One of the main goals for our Theatre Education Community is to help theatre students and professionals from all over connect and identify with each other in order to build resources and support the theatre education field. We shine a spotlight on a different member every other week by conducting a simple interview.
Our latest Spotlight Member is Brian Gehrlein, Troupe Director of Troupe 2758 at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri. Brian is a relatively new theatre teacher (wrapping up his third year), but already has some inspiring insights to share about theatre education.
Ginny: Why do you believe theatre is important?
Brian: We face real and scary problems in today’s world and I believe theatre uniquely prepares people to critically, and creatively approach challenges. Theatre teaches us to use our imaginations and say “yes, and.” It teaches us to collaborate. It teaches us that no matter what: “the show must go on.” Ultimately, I believe theatre is a place where magic happens. As children, we engaged in theatre every day—we played. We imagined whole worlds and became whoever we wanted to. And then we grew up and lost a part of ourselves. Theatre uncovers that childhood spark we all still have and restores our belief that anything is possible simply because…what if? For some reason theatre makes people better. Makes them more themselves. As curious as it is, perhaps we are never more ourselves than while we are playing someone else.
Ginny: What does a typical day look like for you?
Brian: I try to see myself as a theatre director who happens to work at a public high school. This little perspective shift helps me feel more freedom, encourages me to relax and really focus on relationships with my students, and pushes me to take risks. I am the only theatre teacher in my building and the only person in my school district (we have four high schools) running a one-man program. Because of this, I am fortunate enough to only be teaching theatre. I have a full load of multiple beginning theatre classes, a middle level, and an audition-only advanced class. I am both actor and techie and teach our technical theatre stagecraft class, and usually a few independent studies. We produce four main stage shows a year. A big musical in the fall, an in-class production (theatre for a cause—we donate the proceeds to charity), a winter show, and a student written & directed One Act Festival. Typically, we rehearse after school from 3:00-5:30 (when my day really starts!) for most productions and after the musical, I try not to rehearse on Fridays.
Ginny: What is the resource you most recommend to others in your profession?
Brian: I am really passionate about using technology to make things easier. I have a pretty elaborate website I use every day generated on weebly.com. We pay the extra amount to get the full domain—check it out! (ophstheatre.org). This is honestly our one-stop-shop for everything Oak Park Theatre. It was given to me when I inherited the job, but over the past three years I have found new ways to use it and see it as a resource for my students to be more successful.
Another thing I recommend using is google forms, and google docs to organize production paperwork. I give my student leaders and managers 100% access to all information whenever they need it and they can even edit paperwork with me (and I can see what they are working on at any time). It frees me from the burdensome position of being the only one in the know and allows me to delegate organizational duties to my students—and it is really important that my students do everything. I am currently working on a video to show and explain how we use google in our theatre program to share with other theatre teachers—and will be sharing the link for you all!
Ginny: Do you have any tips for new theatre teachers?
Brian: Dear new theatre teachers: Have fun with your kids and don’t take yourself too seriously. Theatre is a people art—your relationships with your students are priority one. It’s okay to say no to things! Post it-notes are your best friends. Ask for help—you cannot do this on your own. Drink coffee as often as possible—it’s the little things that get us through tech week. Use your classes to finish the show…there could be nothing more educational than showing them just what it takes to make it work and then they get to have their fingerprints on it. Don’t forget to feed yourself—can’t take care of your kids or your shows if you stop taking care of yourself! Empower your students to take ownership of their work and their shows—give it away, it belongs to them!
Ginny: What was the first role you ever played?
Brian: When I was a kindergartener and about three foot one inch, my school put on a musical called The Littlest Christmas Tree which was about a small, miserable tree that was bullied all the time for being pathetic and tiny—and then (plot twist) Santa chose him to be his personal tree (take that, haters) guess who played the tree? In second grade, I moved up in the world when we produced The Owl Who Lost His Hoot…I had one line…“hoot” (better believe I nailed it).
My first serious role probably came in another class play when I was in sixth grade. We did a shortened version of The Taming of the Shrew and when I was not cast as Petruchio I cried all through lunch. I was instead cast as Bianca’s suitor, Lucentio, and got my very first stage kiss (on her arm). I remember trying really hard to get the lead and realizing I had placed too much stock in a part and lost sight of the fact that it’s all just fun—and I haven’t cried about a role since!
Ginny: What is unique about your program?
Brian: I want my students to have an intimate and practical knowledge of what it takes to create theatre. Because I am a writer, I emphasize creating original theatre as often as possible. This takes place mostly in our spring semester and we produce dozens of original pieces from beginning theatre classes, up to my most advanced students. We use the Liz Lerman Critical Response Process (hands down the BEST book on giving feedback for writers, seriously read it and try it and you will never go back). I make every theatre class read and write plays. I read their plays and they read my plays. I make them produce them. I make them design and direct them. My students design and build all our shows. All things considered, what makes Oak Park Theatre unique is that we aren’t afraid to take risks and do it our way (especially if we have to learn the hard way!)—that’s where the fun happens!
