ARTING About...? Go Forth Among The Young Talented People and You Will Find...Greatness!!

by BRIAN BOZANICH, MFA

 If you see me outside the theatre after a performance, parents will tell me they enjoyed the show, or thank me, or praise some aspect of the production. My response is always the same, "I work with the best kids in the world." No one should ever confuse the repetition for insincerity; I have meant it every day for the last twelve years.
Running an educational theatre program is like running a repertory company where everybody gets a better job in their fifth year, just about the time they are hitting their stride. I am always humbled by the choice the students make each day. They finish classes and then choose to stay at school for three more hours; they spend fourteen hours on campus during tech week, and give up weekend nights for their craft. My production program does not offer class credit for shows, so this is a volunteer army.

One unique aspect of my program is that I work with an incredible cross section of our student population. Many other theatre teachers talk to me about how their students are on the fringe of the school. At my school, the drama students are the intellectuals, the athletes, the leaders, and community contributors. My principal recently noted the experiential diversity on stage. The editor of the yearbook and a former varsity baseball player, both seniors, led a cast from every grade level and a range of social groups. The drummer and lead actor from the musical ran sound, and a freshman and junior teamed up on lights. 

 I worked hard in my first few years to include a variety of people. Now, students know that drama welcomes newcomers and is not some kind of strange land where we all run around singing show tunes all the time. Well... that does happen often... but it’s not just a place for a narrow band of students. In an effort to understand why we draw from a larger pool of students, I came up with five reasons.

1) Choose good material-  Well-written, engaging material is often the exception rather than the rule on the high school stage. Some  directors have a four year cycle and repeat the same shows without regard for the casting pool or audience. The stage should be a reflection of what is happening in the world. In my mind, the mildly offensive gender stereotypes of Oklahoma should be retired from the high school stage. That does not mean that only contemporary musicals should be presented. Bye-Bye Birdie explores themes of media and patriotism and Chicago examines the cult of celebrity both of these speak to current youth. It takes hard work to find compelling work. On average I read read five shows before I choose what to produce. In twelve years, on two campuses, we have produced forty-six shows and had forty-four titles, In 2012 we did a revival of our 2004 production of Once on this Island, and each director mounted Godspell. The two productions of Godspell were ten years apart and involved different approaches. Good material will engage student interest. If the title is unknown, you will have to use school announcements to help build the knowledge before auditions. For Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, my drama club PR person talked about Lion King 1 1/2 and the idea of Stoppard writing Hamlet fan fiction to access the knowledge of meta-fiction.

2) Do it well-Once you have a strong script, commit the team to excellence. I tell my students that our target is different. My program has no budget beyond my salary. We have to earn what we spend. This means our shows must be good, so people will want to come. There would be many excuses for a lack of quality: minimal rehearsal time, other demands on students time, no budget, lack of institutional support (not in my case), or simply "it's only a high school show." But all those arise from laziness and the last one is a signal that it's time to retire. The great thing about quality is that it breeds quality. Veterans teach rookies about proper discipline, talent rises to meet the challenge, and audiences attend even if there is no extra credit.

3) Make students understand what drama can offer them- There will come a time when you have to pitch students to join your program. It is always better to speak to their needs, what will they gain from the experience. Theater educators know about all the social benefits of production work, but articulating the soft skills learned by participating in theatre are not apparent to many students.  Here are some strategies I have found effective.
The honors and AP students- Drama is a whole brain activity. Communicating ideas and problem solving in real time in front of an audience is an amazing intellectual workout.
The athlete- Drama allows you to work in a team environment but not in competition. Your team must work together so the audience wins through an understanding of the play.
The shy one- Drama gives you an outlet for you talents, we all have specific jobs. Not all of them are public, but they all support the whole.
The ASB leader- Learn poise, leadership, problem solving, and communicating ideas all under severe deadline pressure.
The uninvolved- Become part of something. Create something larger than the sum of its parts.

 4) Be public- The drama teacher cannot hide in the theatre. You must be involved across campus. I work with ASB, the counseling program, our campus liturgy, I even MC the awards ceremony before graduation. Being part of the campus community is a key element of my inclusion program. Students come up to me at lunch and ask about upcoming auditions, they ask about show dates, or crew work.

5) Give meaningful work to new students- If the same five people always get leads, you are headed for trouble in two years, because no one will be ready to carry a show. If you force rookies to paint because they do not know anything, they will never learn about lighting. When students first say they want to be on crew, I tell them, "keep showing up." I start with small tasks, to make sure they can complete as directed. Then I make them part of a team with a large goal in mind. If they handle working with others, I have a very direct conversation about what they would like to do. They tend to respond with an evasive "whatever you need." It is important to figure out the answer together. Then whether it is on stage or off, you can steer them towards tasks which match their goals. 
Theatre history is the story of people. Each day, my students add to that history by designing, acting, writing, directing. They join thousands of other students who choose this way to connect to those around them. While they are not unique, I have a front row seat to their work, and that makes them the best kids in the world. Go and find those students on your campus who would benefit from this experience. 
If you have any response, please comment. I would love a dialogue rather than a monologue. What resonates with you? Do you have an experience which contradicts these ideas? I keep setting aside my "Why We Tell the Story" post about an amazing experience from March 2012. I keep writing and revising, I will be happy with it soon and I will share that soon. I also am working on a piece about my process choosing a show. 

Brian Bozanich
Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator
Saint Joseph High School

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