Arts Entrepreneurship—Impro for People Skills

Now that the spring term here at Centre College is underway, I had a moment to sit down and read the January issue of American Theatre.  The essay, “Open for Business,” caught my attention.  It is about “arts entrepreneurship,” a growing field of academic study.  Arts entrepreneurship is basically about teaching theatre students business skills, empowering them to generate their own opportunities, and giving them the tools they need to capably promote their skill sets in a rapidly changing job market.  The professors interviewed for this essay talked about their arts entrepreneurship classes and projects assigned.  Their stories inspired me to blog about the “Impro for People Skills” course I just finished teaching.

Winter terms at Centre College are intense.  Three weeks, three hours a day, with a group of 16 students.  Not to mention my class took a 2-night field trip to Chicago to experience iO and Second City.  My course was offered as a first-year studies course.  So, all freshmen, most of which had very little theatre experience, quite a few athletes, and almost all planning to major in financial economics, government, behavioral sciences, or other fields not usually linked to dramatic arts.  The goal of the course was for students to learn and apply impro theatre theory, techniques, exercises, and games to enhance their people skills (i.e., the ability to authentically engage, collaborate, be flexible and spontaneous, take risks, motivate others, and to effectively deliver a story, idea, or product).  During the third and final week, this group of students partnered with and successfully pitched marketing campaigns, incorporating impro skills, to four local businesses.  After the “Pitch Presentations,” the students received positive, enthusiastic feedback from the business representatives in attendance.  And several of the marketing ideas are going to be employed, although this project was certainly more about process than product.  On the last day of class, after our wrap-up discussion, I had planned on letting everyone leave a little early, but no one wanted to leave!  Instead, we ended up playing a combination of impro games and staying 20 minutes over our scheduled class time!

This experience reminded me, once again, of the power of theatre.  In just three weeks, this group of non-theatre majors had become a team that could dynamically and spontaneously collaborate, create, and present together using improvisational theatre methods.  It is no wonder business schools, major corporations, and community organizations are increasingly applying impro and dramatic techniques to their training and processes.  As the article in American Theatre suggests, theatre educators should empower theatre students to utilize their skill sets in diverse ways and encourage them to connect/collaborate with students in other disciplines.  I am so thrilled I had the opportunity to teach my “Impro for People Skills” course at Centre College and I am really looking forward to creating future courses with an “arts entrepreneurship” focus.

Meeting Deadlines!

Last week, I sent my book and all supporting materials off to my publisher in London (Methuen Drama, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing).  The title of the book, by the way, is Keith Johnstone: A Critical Biography.  Methuen Drama is anticipating an August 2013 release.  Once the exact release date is set, I will let everyone know!

This upcoming week, my Directing Class students will put up their 10-Minute Play Festival over three nights.  14 directors presenting 14 ten-minute plays from Actors Theatre of Louisville national ten-minute play contests.  Since Danville is only an hour from Louisville, I decided selecting plays from this event would be fitting.  I am really looking forward to seeing my student’s work.  It is a great group of young directors!

Two weeks ago, my production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard (using Stoppard’s adaptation) closed here at Centre College.  We had a very successful run, albeit too short.  Unfortunately, the local paper doesn’t review DramaCentre productions but the responses from faculty and students have been overwhelmingly positive.  One faculty member told me our production compared favorably to a production he had seen at the Théâtre National de Strasbourg! Yes, I am saving these responses for my directing portfolio!  My sister edited the filmed footage that Dale took with 2 cameras of the opening performance.  I will add some clips to my directing reel shortly.  Meanwhile, a DVD is available upon request.  Also, go to my Photos Page and click onto “Productions Directed” to see a a handful of photos taken by my fabulous lighting designer Matthew Hallock (Scenic design by Kate Dunlap.  Costume design by Martha Peñaranda).

What comes next for me?  Over the three-week winter term here at Centre College, I will be teaching my own course—“Impro for People Skills”—and taking a group of 16 students to Chicago’s Second City and Improv Olympic.  Dale gets to join me on this trip!  I will also be mentoring a lovely, bright student on her senior directing project.  In the spring, I am teaching Dramatic Literature and an advanced Impro course.  But I won’t be directing a show or writing a book in the spring and I am really looking forward to just teaching.  Well, I am sure my schedule will quickly fill up with all sorts of events.  That’s okay.  I like being busy.

I hope everyone had a Thanksgiving full of love and laughter!

“The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time”—Abraham Lincoln

Tomorrow the fall term begins at Centre College and I begin my job teaching as a visiting assistant professor of Dramatic Arts.  It will be a very busy and, I hope, exhilarating term.  I will be teaching five days a week, Acting I and an upper level Directing course.  I am also directing the fall production—Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard (using the adaptation by Tom Stoppard).  Auditions are next week.  Furthermore, I am revising an article for Theatre Topics about Keith Johnstone’s “circle of probability” concept.  And I am making revisions on/augmenting my critical study on Johnstone (Keith Johnstone: A Critical Biography) because Methuen Drama, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing in London, will be publishing it and anticipates a summer 2013 release!  Suffice it to say, dear friends, my calendar is jam-packed for the next three months.  But instead of getting overwhelmed, I will try and remember the quote from Lincoln I posted above and face the future one day at a time.

On another note, be sure to watch the Vice-Presidential Debate this year.  It will take place at Centre College in The Norton Centre for the Performing Arts which houses our Dramatic Arts department.  The debate has already stirred things up around campus and I can imagine it is going to get more interesting as October 11^th approaches.

Finally, tonight is the Opening Convocation ceremony at Centre College.  Faculty members march in their full academic regalia into the 1,500 seat Newlin Concert Hall to welcome the students.  I will be introduced along with other new faculty.  No need to be nervous, right?  The Opening Convocation address will be given by Harold Holzer, the foremost scholar on Abraham Lincoln, and then everyone will walk outside, to the center of campus to witness the unveiling of a new statue of Lincoln created by artist Ed Hamilton.  The statue honors the connection Lincoln had with Centre College.  You can read the story behind the statue here: www.centre.edu/news/2012/lincoln_update.html   Dale will be taking photos, as usual, so I will attach one or two of his photos to this blog post in a few days.

Wish me luck!

Heading to the Bluegrass State!

Yes, that’s right.  We are on the move again.  I just accepted a one-year visiting assistant professorship at Centre College, one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country and home to the 2012 Vice Presidential Debate!  The campus is located in the quaint town of Danville, just 30 miles southwest of Lexington and 80 miles southeast of Louisville. For the fall production, I will be directing The Cherry Orchard in the beautiful 360-seat thrust Weisiger Theatre.

Weisiger Theatre

I will also be teaching directing, acting, dramatic literature, and possibly an advanced course on Johnstone’s work.  Dale and I are very excited about this opportunity.  We will head to Danville next week to meet my colleagues, find a place to live, and attend The Great American Brass Band Festival!  And Centre College’s Norton Center for the Performing Arts (which houses the drama department and the Weisiger Theatre) has an exciting lineup—Alison Krauss, the Public Theatre’s production of HAIR, Yo-Yo Ma, and more.  So come on out and visit us in Danville, listen to some authentic bluegrass music, drink some fine Kentucky Bourbon, see wonderful performances, attend the VP debate, or just ride horses!