The Inaugural Blog Post of Dr. Steve Taft

I have never ever blogged before, but there is a first time for everything so here it goes. 

I had an interesting Saturday this past weekend serving as a guest Critic in Ensemble Acting at the IHSSA Festival hosted by Iowa State University. What is apparent is that there is a tremendous amount of talent throughout Iowa as I saw twenty scenes filled with many talented actors.  The experience shows that actors can be utterly captivating, incredibly comical, and hear-a-pin-drop heart-wrenching with only one table and up to six chairs to work with.  No lights, sets, props, costumes or sound.  For most, they relied on a good choice of material and their talent.  Dubuque Senior received the All-State Critics Choice for Doubt.  By the way, Waterloo West High School received the All-State Critic’s Choice for Musical Theatre!

I spent much of Sunday re-editing a video for my online TAS class and getting ready for a busy week as I prepare to head to Atlanta next week for the Southeastern Theatre Conference and a presentation on you guessed it, “Embracing Technology and Teaching Theatre Online”.

It’s a busy week for the department as we head towards the opening of On the Verge and yet students, faculty, and staff will continue to balance classes, work, and other commitments.  Break-a-leg to all.  It was nice to see the On the Verge pre-show article (and photo) in Sunday’s Waterloo Courier as well.

Well, that’s it for now.  Have a great day.

Steve Taft

The Dirty Confessions of a Theatre Nerd

Time warp yourself back to 1995 and you’re at the Strayer-Wood Theatre.  You see a brooding young man with dreadlocks, facial piercings, combat boots up to his knees in shorts and all black, smoking a cigarette and scowling at the world around him.  That was me.  My name is Gabe Wilkinson and I am a proud alum of the University of Northern Iowa’s Theatre Program.  My story and history with the Strayer-Wood Theatre starts in about 1995.  It actually starts a little bit before then, but this is when I officially became a student at UNI.

            I came from a developing theatre program at NIACC under another UNI Theatre graduate by the name of Tim Slaven.  He convinced me that UNI was the place for me so I agreed and headed to Cedar Falls.  But this really isn’t about that; it’s about Strayer-Wood Theatre and my experiences there, and how it helped shape me into the man I am today.  It's about why I’ve decided to give back to the program, and the people, the professors, educators and the school that gave me so much.

            Now jump forward a bit to my senior year.  Its 1998, I’m touring with a rock band, bartending at the now defunct Steb’s Amusement.  I’m 26 years old and I’m pretty sure I know it all.  I want to do dangerous theatre -theatre that pushes boundaries, that makes people think and that pushes people’s buttons.  I’ve officially burnt out on academic theatre and I’m ready to do “real” art.  I remember seeing a show in St. Louis with Jay Edelnant that was something I really thought was amazing.  It was a student piece and it was spectacle and horror and challenged the audience, Jay reminded me that every playwright’s first play is about how much they hate their father… he was right again.

            I seem to be drifting away from my core thesis here, something I often did and Cynthia was often reminding me to reel it in.  Tangents... I often tend to meander on tangents. Eric remembers that for my first lighting design piece where I created a crucifix out of found wood in the shop and played a song by Strapping Young Lad at maximum volume in the BMT while everyone sat there with their jaws hanging down.  Or the time I did a performance art piece called “What the F**K I’m Naked” and performed it in the BMT, which Leonard often reminds me of when I see him about on campus.

            Wow do you see what I’m getting at?  The theatre department at UNI gave me so much more than just a solid education.  It gave me so much more than training for my future career.  What it gave is completely immeasurable in monetary amounts.  I’ll be paying my student loans back until about 2095 but I could care less. What I learned from the theatre and what the theatre gave me far exceeds the money I spent on my education.

