Teaching and Learning Philosophy of E.M.Lewis IV
I started my study of theatre in undergraduate college. The Department of Speech and Theatre at Marietta College was small, as was the college itself, but the chance for varied experiences was large. From my first class in lighting, I was fascinated by all areas of theatre preferring to do a little bit of everything rather than concentrate on just one area of theatre study. Willard Friederich, founder/director of the theatre program in the Department of Speech and Theatre at Marietta College often talked of the “Organic Theory of Theatre.” By this he referred to the study of and experiencing of all areas of theatre before choosing a specialization. I have spent most of my time in theatre study with this idea as the cornerstone of my approach to the study of and the teaching of theatre.Since my time at Marietta, I have studied and worked in many different theatre programs and have had the chance to look at all of the different approaches to theatre study that these programs used. Most of the programs had something to offer me as a component to my overall approach to teaching.
After working in both large and small theatre programs, I have found that I prefer working in a college or university that offers a strong liberal arts education rather then a conservatory program. I believe very strongly in a good liberal arts education. This necessitates a strong working relationship between the many departments that serve as related areas of study for the theatre student.
More specifically, in examining my approach to teaching design, I have spent the last seven years developing a studio design program housed in a liberal arts program. This studio design program idea came out of the graduate studio program that I was in at The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, but my approach is geared for all undergraduate students interested in studying theatre. In this studio program, I teach concepts and approaches to theatre design in general and the varied methods of communicating design ideas before I start to teach the specific areas of theatre design. In this introduction to theatre design class I named Design Communication I explore the techniques a designer uses to communicate their ideas to the production team including writing, speaking, drafting, drawing, painting, and computer graphics. By the end of Design Communication the students are ready to explore more in-depth the different areas of design. Those students who may not be interested in design as their major emphasis are given tools and techniques they can use in their other areas of study.
I continue to work on my professional growth as a theatre generalist whose specialty is design. For the last seven years I have been teaching the general education course at both Graceland College and Winona State University. I renamed the Winona State University course What is Theatre? This is one of the most enjoyable courses I now teach. Each semester I share my love of theatre with 75 to 90 students who are not majors and minors. By the end of the semester they have written, rehearsed, and produced a play of their own. They experience theatre as a theatre practitioner. They also see several theatre productions and write responses to some of them.
My interest in liberal arts education has taken me outside of the department to serve on several university committees. I served on The Advising Council, Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committee, and The Faculty Technology Committee. Serving on these committees allows me is to learn more about the liberal arts education process.
I continue to look for opportunities to work in other areas of theatre and its related fields. Currently I sing in two choirs in Winona. One is an Oratorio Chorus and the other, a men’s gospel choir. I directed a one-act play my first year at Winona State and I judge oral interpretation readings at forensic tournaments. At Graceland College I created a new course that looked at film and theatre scripts adapted from novels and short stories. Each of these experiences helps me explore theatre because they all are related to or are aspects of the art of theatre.I have come to realize just how important the classroom is to my own study of Theatre and its many related fields. I am a teacher who happens to use theatre to prepare liberal arts students for what follows college whether it is a career in theatre or a career in a related field.
© E.M.Lewis IV 7/98 Revised 9/03