ALWAYS ON MY WAY

As I reflect on and recount my years as a student and academician, and delineate the periods of reckoning and discovery, I realize there can only be more to come.

During my tenure at The University of New Orleans, I have learned that being a teacher has taught me more than I ever imagined was possible. Struggles and failures have been a necessary part of that learning. I speculated that this would be the case, but now I have experienced that truth first hand. I have grown comfortable sharing my struggles and failures with students, in the hope that they will have the courage to fail and learn themselves. I also share with them the struggles that I have overcome and the knowledge and skill that I have gained through hard work. Contemporary students do not often welcome the frustration that accompanies learning, especially in a world where not knowing or being wrong is so heavily stigmatized. Creating a "high stakes/low risk" environment for students has become an important goal for me as a teacher, and I can now see positive results in the attitudes of the students and investments that they make as a direct result of the practice. Structuring an atmosphere where stakes and risks are inversely proportional allows space for the student to explore and grow, which is necessary when teaching design and how to engage in creative activity. I will often start class periods involving creative engagement with a short period to allow the students to "check-in" and relieve themselves of any distractions that they may be experiencing so that they can be present and prepared to learn. I have discovered that through this simple act, an atmosphere emerges where the students are more confident and less likely to react defensively. Together, the students and I create an atmosphere that is conducive to sharing our thoughts freely; we all benefit from the dynamic that results. I have noticed that ambiguity is possibly the thing that frightens students most today, so I have worked hard to create a classroom where not knowing the answer is acceptable and normal. I teach the students that if they continue asking questions, informed choices emerge. They become more comfortable and can move forward with more confidence.

The practice of offering an "everything to gain" environment for the students, I have also altered the challenges I present to them. When students see problems that are too strictly defined, their curiosity is diminished or vanishes completely. I have learned offering more open challenges to the students gains them the experience, and grants them authorship in the project. This "open challenge" allows the already "brave and curious" students to flourish, while the ones that may not be so inclined are permitted to witness and experience the safety of the classroom. Also, creative projects are given too few resources in terms of time and material for the work to develop. Far too often at University, we are forced to pursue and teach "how to" rather than the "what if." The "how-to" approach can be measured both in terms of time and material; the "what if" is far less specific, however, leads to far more significant results for the student and the work. If there can be no waste or mistakes, there is no time for exploration and discovery. When students have the time and a safe place to create, they flourish.

I have realized that what it was to be an artist 25 years ago is a far different thing today. My confidence and strength as an artist and collaborator have grown immensely over the years teaching at the University of New Orleans, and the adaptation of this less fearful approach has allowed me to share ownership of the work with the people around me. In the Scenic Studio at UNO, we have adopted an ensemble approach to generating ideas and visual research where all the staff can have stakes in what happens. I have witnessed their growth as artists and collaborators as a direct result of it.

My understanding of the Theatre's potential worldly-impact has broadened over the years. My career has most recently lead me to the practice of Theatre being used to foster awareness across communities, give voice to specific demographics, and provide modes of expression to individuals that might not have otherwise had the experience. This idea has been introduced to me more directly by my colleague Diane K Baas, her experience with the Network of Ensemble Theaters, The National Performance Network, and the artists I have met through these organizations. Recent years have brought unique opportunities for me to be part of ensembles that focus their work on devised and original Theatre. One such piece was with MONDO BIZARRO that has been in development for nearly two years. The National Endowment for the Arts funds the work, as well as The Andrew W Mellon Foundation and the National Performance Network, Alternate Roots and Art Works, all national arts funding organizations, and the show did tour summer and fall of 2018. The show confronts issues of racism, gentrification, and individualism in contemporary society. I was also able to share this opportunity with a UNO student through the film and Theatre Arts internship program. In the summer of 2019, I was invited to work with the GOAT IN THE ROAD ENSEMBLE on a devised work that addresses sexual assault and aggression on university campuses. The work appeared in AMERICAN THEATRE MAGAZINE's October issue.

https://www.americantheatre.org/2019/10/01/how-roleplay-reflected-tulanes-experiences-with-assault/

Because of this type of activity, I have introduced the Contemporary Theatre class at UNO (FTA 4455) to the idea of devising work relevant to them as students and contemporary citizens, along with our more traditional analyses of published work. Regarding the devised work, I have witnessed passion and energy from the students that I had not seen before. This idea of equal stakes theatre that gives voice and movement to the issues that specific communities face has added value- and another layer to who I am as an artist and educator. I intend to continue to explore this way of theatre-making with students and in my work.

I find the joy of teaching and working in the Theatre comes from human connection and collaboration. That is why we do it. However, content without craft cannot communicate. Many of my family were artisans, and I don't remember a time in my life that I was not fascinated by materials and tools. That fascination has continued leading me to broaden my experiences to include work in the motion picture industry as a prop maker and carpenter. I have earned membership in the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and used this exposure to the most advanced methods and materials of stagecraft and management to enhance the experiences of the students of film and Theatre at UNO. I believe this blending of Film and Theatre is unique for a person in my position, and ideally suited for the work I do here at UNO.

As a direct result of this broadened experience, relationships formed with members of the greater New Orleans community, and have resulted in gifts to The University of New Orleans totaling nearly $50,000.00, thus far, to enhance and provide space and equipment for the students of film and Theatre. These gifts have greatly improved the experience for students at UNO, and I look forward to a productive relationship with these donors for years to come.

In addition to my professional development through the motion picture industry and my membership in IATSE, I entered the docent training program at The New Orleans Museum of Art in August of 2012. Being a docent at NOMA requires that I attend training sessions, lectures, and presentations by curators and artists for two hours each week, and conduct public and secondary educational tours. The training and education I receive from The New Orleans Museum of Art will continue to be a constant source of inspiration and knowledge that I actively share with the students at UNO. The response from the students at UNO has been positive and energetic; I believe that the exposure to different artists and philosophical approaches to art has informed their ideas and their craft.

When I started on my journey as an artist and educator, I imagined that there was a place where "the way" would reveal itself, and patient comfort would ensue- nothing could be further from the truth. "The way" is continually showing more questions about how to do better work. What I have discovered is that as an artisan, artist, and educator, I am part of an ever-expanding and changing art form, and I find that exhilarating. I am excited about the future for UNO, the newly formed School of The Arts, and the possibilities that lie ahead for the students of Film and Theatre. I am excited to be serving my most efficient and creative years here at UNO as I near the end of my tenure, and I am passionate about being part of the art of creative storytelling. An art form that can and indeed does affect change.