TEACHING PHILOSOPHY:
Equity, Access, and the Polymath Artist: An African American Educator's Commitment
As an African American educator, my philosophy is profoundly rooted in the belief that all students, regardless of their age, abilities, gender, or affiliations, deserve access to equitable scholarship and an education that provides the tools necessary for them to thrive and grow in the arts. This commitment is not merely a pedagogical stance but a moral imperative, recognizing the historical and ongoing necessity of dismantling systemic barriers within educational and artistic institutions.
My role is to ensure that the classroom and the rehearsal hall are radically inclusive spaces where every student sees their unique background and perspective valued as a powerful contribution to the collective work. Equitable scholarship means moving beyond a monolithic curriculum to include a rich, diverse canon of work that reflects the global spectrum of human experience. This includes prioritizing the voices and stories of marginalized communities, thereby enriching the education for all students.
The Power of Interdisciplinary Exploration
My experience in the field confirms a crucial truth: the artistic pathways are not linear or mutually exclusive. Actors transition into writers; writers tradition into directors, and vice versa. Therefore, I actively teach students that it is not only good but essential and useful to explore all tracks of this work—acting, directing, writing, and dramaturgy.
This interdisciplinary approach is vital because it reinforces the core tenet of the original philosophy: theater artistry is an ensemble effort. By exploring multiple creative disciplines, students gain crucial insight into the other layers of work that make a production complete:
● Writers who Act: Understand the physical and emotional demands of the text, leading to more playable and nuanced dialogue.
● Actors who Direct: Develop a comprehensive view of character arc and ensemble chemistry, moving beyond a singular role to see the dramatic structure as a whole.
● Directors who Write/Dramaturge: Learn to protect the playwright's original vision while understanding how to translate the text through visual, sonic, and physical language.
By rotating through these roles, students learn empathy for their collaborators. The director understands the pressure on the actor, the writer respects the technical limits of the stage, and the actor appreciates the structural challenges faced by the writer. This holistic understanding enhances their personal craft and ultimately makes them more accomplished and invaluable members of any creative team.
Cultivating the Well-Rounded Storyteller
My ultimate goal is to cultivate a generation of polymath artists—storytellers who are not confined to a single job description but are fluid in their abilities to conceive, shape, and embody narrative.
● For the Acting Track: I offer tools for character analysis that are as rigorous as literary scholarship, focusing on finding the truth of the character that exists both on the page and in the actor's body and spirit.
● For the Directing Track: I provide a framework for conceptualizing a production, managing an ensemble, and communicating a unified artistic vision—all while respecting the contributions of the playwright and the interpretive gifts of the actors.
● For the Writing Track: I emphasize the craft of structure, dialogue, and revision, affirming their role as the creative foundation while teaching them to write for the practical realities of performance. The more experiences an artist gains across these tracks, the more meaningful their personal work becomes. Their entire spectrum of life experiences—their heritage, their struggles, and their triumphs—are examined, transformed, and shared through their art. By ensuring all students have equitable access to training in all these disciplines, I empower them to be truly self-sufficient and impactful artists who can not only navigate but also lead the future of storytelling.
As an African American educator, my philosophy is profoundly rooted in the belief that all students, regardless of their age, abilities, gender, or affiliations, deserve access to equitable scholarship and an education that provides the tools necessary for them to thrive and grow in the arts. This commitment is not merely a pedagogical stance but a moral imperative, recognizing the historical and ongoing necessity of dismantling systemic barriers within educational and artistic institutions.
My role is to ensure that the classroom and the rehearsal hall are radically inclusive spaces where every student sees their unique background and perspective valued as a powerful contribution to the collective work. Equitable scholarship means moving beyond a monolithic curriculum to include a rich, diverse canon of work that reflects the global spectrum of human experience. This includes prioritizing the voices and stories of marginalized communities, thereby enriching the education for all students.
The Power of Interdisciplinary Exploration
My experience in the field confirms a crucial truth: the artistic pathways are not linear or mutually exclusive. Actors transition into writers; writers tradition into directors, and vice versa. Therefore, I actively teach students that it is not only good but essential and useful to explore all tracks of this work—acting, directing, writing, and dramaturgy.
This interdisciplinary approach is vital because it reinforces the core tenet of the original philosophy: theater artistry is an ensemble effort. By exploring multiple creative disciplines, students gain crucial insight into the other layers of work that make a production complete:
● Writers who Act: Understand the physical and emotional demands of the text, leading to more playable and nuanced dialogue.
● Actors who Direct: Develop a comprehensive view of character arc and ensemble chemistry, moving beyond a singular role to see the dramatic structure as a whole.
● Directors who Write/Dramaturge: Learn to protect the playwright's original vision while understanding how to translate the text through visual, sonic, and physical language.
By rotating through these roles, students learn empathy for their collaborators. The director understands the pressure on the actor, the writer respects the technical limits of the stage, and the actor appreciates the structural challenges faced by the writer. This holistic understanding enhances their personal craft and ultimately makes them more accomplished and invaluable members of any creative team.
Cultivating the Well-Rounded Storyteller
My ultimate goal is to cultivate a generation of polymath artists—storytellers who are not confined to a single job description but are fluid in their abilities to conceive, shape, and embody narrative.
● For the Acting Track: I offer tools for character analysis that are as rigorous as literary scholarship, focusing on finding the truth of the character that exists both on the page and in the actor's body and spirit.
● For the Directing Track: I provide a framework for conceptualizing a production, managing an ensemble, and communicating a unified artistic vision—all while respecting the contributions of the playwright and the interpretive gifts of the actors.
● For the Writing Track: I emphasize the craft of structure, dialogue, and revision, affirming their role as the creative foundation while teaching them to write for the practical realities of performance. The more experiences an artist gains across these tracks, the more meaningful their personal work becomes. Their entire spectrum of life experiences—their heritage, their struggles, and their triumphs—are examined, transformed, and shared through their art. By ensuring all students have equitable access to training in all these disciplines, I empower them to be truly self-sufficient and impactful artists who can not only navigate but also lead the future of storytelling.
TEACHING SYLLABI
WRITING FOR BROADCAST SYLLABUS
INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA STUDY AND ANALYSIS
CAPSTONE PROJECT SYLLABUS