Drive and the Student Actor

This past week, I began reading Daniel Pink's book, Drive. (I know that I'm late to the party on this one, but many things happen only when it's time). I'm one chapter in and already a fan of Pink's thesis that human motivation is not necessarily driven by rewards (money, fame, praise, etc). There's something more intrinsic involved. That makes a lot of sense to me and I'm eager to find out more.

One quote from the first chapter really hit home for me: "If you need me to motivate you, I probably don't want to hire you." While the source comes from a "business leader, who didn't want to be identified", I immediately related it to casting actors and team building in the collaborative realm of theatre. I've adapted that into the quote in the graphic on this post. It's harsher than what I would say to a student, but it is easy to imagine it being said outside of the school setting and in the "real world" - professional theatre and beyond!

Student actors often ask me what they can do to really stand out in an audition. Whether that audition is for me or for another director, I tend to give two pieces of advice: make a choice and be open to direction. It's less about being the best and more about being eager to work. If you're not eager or excited to do the work necessary to perform in a show, then you're going to have a hard time doing that work. It goes for theatre; it goes for anything.

Sometimes people just aren't "into it" and, for some things, that's fine. When it comes to school theatre, I want to work with anyone who wants to put in the work to create an exciting experience with me. What I look for in student artists are motivation and excitement. However, I don't expect anyone to be as excited about the work as I am. (I LOVE this stuff).

More to come as I keep reading, I'm sure!

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Get Action!

https://store.artofmanliness.com/products/get-action-poster

Recently, the universe has been sending reminders that nothing happens without taking action. That's come to me from Theodore Roosevelt (via The Art of Manliness) saying to

"Get action; do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create; act; take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action.”

Taking action is an oft repeated theme in the Dare to Lead podcast with Dr. Brené Brown and no better stated than in the episode "Brené on Armored versus Daring Ledership, Part 1 of 2" in which she says

"to research leadership is easier than to practice it."

That is true of just about everything, especially in education. We can research, and learn, and think, and plan, but in order to get anything out of that process, we must do. The best educational theory and buzzwords and concepts don't mean anything until they are put into action. Only then can we know what "works" and what doesn't. That is true for teachers and it is true for students, too.

I think of all that I plan to accomplish establishing a culture within the theatre classes and after-school program. I can set expectations, I can talk about reflection, but until it is done, it really doesn't mean anything. That can be lost easily and I think we would all do well to remember it, especially after the two school years we've just had.

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Thoughts on the Fourth of July

It is difficult to get started, but nothing happens without that first step. Of course, constant revision is necessary, too. That's true in writing; true in governance.

Today we celebrate the start with an eye ever-present on improving future drafts and an appreciation for the freedom to make those revisions.

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

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Who is school theatre for?

Back in March, I wrote a post exploring my initial thoughts about the role of a school theatre program within the larger school community. A few weeks later, I created a brief survey that I sent to the membership of my high school drama club to gain insight on students' perspectives of the program and its function. About 20% of the students who received the survey provided a response. The results were generally what I expected:

students participated in their school theatre program as a creative outlet and because it was a place where they felt comfortable to be themselves

Those within the drama club frequently refer to it as a "family". I've only been at the school for two years, but what I've seen supports the kind of inclusion you might assume when you read or hear that word.

On the flip side, families can be exclusive groups, too. The next logical step is to explore the perception of the program from those who are outside the family... or is it?

Who is school theatre for? The quick and obvious answer is it is for the students who are active members; however, the primary function of the club is to present stories that are seen by those who exist outside of the family. It is an interesting tight rope to maneuver. That dichotomy also makes school theatre an incredible training ground for collaboration, empathy, and leadership.

More on that in a future post. In the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts on this. How do you balance the need for school theatre to serve its students members and the community audience? Is there a point where one may take precedence over the other?

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