American Theater posed the question yesterday: "Who do you credit (or blame) for getting you involved in theater?" I don't know why but I pondered this question and found myself completely stumped. It's not that I haven't had inspiring teachers and motivating cheerleaders in my career...it's just that it happened all so gradually. In fact I can't even recall how I ended up at my first audition...(which was for The Sound of Music, when I was 8) Somehow I just ended up there...and didn't get the part. But somehow, despite a stack of disappointments I continued on. I have tried to talk myself out of a theater career for as long as I can remember...and yet I can't stay away. Truly what has kept me coming back to theater is...well, seeing inspiring theater. And so I think my answer to the question is: A Well Told Story. It isn't a who...no.
As an aspiring teacher I see "Intro to Theater" as an opportunity. When else do theater teachers get to address students who aren't necessarily "theater people" and give them a taste of how important our work can be? I don't care if your students graduate without knowing what a thrust stage is...who cares? What is more important is that they walk away with an appreciation for good story telling and the desire to see more theater. That should be the focus...to instill theater goers, if not theater makers.
I have had the blessing to get to sit in on an inspiring Intro to Theatre course at an up and coming theater department in the Chicago College scene. Text books have been tossed aside and the city and the student's imaginations have become the source material. The students get to be the storytellers and the creators... giving them appreciation and understanding for all the work that goes into a story well told. They become playwrights, directors, designers, actors and audience members in every class. This is how we inspire life long theater goers...
I've only been to one class but I already know this is the kind of theater teacher I want to be. I know if I had a class like this in college...I could easily answer American Theater's question with: Professor Chad Eric Bergman.
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