The Cast and Crew of The Jungle Book
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 Bill Jacobsen, an EdTA Professional Member from Canada and the drama teacher and curriculum coordinator for Red Deer Public Schools in Alberta. Bill has been teaching drama for over twenty years and regularly lends his expert advice to fellow Community members on a variety of topics.
Why do you believe theatre is important?
Bill: Humans are, at their core, narrative beings. All of us are. Because of this, we need forms of storytelling on order to be whole. Theatre is one of the purest and most accessible of these forms.
What is the resource you most recommend to others in your profession?
Bill: Network. Seek help. Use the EdTA Forum. Use other forums. Share with fellow teachers. Co-produce. Connect with local colleges. Invite parents to work with you. You are not alone.
Any tips for new theatre teachers?
Bill: First, establish for yourself and your school what your guiding philosophy is. What is really important to you as an educator? As a theatre educator? Let others know what your philosophy is so they understand why decisions are made.
Secondly, remember that the program is about students - not you. It is so easy to get wrapped up in “my program” and “my theatre,” but we are here to develop students, not programs. (It is small thing, but I do not even put my name as director / producer on our posters and promotional materials.) I tell students in the productions that we are all to “Serve the Play” and I strive to model that. I have always disliked the adage that we are “running our program like professionals.” We are not working with professionals. We are educating students.
Scrooge from the 2016 production of A Christmas Carol
What is the weirdest stage food you’ve ever made or eaten?
Bill: Dozens of giant candy and food props for Willy Wonka!
What is your favorite musical (or play)? What makes it so special?
Bill: I saw Next to Normal on Broadway and it astonished me. I remember thinking as I watched it, “Oh, if that happened the dad would be wondering…” and then that character sang those very thoughts a moment later. The lyrics still speak to me like few musicals I have seen.
What was the first play you ever saw?
Bill: The Royal Hunt of the Sun when I was in high school. I still remember images from it. And I was incredibly fortunate to attend The Royal Winnipeg Ballet as well - they were appointed the ROYAL Winnipeg Ballet for a reason!
A steampunk lady of the night from Les Miserables
Tell us about the moment that made you decide to get involved in theatre.
Bill: I was in my second year of teaching when my principal announced that I was teaching grade 10 and 11 Drama the next year. I had an English and Geography major! I worked like crazy to get ready for that course - and was hooked. Drama became the focus of my PD, I moved schools to get an opportunity to teach more drama - and my wife began training as a makeup artist just so she could spend some time with me. Now she is a full-time makeup artist in the film and television industry!
What is unique about your program?
Bill: Inclusion and a focus on community/ensemble. As I have shared before on this site, our school does not audition students out of our Main Stage shows. We run them as either Musical Theatre or Advanced Acting courses and students register for them like any other course. Experienced, inexperienced, special needs, freshman or senior - any student is allowed. Of course, this forces us to choose shows with varied and active ensembles and to really focus on teaching skills, not just rehearsing. We take 3-4 weeks to audition within the class, team build and establish the ensemble before we cast each show.
I was so encouraged a few years ago at the EdTA Conference in NYC, when Joe Mantello spoke of never wanting to audition actors by “sitting behind a desk,” but insisted that auditioning was about establishing a trusting relationship within which to work.
None-the-less, lots of folks think we are a bit crazy to operate this way, but I do not view my purpose to be to turn out theatre professionals (although we have our share of graduates who are in the industry), but to teach students through drama.
Bottom and the Fairies from A Midsummer Night's Dream
What was the most difficult element of a production you’ve ever had to manage?
Bill: Costuming Les Miserables. We had a cast of 97 and staged the show in a future non-specific dystopian society. (We called the design “Steampunk meets The Hunger Games!”) When the wedding scene occurred, we changed the entire costume colour palette and the lighting palette as well to reflect the celebration. It was a stunning visual - but a lot of work!
Everyone has at least one good theatre story (a costume mishap, smoke alarms during performances, malfunctioning set pieces, etc). Tell us yours!
Bill: During one Shakespeare in the Park production I was acting in, a massive hail storm roared in so fast and furious that we had to invite the audience up on stage with us to take what shelter there was from the storm!
Name something on your bucket list.
Bill: To travel through Europe. I lived for five years in England when I was very young but have not been back since! I would like to see my family’s ancestral home in Denmark and my wife’s in Scotland. Italy and Greece. The Anne Frank Museum.
The Cat and Jojo from Seussical
If you could have a different career, what would you choose?
Bill: When I was in grade nine, my Guidance Counsellor told me that my “Differential Aptitude” test results stated I should be an Interior Decorator! I do not think I would want to do that but I do believe one of my greatest abilities is in design, so something related to that… special effects, set decoration, architecture…
What is something we would be surprised to learn about you?
Bill: I can be seen, for 4 and 1/2 seconds, in the movie Shanghai Noon - the first film my wife worked on professionally!
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Bill: My wife and I have shared that our ultimate lifestyle would be to spend half the year in NYC and the other half in Maui!
If you enjoyed Bill’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.