Theatre Educator as Role Model

Careful the things you say. Children will listen.  
Stephen Sondheim From Into the Woods

The question of role modeling in educational theatre takes on different dimensions than in other areas of high school academia because of the intimate nature of the working environment.  The drama room, black box, theatre, or stage provides an alternative to the traditional classroom with its rows of desks. The space allows for the necessary freedom to create.  I have watched the glee in the eyes of students when they enter a theatrical space.  Liberated from the rigidity of their day, the theatre or drama room provides an escape from linear thinking and invites the controlled chaos of creativity, exploration, and discovery through play. The theatre educator is the facilitator of that exploration.  Sometimes beginning theatre students confuse freedom with a lack of discipline. It is imperative that the theatre teacher nurture a disciplined artistic environment that is both safe for exploration and respectful experimentation.

One way I have seen this break down is when the teacher has not established clear objectives for the class. If you look at Viola Spolin's improvisation exercises, you see a clear example of how play is directly tied to purpose, objective and diagnostics. Beginning theatre teachers need to become masterful practitioners of their techniques so that they may be employed with clarity and focus. This takes time to master but it begins with intentionality.

When considering the theatre educator as role model, I often find the biggest hurdle to be the teacher's discomfort with psychologically being in the role of adult.
Erik Erikson, (1902 - 1994) the German psychoanalyst, identified an eight stage life-span theory of identity and psychological development.  Based on the impact of external factors, personality development and influences, Erikson believed that a person must pass through these eight stages throughout one's life cycle. Briefly summarized, the eight stages are:

1. Infancy (Birth - 18 mos) During this stage children develop basic trust or mistrust which establishes a sense of security or mistrust of their world. (Basic Trust vs. Mistrust)
2. Toddler - Early Childhood (18 mos - 3 Years) During this stage the child has the opportunity to build self esteem through the acquisition of skills . (Autonomy Vs. Shame and Doubt)
3. Pre-School  (3 - 5)  During this stage the child plays roles about what they perceive as being grown up. Parents are still the most important influence on the child at this stage. (Initiative Vs. Guilt)
4. School Age ( 6 - 12) During this stage, the child is developing new skills and will either experience a sense of competence and self-esteem or a scense of inferiority and inadequacy. Parents are no longer the primary and only authority in the child's life.  Socialization among peers takes on greater significance. (Industry Vs. Inferiority)
5. Adolescent (12 - 18) At this stage, development depends on what a person does. The primary task during adolescence, is discovering one's identity.  During this stage, the determination of moral right and wrong and understanding of one's beliefs is central.  (Identity Vs. Role Confusion)
6. Young Adult (18 - 35) Developing relationships with other people is the primary task of this stage. (Intimacy Vs. Isolation)
7. Middle Adulthood (35 - 65) Work and Parenthood dominate this stage of the life span.  Establishing a sense of usefulness and accomplishment that will outlast them. (Generativity Vs. Stagnation)
8. Maturity (65 - Death) Older adulthood provides opportunities for wisdom and a sense of fulfillment.
 (Integrity Vs. Despair) 

Psychologically speaking, the theatre class can be considered  ground zero for adolescents and adults. Given that the primary task of the adolescent is focused on identity versus role confusion, it is critical that that the theatre educator recognize that these "stages" impact the relationship between themselves and their students.  Because theatre is collaborative and the environment more informal, the need for the educator to be clear about his role is even greater than in a more traditional classroom.

Many theatre educators enter teaching during their young adulthood where developing relationships is a primary focus.  Like with anything, the foundation must be solid in order to build a secure structure.  The unprocessed theatre teacher who struggles with unresolved esteem issues based on his or her perceived success or failure is at risk for unconsciously looking for that fulfillment through his students. This often is characterized in the "Teacher as Friend" model.   I am not suggesting that there is anything wrong or pathological in what is the natural human experience and capability of developing deep relationships with one another. I am, however, saying that it is the teacher's responsibility to be clear about his or her role and to establish appropriate boundaries.  I have been known to say, "The grown ups need to behave like grownups." Directly put, this is not a peer to peer relationship. The theatre educator must recognize that the needs  of both teacher and student are based on their respective life stages and are influenced by previous experiences that have either resulted in a strong sense of self-esteem or insecurity. When one considers that in the educational theatre environment, adolescents who are struggling with their identities and sense of industry are looking for healthy, well balanced adult role models, the importance of the theatre teacher's own conduct and self awareness is obvious.

This is where I believe the Theatre On Purpose (T.O.P.) philosophy  is critically important. Theatre educators are on the front line of fostering well-balanced, high functioning, thriving human beings using artistic methods. For the T.O.P. practitioner, the focus need always be on facilitating the growth of the student - and while in theatre this often means performance-based skills, when viewed through the lens of psychological development, it is rather evident the performance skills are only part of the work being done by the adolescent.
As we know, the artistic personality is sensitive. Emotion and empathy contribute to the actor's ability to step into the skin of another on stage.  If not channeled, molded, and guided carefully, the student can be subjected to symptoms of psychodrama.  The development of acting skills and the focus on the creative work in rehearsal or class develops a student's confidence and affirms that hard work and discipline can result in a sense of accomplishment.
Just as we teach students that one must be "off book" in order to truly be free to become the imaginary character, the theatre educator must be free of confusion about his or her calling.  The T.O.P. practitioner approaches theatre education with an understanding that the theatre is a tool and role modeling needs to come from the inside out.

Copyright Amy Luskey-Barth 2014