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 Dr. Susan
Speidel, the Performing Arts Department Chair and troupe director for Troupe
3538 at Morristown-Beard School in Morristown, New Jersey. Susan works with
students in grades 6-12, so she has a wide range of experiences that allow her
to contribute sage advice and thought-provoking questions to our Community.
Ginny: Why do you believe theatre is
important?
Susan: In
an increasingly busy world, I think theater gives us a chance to reflect. As an
audience, we can reflect on the characters and actors in a play and compare our
own responses to similar situations to the things we see on stage. As an actor,
it allows us to walk a mile in someone else's shoes and explore what it might
be like to be someone other than ourselves. It also forces us to collaborate,
focus, and problem solve at almost every moment of rehearsal. That's why I
think it is so important for students to participate in theater. The empathy they develop through character
analysis and the life skills of collaboration and problem solving they build by
being part of something larger than themselves are irreplaceable.
Ginny: What is your greatest challenge?
Susan: I'm
fortunate in that I'm at a great school with a beautiful, relatively new, performance
space and a supportive administration. No real challenges in that regard. Personally,
however, I’d say my biggest challenge is patience. I always want things done more quickly than
is reasonable to expect!
Ginny: What does a typical day look like for
you?
Susan: I
get to school about 7:45 each day and check in my advisory group at 8:00. I
have 9 in my advisory; some theater kids, but with a healthy mix of athletes
and other students as well. We have a rotating block schedule, so every
day is different, but I usually teach one or two classes per day and, since I
direct three shows a year, I usually have an after school rehearsal from about
3:30 to 6:00. The rest of the time is
spent planning for classes and our productions, or attending to duties as chair
of the Performing Arts Department. Those duties include managing our theater's calendar,
developing curriculum for the department, overseeing the scheduling and
budgeting of concerts and performances, and evaluating faculty. I also serve on
the school's Academic Council, Admissions Committee, and Writing Across the
Curriculum Team, as well as being the advisor to the Upper School Theater Club,
and all that requires at least several meetings every week.
Ginny: Tell us about the best day of your
career.
Susan: It's
hard to single out one. I worked as the Director of Education at Paper Mill
Playhouse, in Millburn, NJ for 20 years and used to love the days when we had
student groups in the audience. I did pre- or post-show activities with them. I
think that really led the way for me to transition into teaching full time.
Now, my most favorite days are the beginning of a new semester, or the first
day of rehearsals. I love the excitement in the air and the feeling of
expectation that is shared in the class or in the cast.
Ginny: What is the resource you most
recommend to others in your profession?
Susan: I
think our most important resource is each other. Theater teachers share unique
challenges in the educational landscape and I am never more inspired than when
I am sharing ideas or swapping war stories with other teachers. I try to attend
at least one national conference a year, sometimes more, and use all kinds of
social media, like the EdTA Open Forum, to share ideas, solicit help, and
generally commiserate and “hob-knob with my fellow wizards.”
Ginny: Do you have any tips for new theatre
teachers?
Susan: Trust
your instincts and embrace the chaos! And ask for help!
Ginny: Weirdest stage food you've ever made
or eaten?
Susan: Cotton
Candy dumplings in Hello, Dolly! I've played the role twice, and it was
always the worst part of each performance.
Ginny: What is your favorite musical (or
play)? What makes it so special?
Susan: Sweeney Todd. Hands
down. No doubt. I saw the original Broadway production in previews, a few
months after graduating college, and it completely changed the way I look at
story telling on stage. I was so blown away that I went back to see it nine
more times during the original run. Of course, you could get a rear balcony
seat for about $12 in those days. Years
later, I wrote my dissertation on Sondheim’s use of the ensemble as Greek
chorus, with Sweeney being one of the
main examples.
Ginny: What was the first play you ever saw?
Susan: Here's Love. It's
the musical version of Miracle on 34th Street, written by
Meredith Wilson. My grandparents, who were avid theatergoers, took our entire family
to see the show for Christmas. I know now that it was not a big hit, but to my
six-year-old eyes it was miraculous and I can still conjure up vivid images of
the show to this day. Maybe the memory is so strong because it was the
holidays, or because I was with my family, or because we met Bert Lahr (the
Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz movie) at dinner afterward, but I
remember it all in almost perfect detail.
Ginny: What was the first role you ever
played?
Susan: When
I was a sophomore in high school, I was cast as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl.
The show had been chosen for a senior and it caused quite a stir.
Ginny: What inspired you to become a teacher?
