This past fall, The School of Theatre & Dance staged the first four shows of the 2021-2022 season. While the traditional season of productions is visible to many in the Lubbock community, another less well-recognized program, the BurkTech Players, is one of the School's crowning achievements.
BurkTech Players is a partnership between the School of Theatre and Dance and the Burkhart Center for Autism Education & Research. Sam Shreffler, co-artistic director of the BurkTech Players, founded the program years ago with the help of a Texas Tech alum, Clay Martin. Shreffler, a former student of the Burkhart Center, became inspired to create a program that could benefit the community and show off the talents of students on the spectrum.
One goal of the BurkTech Players is to make certain the collaboration of both the Burkhart Center and TTU students results in a positive learning experience. This program provides students the opportunity to get more involved in theatre that demands a new understanding of sensory-sensitive productions.
Bradley Hewlett, a third-year MFA Playwriting student and artistic director of the
BurkTech Players, says that working with a neurodiverse group of actors betters the
rehearsal process. Actors on the spectrum collaborate with neurotypical actors who
may not be familiar with neurodiverse environments. It's a healthy learning experience
for everyone involved, asking students and audience members to approach theatre in
new and exciting ways.
Hewlett has a background in educational theatre and taught for 13 years. He not only gained experience working with high school students but had the opportunity to work in a neurodiverse setting, educating students on the spectrum.
“The special education departments of the high schools where I worked trusted me to create performance opportunities for all students,” said Hewlett. “Because of this experience, I requested BurkTech Players to be one of my production assignments, and I have enjoyed every second.” As a teacher, Hewlett values not just drama, but also the myriad acts of communication. This serves him well as Artistic Director, helping him to balance rehearsal, script analysis, and marketing.
This November, the BurkTech Players produced Mixed Signals, an evening consisting of devised theatre pieces, improv focused on the theme of communication, and a 10-minute short play, Codebreakers, written by third-year MFA Playwriting student, Charles Hughes. Hughes' comedic play explores deciphering both the literal and figurative forms of communication.
In March of 2022, BurkTech Players will team up with the “Outside In Festival” to help expand the BurkTech Players program, and showcase a production on a larger scale.
The BurkTech Players is not just about creating theatre. Hewlett is adamant about the need to spread awareness regarding neurodiversity. He would like audience members on the spectrum to gain more access to traditional theatre performances. According to Hewlett, this starts with working to change theatre at the educational level, and then, hopefully, to branch out into the professional arena.