            First and foremost the theatre gave me training for the future.  Do I work in the field of theatre now?  Not in so many words.  I work at KWWL as a commercial producer, but the theatre got me my job at the station over 10 years ago.  My knowledge of live production and the ability to communicate over a headset gave me a leg up on the competition.  It also helped that I had experience with audio in the theatre and I could handle the stress of live production.  From there I moved on to commercial production, where I write, shoot, edit and direct commercials for local clients-  all skills that I acquired while at Theatre UNI.  I learned to write from Cynthia, I learned to direct from Jay, I learned to compose a scene from Leonard and Eric.  All of these people touched me specifically and taught me ways to do my job today, even down to something as simple as three point lighting for KWWL’s annual Best of Class presentation that I’ve been lighting and shooting now for almost 11 years!

            The theatre also gave me a network of professionals and friends that work throughout the country that I can call on for help or advice.  I developed stronger connections and friendships with staff and students in my three years at UNI than I did in all 13 years of my primary education in small town Iowa.  Perhaps it’s due to the fact that the class sizes are small or that the program is incredibly hands on and student driven., Whatever the case is, I learned to depend on my fellow students and staff and they learned to depend on me.  As a team we achieved some pretty amazing things. (By the way, I still haven’t found that ghost cat that I swear I saw hanging a false proscenium with Leonard, Eric and Cory Shipler for Die Fledermaus).  The biggest thing that I learned about my fellow students and staff though was respect and trust of the professionals you were working with.  Did we butt heads at times? Sure. Did I get along with everyone? Absolutely not. But I respected what they brought to the table and that carries over into my professional life now.

            The last thing, and perhaps the most important thing I gained from my experience at the Strayer-Wood Theatre, are the lasting relationships.  I decided to stay in Cedar Falls and raise my family; I know it’s tough to believe that the dreadlocked Goth kid decided to stick around the small town, but I did and the theatre continues to be a huge part of my life.  Eric and I often get together and have lunch.  I see the staff at community functions, I still try and go to shows and most importantly I’m still around to provide help and to get help when I or they need it.  I recently worked on a documentary about Jay and Gwendolyn’s production of Marat Sade and their work with the textile artist Cat Chow.  Eric helped me build a new deck.  I worked on video installation for the production of The Laramie Project; Eric let me borrow his truck to haul junk to the transfer station.  Sometimes I almost feel like the theatre and the people there are more of a family to me than I ever thought.

            So what’s this all leading up to, you might ask.  It’s a nice story, Gabe, but get to the point.  Well here’s the point.  The scrawny angry kid that just wanted to get the hell out of school in 1998 is now the slightly plump father of two and a professional in the Cedar Valley, and really a large part of that is due to my training and the relationships I developed at the Strayer-Wood Theatre, both professionally and personally.  So what did I decide to do?  I decided to give back.  I currently sit on the Board of Directors for STAGE Inc. as the Vice President.  For those of you not familiar with STAGE Inc. it's a group of individuals from the Cedar Valley from all different walks of life who get together and try and raise awareness for the Strayer-Wood Theatre and at the same time try and raise scholarship money for deserving students that apply for it, but that’s not all!  We also raise funds for strike food and theatre enhancements as well.  We volunteer our time to meet up, come up with creative ways to get you, the public, involved and get you to give back.  I’m giving back by sitting on the board.  The Strayer-Wood Theatre, its students, its staff, and the University of Northern Iowa gave me more than I will ever be able to pay back. So this is my way of giving back to this organization, nay not organization, but this family that taught me so much and gave me so much. 

So what I’d like to do today is to ask you to give back, too.  I would love it if you would make a donation to STAGE Inc., or better yet become a full-fledged member.  Whether you are alumni, parents of alumni or even just a fan of the program, I ask you to give back.  In the world we live in today, more and more money is being pulled from public schools to cut programs in the arts.  If you give to this program you are helping to make sure these students, these future professionals in many different careers have a chance to grow and express themselves - to find out who they are and take their talents to the next level.  I am forever grateful to the Strayer-Wood Theatre, the faculty and the University of Northern Iowa for giving me a chance, for teaching me, for letting me grow, for letting me fall on my face more than once, but for always being there to give me another chance - to let me prove that I wasn’t a dumb ass.  So please take the time to give back today and make a difference in the future of another me.

