Virtuoso Performances
friday, november 16, 2007
I’m just in the door from the Stonehill Theatre Company Production of Frankenstein Virtuoso. Virtuoso indeed! As always, Patricia Sankus and her team put together a show that transformed the Hemingway Theater, amplified the talents of the student performers, and challenged the audience with a comedy in which the humor actually honored intelligence.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I never attend the STC productions without having thoughts that lean in two directions.
First, I wonder if I might have gotten more out of students in my own teaching. The student performers are nothing short of extraordinary: they rise to whatever material is put before them—and, in doing so, they raise the material to new levels. But students don’t do this without mentoring of an exceptional type. Indeed, I’m sure we all remember the words of one student who nominated Pat Sankus for the Teaching Award a few years ago: “I’ve been pushed, challenged and criticized and I’ve had to stay in the Hemingway Theatre until three in the morning. And I’ve loved every minute of it.” Proof positive that students want to be challenged.
Second, I think about some students I had over the years who might not have been performing well in my classes, but whose talent lit up the stage in the Hemingway Theatre. Attending the student plays is a great reminder about our students’ many dimensions. Student athletes, student artists, student musicians, student actors—they all show us that a great college experience involves developing talents and skills both inside and outside of the classroom. In the case of theatre, the work of producers, directors, costume designers, set builders, and makeup artists all provide fertile ground for learning: indeed, Pat Sankus, Douglas Coler, Joan Halpert, Kevin Brown, and Joe Rossi are not only preparing actors for plays, they are also teaching all the various “arts” of the theatre. The awards our students win in all areas of design and acting—and the work they go on to do—is testimony to all these teachers.
After the play, I spoke with an alumna, Tina Cersosimo ’05, who sat in the in the row in front of me. I knew Tina as an excellent student, and I enjoyed her STC performances in each of her four years at the College. She is now a teacher on the north shore, and she loves her work. But she and a number of her classmates actually run a small theatre company that performs in the South End: F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company (“Friends United Developing Genuine Entertainment”).
I visited the company website and was delighted to read their mission: “to provide quality, affordable theatre productions to the people in the greater Boston area, cultivate an appreciation for and understanding of the arts, and provide a learning opportunity for those interested in a genuine theatre experience.” I was also impressed with the overwhelming number of the executive board who graduated from Stonehill College: from President Joe Demita to Kerri Judge, Emily Hayden, Shannon Rosa, Kacee Staiti, James Petty, and Cersosimo herself. They didn’t all graduate with degrees in theatre arts (Psychology, English, and History were also in the mix), but they obviously cultivated a love for the theatre that has not ended with their college experience. Whatever their professional “vocations” they continue to be called to work in the theatre, even when that means long hours beyond their ordinary work days.
It just happened that today also involved the opening of a student-curated exhibit “The Immigrant Experience.” I couldn’t make it to the official opening event, but I walked through the exhibit in the late afternoon and saw the preparations starting for the Artist Panel and the festive reception.
Here is another example of great faculty mentoring that builds student experience in formative ways. Through Professor Carole Calo's “Exhibitions and Collections” course, students have the opportunity to plan and execute an entire exhibit—from choosing the theme and the artists to writing the catalog, preparing the marketing materials, installing the collection, planning the artists’ opening, and hosting the reception. This year’s exhibit taps into an important national conversation about immigration and invites the entire Stonehill community to reflect on their own families and their own immigrant experiences. Congratulations to the students and faculty who created this exhibit!
These events are more than just skillful performances. And they are more than “practice” exercises for the future. They are also examples of the kind of virtuosity we should all encourage in students: a genius for living passionate and full lives that keep multiple talents and enthusiasms alive and well.
Best regards,
Katie
P.S. To see a Stonehill Snapshot of prepartions for the play visit here.