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 Michael Johnson, troupe director of Troupe 4305 at Trinity High School in Trinity, North Carolina. Michael has 20 years of theatre education experience and serves on the board for North Carolina Thespians. He regularly shares advice in the Community, particularly regarding the many elements of technical theatre.
Photograph via Earthship Biotecture
Ginny: Why do you believe theater is important?
Michael: Educational Theater is so important to me because it is an enterprise that allows students to use so many skills in a team environment to produce something larger than themselves. There is a place for every talent and every art form in theater; to me that is really exciting. There are so many possibilities for the Art form that is theater to use technologies, tools, skills and ideas from other art forms, skilled trades, philosophies, histories, and ideas.
Ginny: What is the resource you most recommend to others in your profession?
Michael: I love this little book called Theatre Games for Young Performers by Maria C. Novelly. Novelly's book lays out an approach to the different types of lesson plans and workshops we find ourselves engaged in with our students. In my early years, I followed everything in the text, dog ear-ing and ripping out pages. In my latter years, I refer to the text off and on to see how she structures various lessons. I'll often use new experiences or methods but scaffold them in a way with deference to Novelly.
Ginny: What was the first play you ever saw?
Michael: Oh, my. The first play I ever saw was the musical Annie at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. My parents and I traveled to Chicago so my dad could go to a conference. One evening, my mom went with him to some dinner or something, so as a 13 year old, I was responsible for walking from the hotel to the theater with my ticket; seeing the show; and walking back to the hotel at around 11:00pm. I had a room key and everything. It made such an impression on me to see all of the moving scenery, the big dance numbers and the character portrayals carried all the way back to me in the first row of the balcony. It was fantastic!
Ginny: Name something on your bucket list.
Michael: I would love to build a solar Earth Ship house. That's a biggie. That would be fun.
Ginny: If you could have a different career, what would you choose?
Michael: I would like to be a builder and work with people to make things.
Ginny: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Michael: I would love to live in Minneapolis. It is such a great city-- theater, biking and cross country skiing! Outstanding!
Everything Michael posts seems to contain a useful resource, a clever idea, or the perfect solution to a tricky problem and I was thrilled to learn more about him. If you enjoyed Michael’s interview, 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.