ARTIST & TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
I am a theatre artist and educator seeking to create works at the intersection where art, education, and community meet in the effort of making the world a better place. I believe that theatre, through teaching empathy and encouraging audiences to engage in dialogue, has the power to transform lives and serve as a catalyst for creating real and lasting change in communities. My part in catalyzing change is twofold: 1. I will help young theatre artists become highly skilled professionals free from the erasure of their cultural identity in their art. 2. I will create polished, entertaining, and impactful theatrical productions.
In a TED talk delivered in 2018, American theatre director, Oskar Eustis, argues that theatre is essential to democracy. He teaches us that “the Athenians invented theatre because it was a necessary core to their political life,” and goes on to explain that “the first democratic theatre was community theatre tied to community action.” Eustis articulates that a true democracy can be defined as a system of government from which the power flows from the people to the authority, and not the other way around.
I believe that in the United States that we are trapped in a system of owned politics in which the power flows from the top down and encourages the people to hibernate and disengage. We have found ourselves in an argument culture in which any issue becomes a polarized debate. Through the use of theatre in the community and the classroom, I endeavor to restore civic dialogue in which people explore the dimensions of civic and social issues, policies, and decisions in face-to-face discussions among community members. I endeavor to make everyone feel seen and heard in order to promote healing and help the people reclaim their voice and power.
In and out of the classroom, with the vision of creating a more pluralistic society, I will use dramatic techniques (including creative drama) and theatrical performances to teach students to participate in dialogue, which Patricia Romney defines as “focused conversation, engaged in intentionally with the goal of increasing understanding, addressing problems, and questioning thoughts or actions. It engages the heart as well as the mind. It is different from ordinary, everyday conversation, in that dialogue has a focus and a purpose.”
I will do this by actively checking my own privileges and world view, and by consciously working to understand, honor, and accommodate the varied backgrounds and abilities of performers, students, and community members alike. No person is the same, so my objective is to meet them where they are and help them engage in dialogue with their peers, with art, and with the world around them so that they can grow in knowledge and as a human being.
My rehearsal room, performance spaces, and classroom will be a caring, safe, inclusive, and equitable space in which all persons can take risks, make mistakes, learn from them, and grow. I believe that we are all capable of learning from one another, and I further believe that we are all capable of creating work that both delights and heals. I believe that each individual is worthy, deserving of, and capable of creating powerful and transformative professional works that represent our unique community, and I am devoted to using my artistry and teaching abilities to get us there.