Philosophies

Teaching Philosophy

            I teach because I believe that drama in education is a vital tool that all young students can make use of as they grow older. In the current educational age of standards, drama is unique because it allows students to learn about themselves. Allowing young students the time to learn how to be themselves is necessary. I believe this to be the case in all students, but especially young boys. According to the national center for educational statistics, nearly two million boys were suspended in public schools, whereas not even one million women were suspended from public schools. I believe that through the implementation of drama in education at a young age we will be able to teach young people how to properly interact with their own emotions. Through this, we will be able to set up our young students for success at the secondary level and beyond.

            I approach curriculum design with all of that in mind, while simultaneously being a truly interdisciplinary space. Through my curriculum, I try getting students to understand how to control their emotions while simultaneously working on the content from other courses. By applying drama in other core content areas we'll be able to get the students to apply what they're learning in class instead of just basic recall of info. By using more activities we'll be able to reach out to more kinesthetic learners, therefore being able to teach more students the content and deepening the understanding of the content for all students.

  I apply this curriculum with influence from Augusto Boal's Theater of the Oppressed. Through using Boal's methods I'm able to get students to apply content that they've learned from other classes while getting them active and thinking about better ways to handle situations for both themselves and others. Through using some of Boal's methods we can deepen the knowledge of the content with the student and make them better citizens by getting them to assess what is wrong and right about situations. By doing this, students can identify what their morals are at a much younger age and therefore be able to develop themselves as productive and morally just citizens.

            When it comes to assessing student learning I believe that growth is much more important than reaching a standard. I also believe that the current American standard method is exclusive to our SPED students. Reaching standards is much harder to ask for these students. If a student with autism can contribute one thought to a discussion when they're previously never able to, that is a major sign of growth. Assessing our general students by growth is also more helpful for them because it causes the teacher to make a more personal means of assessment that is tailored to each student. By tailoring our means of assessment to specific students we're able to truly assess how each student is doing in the class, instead of how they're performing compared to an arbitrary standard.  Assessing growth is a much harder route to go, but I firmly believe that it is incredibly beneficial for all students both in the short term and in the long term of the student's life as a whole.

Directing Philosophy

I approach theatre from a love of storytelling, and this greatly informs my work as a director. I believe that stories have the power to enact genuine change both on a personal level and a legislative level. Stories are integral in the world, they’re how we share the past, inform the present, and wonder about the future. Theatre and the arts have a way of connecting people, both audience members and the cast. The aspect of cast connection is something I frequently find to be neglected. If the creation process is miserable for all involved, then what’s the point? Creating is an exhilarating experience and it can be emotionally draining. But all members of the ensemble should feel pride and joy when reflecting on the process, not just the product. 

I believe in a very open rehearsal process.  There is no way for me to be the smartest person in the entire rehearsal process. So opening up the rehearsal room to everyone’s ideas is crucial for the production. I also use this as an attempt to de-centralize my power. The typical power structure of the rehearsal room is very much weighted towards the directors, which has the potential to create an unsafe environment for people. It also mentally stimulates many of the performers because it’s made clear that everything about them is wanted in the rehearsal room, not just their skills as a performers. 

In the book “The Directors Voice” the interviewer, Jason Loewith, interviews many industry titans. One question was very simple, do you think directing can be taught? I will always remember Oskar Eustis’ answer. He believed that the technical parts of directing could be taught, you can teach someone to block and concept a beautiful play. But a massive chunk of being directing is leadership and he didn’t believe that leadership could be taught. I may not necessarily agree with Eustis’ point about leadership not being teachable, I agree with the sentiment that leadership and directing require two different skill sets. Directing is more than producing a great concept and making a good show. Being a good director requires one to be a leader for the actors, for the designers, and for the theatre. The director has united many people from varying backgrounds and created a stellar show. 

Producing Philosophy

I try to produce from the seat of a viewer. I want to produce shows that excite me, and showcase themes that I haven’t had to face yet. There are nearly 8 billion people on this planet and every single person has a unique and exciting story. I want to explore views that aren’t seen on the stage frequently, which unfortunately means works created by People of Color and people who are in the LGBT+ community. These individuals are still being persecuted for simply existing each and every single day. As producers, it is important to normalize the existence of all people without playing to harmful tropes. According to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation “Anti-transgender slurs, language and dialogue were present in at least 61% of the cataloged episodes and storylines.” This is simply unacceptable and as producers, we can stop these issues before they even have a chance to be shared with the public.

    This starts with the diversity of the writers. This counts for theatre and the writers’ rooms for television and film. But when we bring people from disenfranchised communities we need to set them up for success and create an environment where everyone is cared for and safe. Creating a team coming from a place of unity and love is the place to start. According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs feeling safe is one of the most basic needs for people to be able to reach their full potential. Getting a room of talented people and then turning it into a contest won’t create a productive environment. The culture that is established by the producer or producers is square one and sets the tone for the entirety of the process.