Sincerely,

Gabe Wilkinson

Reflections from Gretta Berghammer, director, Mother Hicks

The final lines have been spoken; the last of the sign language symbols have shared with the audience.  The costumes are in the process of being sorted, cleaned, and stored; the props returned to storage; the set dismantled.  In short, Mother Hicks has closed.

Like many directors, I greeted the close of Mother Hicks with mixed feelings.  First, there was that initial period of relief and exhaustion, mixed with the exhilaration that often follows a period of intense, passionate and creative work.  I found myself with “time,” to grocery shop and cook, to pet the dog, do the laundry.  I opened a book that hadn’t been picked up for weeks, began my holiday shopping list; I returned to the gym (oh my God, am I sore )!  But as the days continue the initial excitement of re-acclimating to “life outside the theatre” has made way for a bit of post-show let down.  The sudden decompression from days and nights full of work and energy and emotions has left me feeling a bit empty.  Not quite ready for my next project, yet not quite ready to entirely let this one go, I find myself reflecting on the work.  And that reflection has led me to this discovery:  Mother Hicks enlarged me as a director.

Why?  Well, Mother Hicks, truth be told, is one of the most challenging projects I have ever undertaken as a director, and trust me, my 25+ year career has had some pretty amazing challenges that have included:  directing To Kill a Mockingbird with a cast of more than 20; the world premiere of The Rose of Treason, a full length theatre for youth play that we commissioned of playwright James DeVita, directing The Wrestling Season in Gdansk, Poland on an extremely limited time line and budget, and the establishment of a youth theatre company in the Cedar Valley to name just a few.

What made Mother Hicks a candidate for inclusion in the “Gretta Hall of Artistic Challenges?”  Well, I can’t pinpoint just one thing; I believe it is the combination of varied components that provided so many unique and creative challenges which ultimately contributed so beautifully to my growth as a director.  I will try and describe the two that are currently foremost in my mind.

To begin, there was the challenge of directing a play that incorporated both sign language and the inclusion of a deaf actor.  Sign interpreter Karlene Kischer-Browne was not only instrumental but invaluable to this process.  She was so patient with me, as I worked to expand the artistry of the sign language within the context of the world of the play without compromising the text we sought to communicate.  In addition to helping chose and develop the signs we would use in the production, Karlene generously collaborated with me in providing support and guidance for first time actor Christian Mangrich.  Working with an interpreter forced me to become better at thinking about what I wanted and needed to say; words now had currency; words now had weight; words now had a larger importance and meaning in my work.  I enlarged my ability to better choose which words I would use to communicate notes and images and thoughts to all of the actors, not just Christian.  I feel my notes became more specific, my observations more focused, my connection to the world of the play more acute.

Secondly, the play enlarged my world.  Like most people in the Cedar Valley I knew we were home to a deaf and hard of hearing population but I didn’t KNOW this population.  This project challenged me to expand my boundaries; to take the risk to share the work with a community that lives Tuc’s story each and every day.  To that end, I must again thank Karlene Kisher-Browne for helping our Department connect with the deaf and hard of hearing population among us, and the Guernsey Foundation for the fiscal support of all of the outreach activities designed in support of this production.  A final thank you to Eric Lange, whose vision and support made the acquisition of the Guernsey Grant possible.

So, what next?  Well, ending the semester, of course, and the grading and meetings that are a part of that.  Then a bit of time off to unwind, celebrate the season, rejuvenate my soul.  And then…well the next project…an adventure in teaching!  January will find me on a Professional Development Assignment.  Instead of teaching UNI classes I will launch the development and implementation of a drama program for youth on the autism spectrum.  Stay tuned for an update later in the spring.

Help Warm the Hearts of Others This Holiday Season

Are you planning to attend Mother Hicks this weekend?  We’ve partnered with Lowell Elementary School’s Adopt-a-Family Drive to help provide warm clothing to families right here in the Cedar Valley. 

