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| "Quintus Horatius Flaccus" by Anton von Werner |
A Keynote Address by Jim DeVivo
Given for the February 2015 induction ceremony International Thespian Society at Union County Academy for Performing Arts.
"Thank you for inviting me here today to celebrate with you the induction of these young people into the International Thespian Society. Though I’ve been involved in the theatre since the age of eight, I have never had the privilege to take part in a program like this and I am honored to be a part of the ceremony today.
"It is fitting to celebrate students’ work in theatre with a ritual like this as it is in ritual and storytelling that theatre has its origins. Our earliest ancestors gathered around the fire to hear a shaman incant tales that demystified the unknown things around them and within. These stories became the basis of ethics and religion and education as our ancestors evolved from those earliest days to the present day. Throughout that history, we humans continued to gather to tell and hear stories much as the ancients did, but with new technology constantly upgrading the meeting places and advancements in philosophy and training reshaping and refining the storytelling methods.
"It is remarkable to think how important theatre must be to withstand such a span of time. The Roman poet Horace may have put it best in the Ars Poetica, his study of poetry and drama, when he said that effective theatre must be both dulce et utile: meaning sweet and useful. To put it another way: entertaining and educational. The theatre has always served both purposes though at times it may have drifted toward one end of the spectrum, or another. In our modern age, with the spectacle of falling chandeliers, rotating barricades, and pop music reviews, we swing a bit more toward the entertainment side of of the spectrum where it can be difficult to recognize the educational importance of the art form. At times, those of us in the theatre struggle to prove our worth in a world increasingly obsessed with higher numbers and 'better' results.
"Yet it is also in this same era that serious research has explored the impact of theatre participation and education on students’ academic and creative development. A few years ago, James Catterall, a professor of education at UCLA, concluded his 12-year study of visual and performing arts education at the secondary school level by finding that 'sustained student involvement in theatre arts associates with a variety of developments for youth: gains in reading proficiency, gains in self-concept and motivation, and higher levels of empathy for others' (p. 2). Additionally, in a 2012 study, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices surmised that the arts and culture sector can play a major role in the revitalization of local economies through 'community revitalization and the development of a better prepared workforce,' among other things. (p. 5). Education and creativity experts like Sir Ken Robinson speak of the necessity of arts education to ensure that our children have the creative capacity to survive and succeed in whatever future the remainder of 21st century may reveal.
Beyond these intrinsic benefits there also is much that is learned in the way of Core Curricular Content knowledge through the research, dramaturgy, and development that goes into the preparation of a theatrical performance. In order to prepare for a role, an actor studies the text and subtext of a character’s written dialogue and the historical and social contexts that impact his/her actions and language. Similar work is done by a director and a designer to bring the details of the play to fruition; not to mention the playwright who creates or recreates that world in the beginning. How many of you know more about our world after putting on, or seeing, an historical play?
Theatre helps us to better understand ourselves, too. For example I remember being an 8-year old boy sitting on the floor of the school gymnasium completely engrossed with an assembly given by a local opera company. At recess, I grabbed my four-color, retractable ballpoint pen to quickly record everything I had seen or heard at the assembly. I even cast my friends for a production that, unfortunately, never made it to my planned playground performance. My love of theatre was born that day and I began to soak of every experience I could have backstage and onstage and in the audience. Through the stories I experienced I learned about the world and imagined myself in it. This brought great joy and entertainment, but also a feeling of family as I worked with a variety of people in each production. That sense of belonging did more for me than I could have ever imagined at the time as it also gave me the necessary encouragement and validation I needed to get through future years complicated by a rare autoimmune disorder and a resulting lack of self-esteem. You may have similar stories of learning and growth that stem from your own interactions with theatre, or those of your friends, or children.
Which brings us back again to the theatre as a place for telling and hearing stories. With all of this learning going on, how nice that we are able to do it in the midst of the fun and excitement of a show! For let’s not forget the dulce in Horace’s description of the theatre: that its benefit is not just to feed the mind, but to please the soul as well. Congratulations to all of tonight’s inductees on their accomplishments in these pursuits. May all your future endeavors be sweet and useful. Thank you."
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| Photo of Bic 4-Color Retractable Ballpoint Pen from Staples.com |
