Cason Murphy

For Peter Brook, dull theatre is deadly theatre—and to me, a dull classroom is a deadly classroom. I approach teaching students the same way I do directing actors: If acting is doing, then so is learning.

I strive to prepare students for their “stage”—that is, any venue in which, as professionals and citizens, they will present themselves and their work for consideration.

As my theatrical interests include exploring and tearing down the liminal space between performers and audiences, so too do I seek to bridge that gap between teacher and students. To do this, I have two major goals: to demystify the process of creating theater; and to instill in my students a desire to be an active, collaborative force in and out of the classroom.

I feel that I do my job best when I spend less time trying to convince students to “add” theatre to their lives, and more time encouraging them to understand how theatre is already playing out around them.