A Theatre Educator's Pledge

As a theatre educator, I am asking myself a lot of questions right now.  This is a time for deep introspection and hard truths. It is a time to challenge systems of oppression in all forms and to work for justice and equality. This is a time to assess white privilege and to define what is meant by anti-racist. It is a time for painful learning.  It is a time for change. It is a time for transformation.  It  is a  time for truth. I am asking myself where I have been complicit in perpetuating the status quo.  I am looking in the mirror to see my own unrecognized biases. I am seeking to educate myself so that I can be a positive example for my students.  

As a Theatre on Purpose practitioner,  I have been committed to giving students a voice through the arts. I have always believed that theatre is transformative because it offers students both a window and a mirror to see the world. Theatre is a window through which we can see others and thereby grow in understanding, empathy and knowledge. Theatre is a mirror because it allows us to see ourselves and reflect on our own reality, motivations and actions. 

Arthur Miller said, "I regard theater as a serious business, one that makes or should make man more human, which is to say, less alone."  I have always been moved by this quote. I agree, theatre is serious business. As a theatre educator and practitioner I can make a difference by exposing my students to diverse cultures and experiences while delving into the historic contexts across time and place.

In IB Theatre, the aim is to "develop internationally minded people who, recognizing common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world."  I embrace this philosophy but am asking how it can go further.

Language and words matter.  Here is my pledge:

         As a theatre educator,
         I pledge to listen more.
         I pledge to educate myself on race, white privilege and oppression.
         I pledge to pay more attention to the stories we tell on stage and the plays we read in class.
         I pledge to offer my students the opportunity to use their voices to make our world a
         a better place.  
         I pledge to maintain a theatre program that is a safe, judgement-free space for students to
         belong.
         I pledge to engage students in meaningful, impactful, purpose-driven artistic projects that
         directly tackle difficult topics about race, identity, Anti-Semitism, harassment,
         and oppression.
         I pledge to maintain a spirit of goodwill.
         I pledge to resolve conflict.
         I pledge not to use violence in thought, word or deed.
         I pledge to work with others to build a world that is more loving, compassionate and just.
         I pledge to seek first to understand.
         I pledge to be more courageous.
         I pledge to use theatre on purpose.
       
         Theatre on Purpose - Now more than ever.
       

       
       
       

Into the Woods and Through the Fear, You Have to Take The Journey

My spring musical, Into the Woods, scheduled to open April 1st is postponed.  This April Fools' is no joke. Sets abandoned, costumes hanging on their racks, wigs sitting idly on their styrofoam heads in front of makeup mirrors all waiting for somebody to call "places."

Technology has allowed me access to my cast. But when you're trying to rehearse Parts 1 - 9 of the prologue of Into the Woods on Zoom from 56 remote locations, let's just say, it doesn't work.
Wifi signals vary. Lags in transmission play havoc with Sondheim's already complex rhythms creating a cacophony more dissonant than the score itself.

Anyone who knows me, knows that Into the Woods is my favorite musical. But as the Meme going around theatre circles says, "When I said I wanted life to be more like a musical, I didn't mean Act II of Into the Woods."  Eerily on point. Equally chilling was my choice of our 19/20 season theme - Courage.  Irony? Premonition? Intuition? Coincidence? Bad luck? You pick.

"No more questions. Please. No more tests....comes the day you say what for... just no more!" 

The drama we are living will no doubt result in great art.  YouTube is already bursting with creativity.  I've always said, theatre people are the most generous of human beings. With no lights and no stage, they are finding ways to reach out to support the community of out of work performers, writers, directors and most notably, young theatre students through multiple social media platforms.

It will be left to this generation of emerging theatre artists to tell the story of "how it all happened."
An unseen, microscopic giant has come into our midst.
Through our social isolation, we are conversely coming together out of responsibility to the community.  "Careful, no one acts alone."  

As a theatre educator, I am reminding myself every day as I strive to keep my cast inspired, hopeful and connected through tablets, iPhones and computers, "Careful the things you say. Children will listen."

It may be "Hard to see the light now. Just don't let it go. Things will come out right now. We can make it so. Someone is on your side. No one is alone."