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 next spotlight is Stanley Coleman, a retired theatre professor from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Before retiring, Stanley also taught high school English, speech, and theatre at St. Edmunds Catholic High School and Eunice High School in Eunice, Louisiana for 17 years. While at St. Edmunds High, the Thespian troupe, under Stanley’s leadership, was invited to do a mainstage performance for the 1976 International Thespian Society at Ball State in Muncie, Indiana. They were one of ten high schools in the nation that performed on mainstage that week. Stanley currently teaches at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon and is an experienced director, singer, actor and pianist. He just closed a production of The Whipping Man at the
Very Little Theatre in Oregon.
Why do you believe theatre is important?
Theatre introduces us to the lives, dreams, and hopes of a variety of people in a variety of times and places, in various situations and relationships. Theatre enables us to become more aware of who we are, and it helps us to clarify our own values and concerns.
What is your greatest challenge?
My greatest challenge, especially after becoming semi-retired, is to find a place in theatre for myself where I can remain active as a director and actor.
The Whipping Man
Do you have any tips for new theatre teachers?
My advice to new theatre teachers is that they must always believe in the importance of the work and continue to renew their initiatives and find new and better ways to introduce good quality plays to their students. Above all, stay current and read both plays and books of the craft.
Tell us about the best day of your career.
One of the best days of my career was the day I got to be Paul Robeson in Phillip Hayes Dean’s play of the same title. I have always been an admirer of Paul Robeson and his contributions to the world. I was encouraged by my graduate theatre professor to take a look at the play after having done a report on Robeson and Eugene O’Neill in class.
Stanley portraying Paul Robeson
Tell us about the moment that made you decide to get involved in theatre.
I decided as a kid of about 6 years old to become involved in theatre. One of my first Christmas gifts from my parents was a Barbie and Ken cardboard theatre. This is also the toy I most remember from childhood.
Everyone has at least one good theatre story. Tell us yours!
One story that remains in my memory happened at the Dashiki Project Theatre (a black theatre) in New Orleans. I was an actor for 3 years there while a student at Dillard University. We were doing a series of one-act militant plays. The play I was in called for me to wear boxer shorts in the opening scene. At the end of each play, the cast had to do curtain calls. The dressing rooms were behind the audience, so we had to come through a darkened house to get on stage. Our play was the last one. The curtain call started for the previous show, and I ran up the aisle in my boxer shorts to get onstage for our play, not realizing that the previous cast had to take bows. The lights were up, and there I was, in the middle of a surprised audience, in boxer shorts. Needless to say, it was one of the more embarrassing events of my acting career.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
One of my proudest and happiest moments in life was getting married to my life partner, Bill Winkley.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of theatre?
Outside of theatre, I am a singer and a pianist. I am also a “movie slut.”
One of the first productions I ever saw was not a play, but an opera. It was The Medium by Menotti.
If you enjoyed Stanley’s interview as much as we 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.