THE THEATER OF EDUCATION

THE THEATER OF EDUCATION

I SPENT APPROXIMATELY FOURTEEN YEARS OF MY LIFE INVOLVED IN BOTH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL THEATER. UNFORTUNATELY I NEVER KEPT A JOURNAL SO I CAN’T CHECK ON DATES AND PLACES, BUT IT STARTED AT TWELVE WITH PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND JUST KEPT GOING THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND INTO ART SCHOOL. TO EARN MONEY, I WORKED BACKSTAGE IN THE CROYDON GRAND THEATER, A REGULAR PICTURE FRAME OR PROSCENIUM STAGE, FOLLOWED BY A NEW EXPERIMENTAL THEATER IN THE ROUND, THE PEMBROKE, THAT HAD JUST STARTED UP. I PLAYED SMALL PARTS WHENEVER THE OPPORTUNITY AROSE. I WAS FASCINATED BY THE MAGIC OF THEATER, WATCHING A PLAY GROW FROM PRINTED WORDS ON A PAGE TO A LIVING COLLECTION OF CHARACTERS ON A STAGE. WATCHING ACTORS GOING ABOUT THEIR INTERPRETATION OF ROLES WAS FASCINATING AS THEY MORPHED.

I WAS VERY PRIVILEGED TO WORK WITH EXTREMELY WELL-KNOWN ACTORS AND ACTRESSES OF THE TIME. WATCHING ANDREW CRUICKSHANK TRANSFORM FROM A SCOTTISH SHAKESPEAREAN HEAVYWEIGHT TO A CHICAGO LAWYER, BASED ON RENOWNED 1920’S CLARENCE DARROW, WAS INDEED AN INSPIRING LESSON IN THEATRICAL INTERPRETATION. EACH VOCAL INFLECTION AND CHANGE OF PHRASE LENT MUCH TO THE TOTAL CHARACTERIZATION. I LEARNED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT PRESENCE AND CHARACTER BUILDING DURING THIS TIME. I HAD MY 21ST BIRTHDAY ON STAGE AT THE ST. MARTIN’S THEATER.

                                     ANDREW CRUICKSHANK IN “INHERIT THE WIND”

I WORKED AGAIN WITH ANDREW IN A PLAY TITLED “LOOK HOMEWARD, ANGEL” THAT ALSO TRANSFERRED TO THE WEST  END OF LONDON. WATCHING HIM BECOME IMMERSED IN HIS ROLE IN THAT PLAY WAS AGAIN MESMERIZING. I DID SEVERAL WEST END PLAYS AND MUSICALS IN SUCCESSION AFTER THIS, LA BONNE SOUPE, THE GINGERMAN, FAIRY TALES OF NEW YORK, FINIAN’S RAINBOW, AND OTHERS, ALL WITH MAJOR CASTS WHO I LEARNED MUCH FROM.


WHEN I LATER CAME INTO THE WORLD OF TEACHING, I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT GOOD TEACHING IS AN ACT OF THEATER  AND THE MORE INTERESTING THE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE CAN BE, THE MORE MEMORABLE IT IS FOR THE STUDENT.

THE SHOW THAT I SPENT MOST TIME WITH WAS J.M. BARRIE’S “PETER PAN”. FROM BUILDING A 20’ FULLY ARTICULATED NEW CROCODILE AND MANY OTHER PROPS, I BECAME THE PROPERTY MASTER FOR THE SHOW FOR TWO WINTER SEASON’S, FOLLOWED BY FOUR MORE SEASONS AS STAGE CARPENTER, THE PERSON WHO BASICALLY CONTROLS THE WHOLE OF THE BACKSTAGE AREA.

THERE ARE MANY STORIES THAT GO ALONG WITH MY EXPERIENCES ON “PAN”.  I WILL EXPAND ON THEM NEXT MONDAY.  BELIEVE ME, THEY DO HAVE RELEVANCE TO THE WORLD OF ACADEMIA!