Are acting teachers sellouts? [dramaturg's desk]

“Marry, I’ll teach you…” —Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3

In an article that the Restless Dramaturg posted today on the GreenRoom Blog, she raises the question of “survival” jobs and the ways that artists can supplement their income. She focusses on the occupation of teaching and wonders if becoming an educator is “selling out.” Ilana Brownstein, an insightful dramaturg and director who teaches at the Boston University School of Theatre, responded by commenting that “teaching ISN’T a sell-out survival job. It invigorates my art.”

I wholeheartedly agree. The more I teach, the more I understand about myself and others. Educating students also improves my awareness of how people interact. Since we are involved in an art form that is uniquely collaborative, these skills are invaluable. Regarding subject matter, I know I truly comprehend an idea or piece of information when I’m able to effectively communicate it to somebody else. Sometimes, when I’m explaining something that I thought I had internalized, I realize that I have difficulty relating the concept to another person. This enables me to go back and reinforce what I had thought I fully understood. The next time I explain it, I can speak with clarity and confidence: truthfully, it is only then that I completely understand.

I never resent students for being smarter than I am. I want that; the more they know, the more they challenge me to be a master of the material I’m presenting, and I come out more knowledgeable as a result. Furthermore, truly passionate students highlight points and perspectives that may not have occurred to the instructor had he or she been operating in a vacuum. It is these moments that encourage a person to reach for further enlightenment. In essence, being a teacher enables an artist to understand ideas on all levels, from the most elementary to the most complex. In this way, teaching gives the instructor an opportunity to be a lifelong learner.

For performers who are thinking about becoming acting instructors, teaching affords an opportunity to practice your craft in practical and theoretical capacities. I know several actors who have become teaching artists to support themselves financially. Doing so reinforces one’s understanding of acting and provides terrific practice in relating to other people. Again, theatre is an inherently social art form. And teaching subjects outside of acting can broaden your horizons as well. When you think about it, how many plays and films are only about performing? Even stories that depict performers contain other elements, such as psychology or a contemplation of the human condition. No matter how you look at it, teaching bolsters the skills one needs to be an artist.

Have you ever taught? What were your experiences? Did you feel that you knew and understood more after you began teaching? Do you feel teaching and making art go well together?

Russell M. Dembin is a theatre educator and freelance dramaturg. Past production dramaturgy credits include the Drama Desk-nominated world premiere of Underground and the U.S. premiere of GBS at The Clockwork Theatre; the New York premiere of “Finding the Way” at Manhattan Theatre Source; and Annie Get Your Gun at Albany’s Park Playhouse, which featured a historically accurate recreation of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and an accompanying exhibition, “Annie Oakley: A Natur’l History,” in honor of Annie Oakley’s 150th birthday. You can reach him at Russ.Dembin@thecallboard.com