Susan: I
came to full-time teaching late, after a long career in the professional
theater as a performer, teaching artist, and theater administrator. Still, I
think I was always headed in this direction and, when I look back, it is clear
that my strongest inspiration was my father, a physical education teacher and
gymnastics coach who also happened to love musical theater!
Ginny: What is unique about your program?
Susan: I
don't know that we are all that unique. I have a very healthy budget and, since
our students and faculty attend for free, I don’t have to worry about making
money through the box office. I also
have a wonderful group of colleagues on our creative team. I have a
choreographer in residence, a former Broadway dancer who teaches dance classes
and also builds our sets, and am fortunate enough to have a technical director
and lighting designer on staff as well. For years, we jobbed in a musical
director, but we will be working with someone from the faculty for that
position as well in the future. Add a science teacher who does our sound design,
and it's a full house. But, we are all in agreement that the students run things. Through our recently developed tech theater
and stagecraft classes, we’ve built a strong crew program and I have a terrific
team of student stage managers who lead them.
So, during performances, you can find the faculty sitting in the back of
the house, enjoying the show.
Ginny: What was the most difficult element of
a production you've ever had to manage?
Susan: I just did Pippin with
40 students in the cast and another 25 on crew. That is huge for our school and
at times I felt like I was coordinating army maneuvers. It turned out well,
however, and was one of the most successful shows we've ever done.
Ginny: Everyone has at least one good theatre
story (a costume mishap, smoke alarms during performances, malfunctioning set
pieces, etc). Tell us yours!
Susan: When
I was a teenager, I played Ruby in a community theater production of Dames at Sea and my mother made my
costumes. For the “Star Tar” number, I had a cute little sailor midi and hot
pants (it was the 70’s after all) made out of navy blue satin. At dress
rehearsal, I did a fan kick and the snap on the waistband popped open. Being
satin, the shorts slipped easily to my ankles and for a moment, I couldn't
understand what was keeping me from moving. Once I figured it out, I pulled
them up and did the rest of the routine with my hands firmly on my waist. I got
through it all without laughing or breaking. But then... the character of Lucky
entered after the number. His next line, and you can look it up if you don't
believe me, was “Ruby, you're the moon!” Well, all composure went out the
window we just lost it. It was probably
a good five minutes before we could continue.
Ginny: If you could have a different career,
what would you choose?
Susan: I
think I’d be a writer.
Ginny: How do you relax after a busy day?
Susan: I
love to crash on the couch, do needlepoint and watch old movies. And, a nice
single malt doesn't hurt either.
Ginny: What is your proudest accomplishment?
Susan: Finishing
my dissertation and getting my Doctorate in Liberal Studies. I was a Theater
and English major in undergrad, and then did the Masters in Performing Arts
Program at NYU while working in theater administration. After a decade or more
off from school, I decided that I wanted to go back for my own enjoyment and
not for career reasons, so I did a Masters in Liberal Studies at Kean
University and then finished up the Doctorate at Drew University. I found the
idea of looking at the human condition from the diverse perspectives of
history, literature, the arts, philosophy, religion, etc., to be very exciting
and, in addition, I guess I really just like being a student!
Ginny: Do you have any hobbies or interests
outside of theatre?
Susan: I
like to cook, I love doing water aerobics, and I read a lot of biographies of
historical figures. But, other than that, it is pretty much all theater all the
time. Living so close to NY, and with the vibrant theater scene that NJ offers,
I get to see a lot of really good stuff.
Ginny:
If you could live anywhere in the
world, where would you go and why?
Susan: I've
spent some time in Key West, and would love to live there if I could afford it,
but I'd also like to live in London or Dublin.
Ginny:
What toy do you most remember from your
childhood?
Susan: This
is an easy one. It was called “The Show Boat” by Remco and it was a hard
plastic replica (in bright pink, no less) of a Mississippi River Boat. It was
like a giant set model, with a stage, and it came with backdrops, legs, scenic
pieces, and cut out characters for four scripts - The Wizard of Oz, Heidi,
Pinocchio, and Cinderella. I think I was 6 or 7 when I got it and I
loved it. I played with it for hours on end and, of course, also wrote and
produced my own scripts. I have no idea what happened to it, though I suspect
my parents gave or threw it away after I went to college. They now sell for
about $50 on eBay. Maybe I should buy a replacement.
With such a well-rounded career in theatre education, it’s
no surprise that Susan has quickly become a well-respected resource. If you
enjoyed Susan’s interview as much as I did, add her
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.
Photo via ebay