Mother Hicks, a play set in Southern Illinois during the Great Depression, is a beautifully told story, unique in its themes of communication, symbolism, and community.  The themes of poverty and struggle to support one’s family are presented in the play, and in this spirit, we’re reaching out to families this Holiday Season.

If you would like to help us help families in need, please bring your new or gently used winter-wear for children and adults – hats, gloves, scarves, coats, etc. – to Strayer-Wood Theatre when you come to Mother Hicks or any time until December 15^th at 3:00 p.m.  Donations can be placed near the Christmas Tree in the South Lobby.

Tickets are still available for performances December 2-4 @ 7:30p & December 4 & 5 @ 2p.  Sign language interpretation is scheduled for the 7:30p performance on Saturday, December 4.  Please call the Box Office at 319-273-6381 or visit us online at www.vpaf.uni.edu/unitix/ to reserve your seats.

Wishing you and your family a safe and happy Holiday Season!

-The Staff at Strayer-Wood Theatre

Mother Hicks courtesy of Eric Lange

We started the next phase of the rehearsal process for Mother Hicks.  The cast has worked for two weeks on learning components of sign language which are integrated into the action of the show.  On Monday, October 18th, we held the Design Presentation for the Cast and Crew.  During this event, the director and the rest of the production team share their approach to shaping the world of the show.  The show’s director, Gretta Berghammer, started the presentation by speaking the first lines from the show as Christian Bainbridge, who plays the character of Tuc, signed the lines, which is what happens in the actual show.  She also talked about three reasons that she was drawn to the show:

·         the playwright, Suzan Zeder, is an important contemporary playwright of works for youth audiences

·         this production gives us a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.  Gretta is drawn to work that generates opportunities for social interaction and action…this play beautifully draws everyone’s attention to the special gifts the non-hearing and hard of hearing have to share.

·         The story, even though it is set 65 years in the past, is still relevant today as we face economic uncertainty, anxiety and fear.

Mark Parrott, the scenic designer, shared a variety of images from the Depression-era research he has done and discussed how the stage would be used in this production.   

One of Mark’s challenges is creating the “wagon” that Tuc pulls around during the show.  The wagon, which Mark has conceived as a railway luggage cart, is used throughout the show as both a place where actors pull props that are used to define their character or a locale from and also as certain elements of scenery, such as a dining room table or a general store counter.

Carol Colburn, the costume designer, spoke about the reality of how people were forced to use and re-use clothing, often patching it again and again to extend the life of the garment.  She shared a wonderful resource from her research, a book of color photographs of the American Midwest during the Depression.  This is rare since most film from the time was black and white.

I spoke about the work that I hope to do as lighting designer, along with my assistant, Michael Brown, who is a senior in our department.  I was drawn to this script because the story is presented in a beautiful, poetic- almost rhythmic- manner.  It is also a piece that depends heavily on lighting to establish locale.  There are scenes that are expansive and use the whole stage, there are scenes which take place in interior settings where the lighting will be the primary thing defining those spaces, and there are moments where Tuc, the deaf young man in the story, is focused on in a very isolated way as he signs elements of narration that are spoken by chorus members, who are all citizens of the town where the play occurs.

The cast also introduced themselves by signing their names and who they play in the show.  Other presenters were Diana Garles, who is designing hair and makeup for the show, and Nick Chizek, who is preparing educational materials and presentations for the middle-school audiences who will come to a special matinee performance- one of two performances that will be signed for the public.

Michael and I will begin to attend rehearsals this week and watch as Gretta and the cast explore how the stage will be used.   Within the next two weeks we’ll experiment with placement of instruments and the different effects- including a moving river and a large campfire- needed for the show.

Four Special Performances!

2010 Iowa Thespians Festival GBPAC Tickets are now on sale!

We are so excited to announce ticket availability for FOUR special performances at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center as part of the 2010 Iowa Thespians Festival!  Tickets are now on sale for Romeo & Juliet, Rabbit Hole, The Fantasticks, and Quilters!  Tickets for UNI students are just $5!!

