THE “MASTERS” PROJECT
Submitted by Jay Putnam, Assistant Professor
Department of Performing Arts
Opening Statement: A modest proposal for a project that will set the Department of Performing Arts at High Point University apart from its sister programs as a program of excellence.
Grant proposal:
Theatre is often thought of as the liberal studies discipline – an area of study that brings many disciplines together. During the course of rehearsal and production, students of theatre are asked to synthesize their many disparate experiences, from history to physical education to interior design to the social sciences of psychology and sociology. They are required to complete detailed academic work and a rigorous production schedule to meet the demands of a production. It can be overwhelming, and too often, compromises are made, or allowed. Our reach exceeds our grasp, as there are only so many hours in the day, only so many weeks in a semester. These students gain valuable experience and a feeling of pride in accomplishment, to be sure. Often, though, they have an inevitable knowledge of incompleteness. What could I have done with this given more time, more understanding, more depth of study? I’d like to take a shot at answering this question.
The “Masters” Project is a course of study that would extend the depth of our theatrical production work – offering our students a thorough, detailed, immersive experience. This would be a holistic, multi-dimensional, comprehensive examination that melds academic and production work and seeks to replace quantity of study with quality of experience. As a professional director with five years experience guiding artists with wide-ranging levels of talent and experience, I look to get involved with fellow theatre professionals (actors and designers) who have an understanding of the range of possibility and depth of understanding involved in a production. The training in place at High Point University often serves the range, but not the depth. I’d like to provide students with an opportunity that would challenge them and prepare them for the professional work and inspire curiosity that could lead to future graduate studies.
I’m proposing a year-long course of study that culminates in a fully-produced showcase: A major production at High Point University accompanied by a series of supplementary events. The theatre faculty will select one of the masters – a giant of the field whose work demands further study and offers room for a detailed multi-dimensional examination. Possible choices include Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck, Eugene O’Neill’s Ah, Wilderness, and Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, among others. During the course of the year, students will study every aspect of this playwright’s work, with particular emphasis on the play in production. Actors will have two full semesters to research and develop their characters. Directing students and dramaturgical historians will take the time for detailed research and interpretations that lead to re-imaginations of the work. Design students will have the opportunity to both study and develop historical choices as well as imagining fresh designs in multiple styles.
The giants of this field are marked by the timelessness of their ideas and the humanity of their characters. The ethical underpinnings behind the work of Chekhov and Ibsen are powerful. Students exposed to these ideas, in depth, will be pushed to consider the morality of their own choices and actions, and the consequences that develop in the world that surrounds them. The plays of Williams and O’Neill offer messages that encourage positive moral choices in a challenging society.
The ideas explored by the “Masters” Project will be driven by a faculty development grant for further directorial study and investigation. I have been granted an opportunity to complete an immersive and demanding summer course of study at the La MaMa International Directors’ Symposium. LaMaMais a world-renowned cultural organization with a vision of bringing theatrical artists together in order to gather, investigate, and create meaningful art. The International Directors’ Symposium takes place annually in Umbria, Italy. Selected working professionals gather with master teaching artists for an intensive program of study. This unique experience is renowned in the theatrical community for its depth of training and the quality of both its participants and teaching artists. Students and faculty share insights and techniques together, collectively re-imagining their sense of what is possible in the theatre. My completion of this program would provide instrumental growth in my development as a director and teacher, providing immediate benefit in both the classroom and rehearsal hall. It could also lead directly to publications and conference presentations detailing my experience.
The “Masters” Project will be supported by the insight of two guest artists. These individuals – dramaturgs and noted scholars in the selected master’s field – will provide further depth towards our comprehensive examination. They will challenge students’ immediate perceptions, pushing them to consider the play’s ideas in new lights. In addition, production support and resources will be expanded in order to provide a greater range of design possibilities and the means by which to achieve these designs.
This project will receive wide-ranging developmental support over the course of the 2009-2010 academic year. Both faculty and students will have several opportunities to contribute to the ongoing development of this project. Student involvement will be extensive and will begin as soon as funding is secured. A series of departmental showcases over the course of the year will provide opportunities for innovative ideas and constructive criticism. Following the full production and showcase week, faculty and students will gather to evaluate the success of the project. Potentially, this format could be the model for a recurring program that becomes a highlight and trademark of theatre at High Point.
The “Masters” Project offers a truly unique and innovative experience for the High Point University student. When I look around me, I don’t see another experience if this kind available. It is inspired by, and hopes to approximate, the experience thatlegendary acting teacher Konstantin Stanislavsky provided for his students and colleagues at the Moscow Art Theatre, where they would develop productions painstakingly over the course of eight to ten months. This model is occasionally aspired to by theatre conservatories, whocombine academic and production resources toward a single play, but even they rarely devote this amount of time and faculty resource.
In truth, this is a modest proposal. It has received the enthusiastic support of the department chair as well as my fellow faculty members, who are excited about the possibilities the “Masters” Project could stimulate, both within this department and across disciplines. Many of the production resources are in place as part of the current and on-going departmental budget. It asks primarily for support of faculty development, for visiting artists and scholars, and for augmentation of production resources. This project could also offer an attractive and exciting experience to our anticipated new scenic design faculty appointment.
We seek to offer training for the world that a student will experience once he or she leaves the manicured grounds of High Point University. Too often, particularly in the theatre, that world asks for compromises. I want to offer an experience that strives for the ideal – given the necessary support, what is possible? Let’s see if we can find an answer.
