Educational Philosophy

Theatre is the art of story telling. The medium is live, always changing, and full of sensory experiences that can speak to any human, no matter what their background is. Most people see a play as a combination of actors, large sets, and elaborate costumes that are presented for the audience’s enjoyment. But there are so many more elements that influence the story and dramatically change how the audience interprets what they are experiencing. As a teacher of theatre, my job is to introduce students to all the elements of communicating with the audience, and to the true magic that is created when the whole product is greater than the sum of its parts.

I am drawn to the classroom to share my own passion for theatrical design, and to introduce students to a toolset they can use to expand their own communication abilities. Discovering new ways to convey ideas and manipulate experience provides many possibilities to explore when creating a show. Learning how color can trick the brain into fearing a pleasant-looking meadow, or how traveling sound can spark attention and intrigue, or even how a different shape can transform a character from threatening to comical allows students to stretch their preconceived notions about what “should be” communicated and what can be.

I approach design classes with a focus on collaboration. We are all telling the same story, so first it is important to understand and analyze the story itself. Each member of the design team should be able to talk about the common themes, practical needs, and larger concepts within the story; together the team must learn to create a concept that allows the play to make a statement to the audience. We then learn how to use the visual lighting tools of color, line, shape, direction, size, texture, and value to best convey the ideas and imagery important to the story as a whole. These tools are the visual form of communication that will reach an audience and guide them through the experience, or conversely, could throw an audience completely out of the world a team is trying to create.

There is a practicality to learning each tool, and I believe it is best for students to experience each element through a variety of learning techniques. I work hard to bring in physical, hands-on examples, creating projects that will allow students to touch, mold, and experiment with the design tools. I support this physical discovery with readings and analytical explanations of what they are seeing, usually including cultural or biological reasons for their experience. I find it fascinating to know how a person’s biology changes what they see, or how their cultural experience makes a color symbolize something completely different to one person than it does to another. Visual examples are also a huge teaching tool, not to show how to design, but to help expand a student designer’s notion of what is possible. I always ask students to see other designers’ work - to discuss it, analyze it, break it down into the choices the designer made. Discussions of design choices helps students who may be more verbal or aural learners, as well as allowing students to clearly communicate ideas using the new vocabulary of design.

Once students learn how to use a tool, they must learn to effectively communicate that tool to others, whether by drafting a light plot, creating a visual research packet for a director, or having a conversation with their fellow designers about the show’s concept.

The ability to represent creative thought is an essential skill that allows the design process to be clear, collaborative, and integrated. I introduce several different ways of presenting ideas, and allow students to explore what works best for them. This applies to more than just lighting design. The idea of clear communication is important when learning how to draft, how to be safe practicing stagecraft, and when running a crew of other professionals. All these elements of teaching relate to the art of communication.

While I thoroughly prepare my classes, I believe it is important to be a teaching artist with a healthy dose of flexibility. I have extensive professional experience to bring to my students, but each class will be filled with different interests, knowledge, and questions that may guide lessons in different directions. A group is particularly interested in concert design? Well then, let us spend more time talking about how lighting becomes a scenic element in concert design, different approaches to using the technology in an artistic way, and how to create a language that will remain exciting throughout an entire event, and not get stale in the first three songs.

There is always a story to tell, and learning how speak visual languages fluently gives students the skills they need to create compelling theater. By allowing this to be the main focus of my teaching, I can prepare students to develop their own language to become active, intelligent, and collaborative members of the theatrical community.

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