We’ve all heard the expression, “It takes a village,” usually to describe how necessary a group can be when completing a task, most often assigned to raising children or supporting a cause.

As I recently welcomed our largest undergraduate class in many years in the Maedgen Theatre, I asked them to look at one another, explaining that the young people sitting beside them will be the artists with whom they collaborate in the next four years to produce art (and, in many cases, also after they graduate). I reminded them that performance, especially theatre and dance, depends on trusting one another. So, if we apply the concept of a “village” to performance, success relies on our listening to one another, sharing ideas, and, ultimately, remaining flexible and accepting of myriad viewpoints and experiences.

Our School of Theatre & Dance works in much the same way.

I brag to our incoming and current students that they will not find a better faculty or staff anywhere in this country, and I mean it. Over the last dozen years, we’ve built a tremendous program, led not only by our zeal towards excellence, but also by acknowledging that the markers that help us achieve it are based on effective collaboration. We are fortunate that most of our faculty are actively involved in professional careers that support and bolster their role of professor, always bringing what they learn back directly to the students (and, in some cases, taking their students with them!). This exchange of experience assures that we, as a community, remain current in our practices, yes, but also that we are always open to discovering the best methods to convey information in and outside of the classroom.

For us to succeed, then, we must first communicate effectively, sharing our ideas openly—and this begins with listening. While universities teach courses in public speaking, we rarely find courses in active listening, which means truly hearing your colleague before you offer your opinion. We, as a community, celebrate discourse, especially welcoming those who disagree with us, because we continuously strive to learn, and no matter our age, we strongly believe that we are capable of change.

This may imply that we always disagree. Nothing could be further from the truth.

But to establish a vision that encapsulates a community, we first listen, then share, and finally, compromise—understanding that, because performance is often based on “deep structure” collaboration, we must also illustrate best practices when we communicate as a faculty and staff. When discussions become heated, as they occasionally do, it originates from passion. And as you know, it’s challenging to separate passion from emotion.

But as we begin the fall semester of 2024, my thirteenth year of being fortunate enough to lead this excellent School of Theatre & Dance, I want to assure you that, while we do our best to always be respectful, we welcome voices that express opinions other than the ones we currently hold.

For years, I was a respondent for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF). [KCACTF wisely embraces the word respondent because adjudicator carries with it the onus of “judgment.”] One of the first qualities of a good respondent—someone who sees a play at another campus and shares directly with the cast, crew, and designers their opinions about what they saw and felt—is that they must create a comfortable environment before offering a critique; in other words, it is their responsibility to create an environment in which criticism can be heard. In no way does that mean respondents should bend the truth, but they must avoid sounding as if they know more, never implying that they could direct, design, act, dramaturg better than what they witnessed. The value in excellent responding lies not just with sharing intelligent insights from an outside authority, but also that they are expressed with grace, empathy, and honesty.

The same is true in academics. In classrooms. In meetings. In the hallways. Over email and texts.  

We are all trained in our respective fields, and thank goodness, our training varies extensively, as does our experience. While we collectively support one another, remaining open to new ideas from our colleagues and our students, every day in our “village” brings new insights and discoveries that impact and transform our lives. As does hearing from you after you see a performance!  

And for that, we are grateful.