We'll see you at the show!

Clarity of language = creative thought: a new post from Gwendolyn Schwinke

In writing my director’s notes for the She Stoops to Conquer program, I quoted a poem by Taylor Mali – one that we had looked at last year in my Extreme Shakespeare class.  Because of space considerations, I’ll only share part of the poem in the program, and so I wanted to share the entire thing here. 

Totally like whatever, you know

In case you hadn’t noticed,

It has somehow become uncool

To sound like you know what you’re talking about?

Or believe strongly in what you’re saying?

Invisible question marks and parenthetical (you know?)’s

Have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences?

Even when those sentences aren’t like, questions? You know?

Declarative sentences – so-called

because they used to, like, DECLARE things to be true

as opposed to other things which were, like, not –

have been infected by a totally hip

and tragically cool interrogative tone? You know?

Like, don’t think I’m uncool just because I’ve noticed this;

this is just the like the word on the street, you know?

It’s like what I’ve heard?

I have nothing personally invested in my own opinions, okay?

I’m just inviting you to join me in my uncertainty?

What has happened to our conviction?

Where are the limbs out on which we once walked?

Have they been, like, chopped down

with the rest of the rain forest?

Or do we have, like, nothing to say?

Has society become so, like, totally . . .

I mean absolutely . . . You know?

That we’ve just gotten to the point where it’s just, like . . .

whatever!

And so actually our disarticulation . . . ness

is just a clever sort of  . . . thing

to disguise the fact that we’ve become

the most aggressively inarticulate generation

to come along since . . .

you know, a long, long time ago!

I entreat you, I implore you, I exhort you,

I challenge you: To speak with conviction.

To say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks

the determination with which you believe it.

Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker,

It is not enough these days to simply QUESTION AUTHORITY,

You have to speak with it, too. 

See: www.taylormali.com.  Mr. Mali generously gives readers permission to share his work as I’m doing now.  I encourage you to visit his website for more poetry and ideas. 

So, what does this poem have to do with She Stoops to Conquer, a comedy written and set in 18^th Century England?  In selecting a show to direct for this season, I wanted to find something that gave our actors the challenge of speaking with conviction. To me this means speaking with clarity, speaking from the heart, and also having fun with words. The language that She Stoops to Conquer playwright Oliver Goldsmith has given us does exactly that.  This play is from the Georgian period (when King George III ruled England), and was written in 1773, about the time of the American Revolution. The language is much more contemporary than that of about two hundred years earlier, when, say, William Shakespeare was writing.  It sounds pretty much like the way we speak today, with the exception of some unique words and phrases.  The cast and I have had a lot of fun learning those archaic words – as well as re-discovering words that are still at play in contemporary language; our Assistant Stage Manager, Matt Vichlach is serving as de-facto dramaturge, sitting in rehearsal and visiting the Oxford English Dictionary online at our beck and call.  Michael Achenbach wows us with his lightning-fast research abilities on his new I-Pad.

We’ve expanded out vocabularies to include delightful mouthfuls of language:  tête-a-tête, bagatelle, Catherine wheel, mauvaise honte, assiduities, malignity, and – what is apparently Mr. Goldsmith’s favorite word – impudent. For indeed, Mr. Goldsmith is no Shakespeare, and does re-use some words (especially “impudent”), quite frequently. Cast members have been joking that they want shirts with a pointing-finger graphic and the text “I’m with impudent” emblazoned on the front.  But I think there’s a reason “impudent” appears so often in this play: Goldsmith was out to tweak the nose of traditional comedy, and he wrote an intentionally impudent play.  He reminds us that true communication is not a stale exercise in following rules, but is an ongoing creative act involving jokes, play, risk, rule-breaking and even mistakes.  Just as Taylor Mali challenges us to be articulate by inviting us to “join me in my uncertainty,” so Goldsmith, by creating characters that misunderstand and misuse language, invites us into a world where communicating is a creative act.