In my formative years, I made a decision that many parents, academic advisors, and high school councilors would have vehemently discouraged: I graduated into a major recession with a college degree in theatre. Even in more stable economic circumstances, a theatre degree is often listed in Google searches as one of the top-10 most useless degrees – or at the very least, one which is sure to doom its carriers to a lifetime of unemployment in the theatre industry or employment in a non-theatrical field. Despite the obstacles I faced, I managed to carve my own place in both theatrical and non-theatrical spaces and create a stable and fulfilling career for myself. As an educator, who has lived the experience of failed systems, I know that this act of carving a path requires tools – physical, cultural, psychological, and personal – so that one’s goals can be achieved in a variety of seen and unforeseen circumstances.

    The physical tools represent the practical, tangible, literal, and corporeal kinds of knowledge. In my own teaching experience this applies to teaching technical theatre and administrative knowledge, in matters such as production, design, self-producing, starting companies, tax information, resumes, website creation, and other practical matters for having a career, where one is often self-employed or serves as an independent contractor. An emphasis on physical knowledge extends to the relationship between the body and the act of learning: an attentiveness to whether the students have their most immediate needs met – food, shelter, safety, sleep – and if not, engaging with the appropriate institutional support systems – and making sure they know how to navigate these resources as well. In the classroom, these things may also manifest themselves in giving students opportunities to create and build things in a safe environment, making sure physical disabilities are properly accommodated, and grounding all lessons in those important words: “In everyday life.”

    Cultural knowledge builds on the practical to make sure students have a cultural awareness of their field and craft. Where did the field/craft come from? Who are the big players? What did they stand for? How has it changed? How is it culturally relevant? It includes incorporating a global perspective, critical theories, and making sure students are culturally competent/responsible. It means making sure that students leave their college experience with significant amounts of cultural capital, which they know how to leverage in real-world scenarios. 

    Psychological tools include an awareness of mental health and its impact on learning and working. It includes a trauma-informed approach to teaching/historiography/theory/dramaturgy. It ensures that learning disabilities are not only properly accommodated, but that students gain and develop strategies of accountability that take these obstacles into consideration. Likewise, Personal/Interpersonal tools ensure that students learn to work well with others, that they have confidence in themselves, and that they have healthy strategies for navigating setbacks. I have incorporated these tools throughout my career and in teaching at all levels including high school, college, and professional mentorship opportunities.