Centre College Drama Students Prepare for Upcoming Production with Cross-Country Internet Dialogue
DANVILLE, KY - Centre College drama students have found an innovative way to prepare for their fall drama production: a cross-country chat, via the Internet, with students a thousand miles away who are rehearsing for the same production. The electronic collaboration, says Centre associate professor Tony Haigh, has added a new learning dimension as the students have tackled Howard Barker's acclaimed play, "Scenes from an Execution."
Haigh, a veteran teacher, suggested the Internet dialogue after hearing from David McTier at Rockhurst College in Kansas City. "David discovered via the Internet that we both were pursuing the same production," says Haigh, "and he initially contacted me to share ideas about interpreting various scenes and characters. We immediately saw the potential for widening the discussion to include our students, and I suggested we use Centre's existing academic chat room."
Since that conversation more than a month ago, Haigh, McTier, and their student actors have electronically shared ideas and concerns. The women playing the lead role of Galactia -- Laura Beth Adams at Centre and Mary Carol Mazza and Jessalyn Kincaid, who share the role at Rockhurst -- have corresponded about how they are interpreting the complicated character of a 16th-century painter whose scenes of war draw criticism and ostracism.
At least nine other sets of student actors have followed that pattern, as have the directors.
In a series of exchanges between the two professors, Haigh (who was born in England) confesses to McTier that he thinks American students are "not as politically fired up" as students in Europe, which makes it challenging to interpret a play that deals with politics on the edge. McTier responds with detailed notes about how he has cast each role, and he comments on the difficulty he faces in one especially crucial scene.
For Haigh, the cross-country dialogue is part of a larger effort to make the Internet a useful tool for teaching in a liberal arts college. He is using Centre's academic chat room this term to maintain a running conversation with students in an advanced seminar. "Our regular class meetings are devoted to lectures, discussion and conversation, but the chat room lets us continue the discussion on specific topics." In one recent thread, Haigh challenged his students to talk about the notion of evil as presented in dramatic literature. In another thread, a student responds to a Haigh assignment for quick research notes about a historic dramatic form known as court masques.
The Centre drama students will present "Scenes" in four nightly performances, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 15, and continuing through Saturday, Nov. 18. Each performance begins at 8 p.m. in Weisiger Theatre in the Norton Center for the Arts. Tickets are available at the door.
Contact: Patsi Trollinger, Centre news service, phone 859-238-5719, [email protected]Tony Haigh, Centre dramatic arts, 859-238-5428
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