“Love art in yourself, and not yourself in art.” - Stanislavski 

Supporting, inspiring, and nurturing the qualities of the whole theatre artist, is my main purpose in the classroom, the rehearsal hall, or the performance venue. Students in the performing arts internalize best by doing, whether as actors, technicians, directors, designers, dramaturgs, or as writers and critics. Students are often initially drawn to the stage through the excitement and “fun” that theatre creates.  Therefore, a focus on an active, creative process that leads to a defined product is needed for a solid foundation to encourage and support the student’s ongoing journey of discovery. 

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” - Einstein 

My teaching style can be described as dynamic and in a constant state of flux. If I have learned one thing over the years, it is that everyone assimilates information differently. I have adopted a learner centered teaching approach since it is very rare to have a classroom full of students (either in person or in virtual reality) who all have the same learning style. My goal is to have a classroom that extends rather that restricts the student’s artistic and intellectual horizons.  My assertion is that it is more beneficial to the creative mind for their instructor to become a solid resource rather than a definitive authority. This way they feel less restrictive to explore a limitless imagination and ultimately find their own voice as an artist.  

“The theatre was created to tell people the truth about life and the social situation” – Adler 

The production process is a very meticulous procedure for me, but it is intensely organic for the artists of whom I am instructing (especially if I have taught them well). My own particular style tends to lean towards an amalgamation of the Meisner approach and Practical Aesthetics. Text-analysis, script work, and a literal understanding of the scene’s driving events give the artists the materials needed to create a solid three dimensional character that lives truthfully under their given imaginary circumstances. With this being said, I also firmly believe that students should be introduced to as many directing/acting/design styles as possible (from classical to modern). Doing so not only gives the student versatility, but assists them in finding their own voice in whatever specialization they choose.

 
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” - Maimonides 

Engaging in mastering creative processes in this way nurtures potential and inspires in them a sense of what is possible, giving form and adding value to a “product” I may never see as their instructor (the lives lived and the contributions made by students in the years after they leave the campus behind). By offering students many opportunities for self-discovery and a freedom of expression that is deeply rooted in academia, my curriculum goal is to make them aware of their own artistic methodology and, thus, acknowledge their own responsibility to hone their craft and create art in every aspect of their lives.