We laugh a lot together. We have an improv troupe called The Last Minute Replacements and it is a student-led ten member team. They perform 2-4 variety shows that usually consist of short form improv games (involving the audience as much as possible), and devised sketch comedy (playing with long form next year). One of our traditions is that this improv team always devises an original parody of every main stage show and we perform it the Friday night of the production (we call it Friday Fun Night). It usually gets pretty crazy but my students know where the boundaries are.
Other traditions include a “Senior Toast” the Saturday night of all main stage shows. This usually involves a lot of shared memories, tears and laughter, and bottles of sparkling grape juice.
I announce our musical for the following fall at the end of the school year and I try to make it as entertaining as possible. When we were announcing Footloose I got our then Superintendent Todd White to dance for the video. The whole school district got a kick out of that one, check out the videos on our website (ophstheatre.org).
Ginny: What was the most difficult element of a production you’ve ever had to manage?
Brian: This fall when we did Singin’ in the Rain, we made it rain on stage with real water. Super challenging but extremely rewarding to hear and see people shocked to see that type of effect in a high school show. We were fortunate enough not to ruin anything and no one got hurt.
Ginny: Name something on your bucket list.
Brian: I really want to get published in some capacity someday but that feels like a really selfish response. I have never been to England (my wife, Katherine has) but I used to live in Germany. She wants to show me England and I really want to show her Germany—we better start saving now.
I think I want to be a dad someday too.
Ginny: If you could have a different career, what would you choose?
Brian: I would LOVE to open a coffee shop someday. Before I became a high school theatre teacher, I worked at a creperie café and I miss the rush of being “in the flow” and cranking out delicious creations for people—and the entertainment part of it. There is a lot of joy and simplicity in just being with people and bonding over the elements of great food and drink.
Ginny: What is your proudest accomplishment?
Brian: Hands down when I married my wife. Katherine Anne is a fellow theatre lover and we met in a tech theatre class in college. She is a small town girl from Kansas and I fell head over heels when I met her. I pursued her relentlessly her freshman (my sophomore) year and at the end that spring semester, I grew impatient and decided to ask her (over email—I know, I’m so brave) if she was ever going to come around and give me the time of day. She wrote back pretty quick that she and I would “never be more than friends.” Fast forward almost ten years later she has a ring on her finger and we celebrate five years of marriage this June. Never say never. We do everything together. She is currently a graduate student of UMKC for Stage Management but she is also certified to teach theatre. I couldn’t do anything that I do without her (and she gives me most of my good ideas). This year when she left teaching (at the middle school level) to pursue her MFA, I had a harsh reality check as to just how much she had been helping me run my program (free of charge). This has been a difficult year and has forced me to learn to delegate and ask for help where I normally wouldn’t. Our hope is that someday we’ll be able to work in the same school for the same theatre program—or just quit theatre altogether and raise corgis in the mountains…
Ginny: Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of theatre?
Brian: I am a pretty big nature nut and I love doing things outdoors. I grew up as an army brat and we got to live in some pretty cool environments for outside play (my favorites: Germany, Utah). I’m a proficient rock climber, mountain biker, and runner (ran cross country in high school and college). Love to go hiking or camping. Living in Kansas City has left me a little stir crazy (there are no mountains to play on!), but I still get out on my bike and have taken up disc golf but absolutely refuse to use the word “frolf.”
I also write a lot. Mostly plays, memoirs, and poetry, but recently I have picked up children’s lit, and I’m working on a few YA books. During the summer when I am not teaching for the Coterie Theatre, I force myself most days of the week into the booth of a Panera bread and write until I can’t stand it anymore. I’ve been able to get several plays produced from forcing myself to get work done—pick a spot and make it happen!
I try to stay connected to friends as much as possible and grab coffee with people from college, church, and work when there are moments between shows. I am very much into deep conversations. Since I am an external processor, this is honestly how I de-stress and make sense of everything going on in my life--this keeps me grounded and always re-energizes me.
Ginny: What is your favorite part of the day?
Brian: Honestly my favorite part of my day is sliding into my bed with my wife Katherine (and sometimes our corgis) for a well-earned sleep!
Brian provides so many unique opportunities for his students to learn and has a passion for furthering his own education as well. I particularly enjoyed reading his recent post about teachers acting with their students. If you enjoyed Brian’s interview as much as I did, add him as a contact in the Community!
Do you know someone who deserves a moment in the Spotlight? Tell me their name and why at gbutsch@schooltheatre.org. Want to read more Community Spotlights? You can find them here.