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April 28, 2006
Shout for Theatre!
by Dr. Claudia Sullivan
 Like
many of you, I sometimes wonder why I teach what I teach. What was
it all those years ago that first captured my imagination about a
particular subject, or what was the spark that ignited an interest
or curiosity in an area of learning? For me, it was when I was four
years old and I was left, by myself, on the stage after all my
fellow ballerinas had departed for the stage wings. I loved the
applause. I loved being on stage, in another world filled with sound
and music, and color and story.
Now, all those many years later (this is my 29th year at Schreiner,
after all) I sometimes struggle to find that spark again. I will
admit, hesitantly that there are days when it feels like a drudge,
but, gladly, there are more days when it still feels like magic,
like wonder, like awe...when a student says, "I loved your class,"
or "I never have thought of it THAT way before," or "Thanks for
changing my life." Yes, there are times when it all comes together
for all of us....like when the graduates pass us in the graduation
line and give us a hug, or when a talented pre-med student gets into
the med school of their choice, or better yet....when that same
student comes back years later with a fellowship to a prestigious
hospital, or when you know they FINALLY got it. Then you know you
made the right choice...you are a teacher, a mentor, a (God forbid!)
role model.
Well, it all came together for me tonight in the illuminated and
illuminating space of the Union Church on the southwest corner of
our campus. It all came together in Derek Horton's production of
Samuel Beckett's classic play, WAITING FOR GODOT (with Brian Crabb,
Tom D'Amore, Matthew Willis, Chris Scheckel, and Matt Utey). I wish
you all could have been there to see what we do when we do what we
do really, really well. I remember the Magic of live theatre. I
marvel in the beauty of dramatic words set to dramatic situations,
and I am challenged by the power of the idea of art and theatre and
performance and the ritual of the aesthetic journey. I am reminded
why I teach what I teach and why playwright, Arthur Miller was
correct when he said that '...theatre is not just dessert, it is the
bread of life.' Times are tough on the liberal arts and even tougher
on those aspects of higher education that don't readily compute into
big salaries and long-term job security. So why do we need music,
art, theatre, dance, and literature for that matter. Because it
reminds us of what it is to be human, to be connected as humans, and
to begin to comprehend all else that there is beyond being human. I
wish you all could see our production because, yes, it inspires me,
it captivates me, and it stirs me to do what I do and to live in the
hope that it is not for naught. Live theatre is fun. Live theatre
is, and can be, and should be as important and as an integral part
of our cultural lives as live sports, reading literature, spiritual
contemplation, and life-long physical fitness.
Enough said. I just
couldn't let the night go by without letting you know how relevant "GODOT"
is. Thanks for reading to the end.
Dr.Claudia Sullivan
Professor of Theatre and Communications
phone: 830-792-7401
csulliva@schreiner.edu
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