement theory with hands-on projects that connect the principles being discussed, but also simulate an aspect of the production process.  The projects I use allows for the student an opportunity to connect the ideas with practice, and experience without the stress and stakes of a production.  One of my favorite projects is the lighting project in Stagecraft I, after a discussion of basic lighting principles, safety, and basic skills necessary the students are given a light plot that I work with them to hang and focus.  Then the students are asked to select a short instrumental piece to which they must program at least 10 cues, I work with each student individually and in partners through the basic skills of programming.  To finish the project, the student creates a cue list, and must call their show to a light board operator and serve as another student’s light board operator.  This project serves the students’ portfolios, but more importantly a student that was previously intimated or had no experience with either the lighting process or cue calling a show is now energized about applying and expanding these skills for a full production. and believe in themselves to do the work required to be successful.

I also work with student designers for the department productions, I am currently working with a mostly student design team for our production of Mystic Pizza – The Musical.  The lighting designer, makeup/hair designer, prop designer are all students, as well as first time set designer.  I am designing costumes to this production with student assistant designer.  I see my role as a mentor to guide and collaborate in shaping the design concept.  Reinforce and support in the process of design presentation techniques and planning, extending non-realized classroom processes to actual production conditions.  I guide and collaborate with students on design execution, this process looks different depending on the needs of the student and production. I serve as a bridge between the student and director, facilitating communication in both directions. 

I work with diverse group of students some of which plan to pursue a career in theatre and some that are pursuing a non-theatrical career path.  In service of all my students is modeling the practice that theatre provides in skills of communication, collaboration, personal responsibility, and confidence. Ultimately, I believe that the theatre educational experience should be in service to the student’s life experience.