SUPPORTING DETAIL: ANTON CHEKHOV & THE SEAGULL
The major drive of this proposal deals with depth of study. I am seeking to offer HPU theatre students an exhaustive experience that challenges them in many ways. I want to help them re-imagine how they view one particular play, yes. But, I want that to expand to a rediscovery of how they view the art of theatre, and by extension, assumptions they hold about humanity and ethics and mortality and interconnectedness, and more, of course. The project undertaken is much more than a simple extension of rehearsal time and investment of further resources. We're saying to these students, "We think this work contains great ideas, ideas that were true then and remain true now in so many ways. We want to take the time to push you to discover these ideas in ways that are meaningful and valuable to you, and to challenge you to present these ideas to your peers in ways that will be meaningful to them."
The theatre faculty have begun to discuss future production plans, and have considered how this project fits into these plans. We're excited about the possibility of this grant, and have made tentative plans on how this project could seed similar study in future years. When discussing specific topics for this Masters Project, we've focused on one particular play: Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. This is a play examines the nature and meaning of art, particularly among young people who are learning their craft - it is a play that many of next year's senior class began to study with great intensity in their Acting III class last semester.
I want to push these students' examination of this classic, universal text. I want to guide their detailed examination of artists in 1900s provincial Russia and help them make the leap to their own lives. To facilitate this, I could benefit from some depth of study myself. During the La MaMa International Directors' Symposium, I will be studying The Seagull with international scholars and artists. "Participants will be exposed to a variety of theatrical perspectives from instructors who will expand their sense of what is possible in the theatre. Directors attending the Symposium see how prominent artists on the international scene create their unique productions. The workshops are participatory, and it is expected that all attendees will engage actively in the processes of the various teaching artists." Numerous internationally acclaimed teaching artists will be on hand, but this project will directly benefit from exposure to one in particular:
Kama Ginkas is an acclaimed Russian director who has spent the last several decades working professionally in Moscow. Heis the recipient of numerous major awards, including the Crystal Turandot, the Seagull award, the Golden Mask, the Stanislavsky award, the Mikhail Tumanishvili award for “Perfection in Art” and others. In 2000 he was awarded a Russian State Prize. In 2003 he was bestowed with the honor of a People’s Artist of Russia. In 2004 he was the recipient of the prestigious Triumph prize. Mr.Ginkas is a professor at the Moscow Art Theater School. He has conducted master classes in Stratford-on-Avon and Nottingham in England, Oslo in Norway, Helsinki in Finland, Toronto in Canada and New Haven in the United States. During the Symposium, Mr. Ginkas will be conducting an examination of The Seagull.He will be guiding participants in discussions that lead to a hands-on, practical exploration of Chekhov's first great play.
I can think of no greater initiation of this project than this opportunity to work on this play with the great minds of international theatre. I can think of no greater way to translate the ideas of this Master to the students of High Point University than by receiving guidance from the Masters of today. I look forward to the opportunity to gather this wisdom and bring vital ideas back to this campus.
Further Symposium information is available at: - follow links to Italy: Directors Symposium.
PROPOSED TIMELINE
Spring 09Solicitation of student interest; Faculty discussion of course of study.
July 09Mr. Putnam attends LaMaMa International Directors Symposium.
August 09Faculty discussion and course of study finalized.
Fall 09Production and Design assignments.
Research and rehearsal workshops.
Dramaturg/Scholar visits and workshops.
Initial Design & production work completed.
December 09Initial department showcase and feedback forum.
Additional production assignments as needed.
January 10In-depth rehearsals begin.
Design & production support as needed.
February 10Guest artist visits and workshops.
Second departmental showcaseand feedback forum
April 10Culminating production week.
Showcase to include major public production, reinterpretations,
dramaturgical & design portfolios.
Departmental post-mortem – what can we improve upon?
Summer 10Mr. Putnam develops article and conference presentation to highlight this unique HPU experience.
BUDGET WORKSHEET
Note: Expenses to be incurred across both 2009-2010 semesters.
TOTAL EXPECTED EXPENSES:$27,500
International Symposium$4,200
Course Tuition (includes room & board for 2 weeks)$2,700
Transportation$1,500
Guest Artists/Speakers$5,200
Honoraria (2 @ $2000)$4,000
Transportation (2 @ $260)$520
Hotel Accommodations (2 @ $240)$480
Ground Transportation$200
Academic Support$7,100
2 Course Releases (Fall 2009, Spring 2010)$6,600
Supplementary Teaching Materials$500
Production & Showcase Support$11,000
Production Materials$8,000
Production Overhire$2,000
Publicity & Printing$1,000
INCOME (In-kind from Dept. of Performing Arts)$10,300
1 Course Release$3,300
Production Materials$6,000
Publicity & Printing$1,000
TOTAL FUNDS REQUESTED$17,200
BUDGET NARRATIVE
Category: International Symposium
To cover travel and course tuition for two weeks of study at LaMama International Directors’ Symposium in Umbria, Italy. Room & Board included in tuition fees.
Category: Guest Artists/Speakers
To cover honoraria and travel expenses for two guest experts in the field of this “master.” One expert to be academic-oriented, one to be production-oriented.
Category: Academic Support
To provide for additional teaching needs related to this project. Participating students will be enrolled in, and receive credit for, THE 288/388/488 Special Topics. One course release will be supported by Dept. of Performing Arts. Supplementary Materials to include: Books and additional media for classroom and rehearsal.
Category: Production & Showcase Support
To provide additional support for materials and construction of extraordinary design requirements. 63.6% of this expense to be supported by Dept. of Performing Arts.