Open Forum

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 Greg Franklin, an EdTA professional member and the Director of Choral Music and Theatre Arts at East Lincoln High School in Denver, North Carolina. Greg just transferred to East Lincoln from Mitchell High School and has earned Silver Most Valuable Member status for his helpful contributions over the last several years.

Why do you believe theatre is important?

Someone along my path shared with me that academics make up a school’s structure, but the arts make up its soul. Our education is so driven by tests and data that we are not spending the needed time on nurturing our students’ souls. I think about all of the math and precision that goes into our set work. We use significant technology for marketing, projections, and special effects. We discuss time periods, historical and cultural architecture, and artifacts. We build and paint using a variety of tools and techniques. But, when it all comes down to opening night, we aren’t bubbling answers on a document. We are all, each and every collaborator, immersed in a work of art that tells a story, draws on the human experience, and strives to make a personal connection with each viewer. We are creating something together that has never been, will never be again, and that can create a different experience for everyone who watches. In the theatre, we nurture souls both in our classrooms and in our audiences.   

What is your greatest challenge?

My greatest challenge is funding our program. Over my career, I have watched the funding level for arts programs continue to decrease. It is hard to start with a budget of zero dollars and fundraise all year just to try and provide the experiences you know the students need.

The 2015 production of Shrek at Mitchell High School

What is the resource you most recommend to others in your profession?

Practical Technical Theatre DVD series by Bob and Marty Fowler.

What is the best advice anyone has ever given to you?

Keep your principal updated. While I was in college, I had a professor tell me that it was very important to meet with your principal every one to two weeks just to give them an update of what is going on. I have found that to be very helpful for me. By having these short, but regular, meetings, I am able to give my principal some smaller pieces of information that I might otherwise have overlooked or forgotten to share. I am able to help them better understand the details of what we do, as well as keep them abreast of any potential issues that might end up crossing their desk. My principals have always been very supportive of this practice and I feel like it has helped create a better appreciation for our program.

Tarzan, Mitchell High School, 2013

What was the first play you ever saw?

The first professional production I ever saw was Les Miserables. I will never forget it! I was in high school and while I certainly did not “get” all of the plot, I was mesmerized by the spectacle and the music. It is the first time I ever remember being totally immersed in an experience like that. Les Mis is my second favorite musical of all time and I think I probably cherish it so much because it was where it all began for me.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I love to answer this question because it gives me an opportunity to pay tribute to a beautiful soul that I aspire to be like every day. Kathy Miller was my high school chorus teacher and her class was THE place to be. Of course, I loved getting to sing every day, but what made her special and inspired me was how much she loved her students and truly wanted what’s best for them. Every class began with an inspirational quote or story and she would remind us regularly that she wanted us to be great musicians, but more than that, she wanted us to be great people. She made each of us feel special and valuable. She had high expectations and we rose to those expectations because we would never dream of disappointing her. I will never be the master teacher she was, but I try every day to create relationships with the students in my classes and encourage them to be the best they can be.

The Little Mermaid, Mitchell High School, 2016

What is unique about your program?

I teach choral music as well as theatre arts, so virtually all of my classes are multiple level classes, trying to allow students to focus on their respective areas of interest. There may be a magic system out there for making this work beautifully, but I haven’t found it yet. We use the team approach with various student groups working on various projects. The veterans mentor the beginners and I make rounds working with different groups. I used to get so upset thinking that we weren’t accomplishing anything, but what I have found in this beautifully chaotic classroom is that my students leave with a well-rounded knowledge base of what theatre really is, as well as who and what it takes to make the magic happen.   

Everyone has at least one good theatre story. Tell us yours!

In a performance of the updated Rogers & Hammerstein Cinderella, the step-mother was on stage awaiting Cinderella’s entrance, but that entrance would be significantly delayed due to a costume issue backstage. It was one of those moments where you almost stop breathing, wondering if the actor can make this work or if you are going to have to step up to the stage and hum the Jeopardy melody. I was so proud when that young actress brought her improv “A game,” not missing a beat. At the end of that performance, I knew she had a skillset that would take her places, and she is now finishing her BFA in acting.

If you could have a different career, what would you choose?

I often think that I would enjoy being a travel agent. I always enjoy putting trips together for my students and seem to be good at it. But, I am not sure that the clients would be up for me going with them on all the magnificent trips I planned.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

I grew up and taught most of my career in rural schools where students really only aspired to careers they saw in their small communities. If they chose to go away to college after graduation, they typically went to universities under two hours away. After several years, I began to see students in my programs apply to colleges and universities not only in different states, but for various theatre programs. It was a wonderful feeling to watch these students exhibit not only the confidence that they could survive on their own, hours away from home, but also that they were going to follow their passions and dreams rather than limiting themselves to what was known and practical. It continues to be a friendly reminder of what arts programs are able to instill in students.  

 Big Fish, Mitchell High School, 2017

What is your favorite part of the day?

My favorite part of the day is my work time before the official school day begins. I always try to get to work early so that I am able to cross some things off the to-do list before administrators, teachers, and students start wanting and needing things from me. Accomplishing even a few tasks before first period helps set my day on a productive path.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

I think I would want to live in New York City. I love my infrequent visits and find myself regularly reading about NYC performances and events and wishing I could attend.

If you enjoyed Greg’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.