"Something that's really important right now, and I feel like we lose a little bit of it especially with college online courses, is the social/emotional learning aspect that comes with being in middle and high school. It's not just about going, getting good grades, and moving on. It's about building relationships and learning how to be empathetic people." -Jason Wylie, senior theatre major, theatre education concentration.
Whether you know a theatre artist or are one, it is clear participating in the arts right now is a hefty feat. Being a theatre major myself, I know the balance of everything I am involved in, amid a pandemic of all things, can feel like quite a large task. There is someone I know who keeps creating art through busyness, trial, and tribulation right now, and he was the perfect person to talk to about the matter.
Jason Wylie is a senior at Rowan University majoring in theatre with a concentration in theatre education. Besides working on the last year of his degree, Jason is currently a substitute co-teacher of high school theatre and is directing their fall and spring musical, coaches and runs theatre competition teams, and is the Production Manager of Rowan Lab Theatre. Jumping right into theatre education experiences and more, he is the quintessential classmate to discuss student life with.
Want to hear more about how Jason balances his commitments, navigates connections with students in the classroom through the pandemic, classes and professors that encouraged him to continue his pursuit of theatre, and why he believes it is important to make sure adolescents can stay involved in the arts? Keep on reading!
What is it like to be teaching theatre during a pandemic? How has COVID-19 impacted your ability to connect with your students in the classroom?
"What's really nice is we're on a hybrid plan, so I do have some students in the classroom every day. But for the first two weeks, which is a crucial time when you are getting to know all your students and really develop those relationships in the classroom, we were fully remote. It was really difficult to get kids to bond with each other and you know how important that is for a theatre class. I don't know what I would've done if it wasn't for Zoom breakout rooms, because it's easier to talk to someone when there are three people in a breakout room, as opposed to twenty kids blankly staring at you while you're like, "So, what's your favorite ice cream flavor? Please answer me!" It's been an interesting ride.
Being in the theatre education track, what class have you had in our department you have felt prepared you for this job?
"I took, I believe it's called Children's Theatre (name now changed to Introduction to Theatre Education) and that was the BEST class. I learned how to write lesson plans, really sit down and talk with students which was really nice, and she walked us through what the M.S. Teaching program looks like, other teacher-y terms we don't always get to explore when we're in our acting class that are so important to learn when you're teaching acting, and how you make that a safe environment for your students."
Could you elaborate on your position in competitive theatre, like with New Jersey Thespians?
"I work with a couple of different competitive theatre organizations in the state; one of them is New Jersey Thespians. I run their student board, so that's about... I believe this year it's 17 state officers which is one of the most out of any chapter in the Educational Theatre Association. It's super exciting to have so many well-qualified, super motivated high school juniors and seniors who want to work to make theatre better in New Jersey. They've been working on their own which is really great! I check in every once and a while and give guidance when they need it, but they're cruising on their own which is really great. We're finishing up our "Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat" campaign right now. I also run the alumni program for that, I design their website, so a lot of things going on. We're getting ready to push our registration out this week, so that's what I've been spending a majority of today on is designing a lot of stuff for our virtual festival that we'll be doing in January."
How are you doing, balancing these things you're involved in?
"My best friend right now is Google Calendar. I probably have 17 calendars with all different colors. This is where my stage management skills really come in handy, scheduling myself for all these things. It's really just about staying on top of it. I have an off period every day and during that period I'm always either reading that article for class, frantically grading something *email dings*, or you probably heard another email come in right now which is my whole day. It's all about using that free time I have. I have about a half-hour between when school ends and rehearsal starts. I usually use that to try and get some homework done, do a DQ question real quick, but it's just fitting in stuff where you have time. A lot less sleep this year than usual."
Is there anything you have accomplished this year you are quite proud of?
"Within the pandemic, I was the assistant director for the All-State Musical this past year with New Jersey Thespians. We thought we were going to have to cancel the show because of COVID. We were gonna do "Zanadu". We were super excited to do all this dancing and gymnastics, but we had to switch gears really quickly. I'm lucky I had such a strong production team. Katie Rochon, who actually got her M.S.T at Rowan, Jess Bohnenberger, and my new friend Jennifer Parrilla was really great. We were able to switch gears to "Songs For a New World," and we were actually able to come together for one day. We did all of our rehearsals on Zoom and came together for a weekend at Music Mountain Theatre. We did a socially-distanced, COVID-safe recording of our show. For those who aren't familiar with "Songs For a New World", it's a song cycle. It's not really a linear plot kind of show. We did all of our group numbers first and if you weren't in any of the solo numbers, you got to go home. We recorded pretty much a whole show in one day, filmed it and everything. That will be premiering at our festival in January."
In pursuing theatre, are there RUTD professors inspiring you to keep going?
"I probably would not have gotten through college without the following couple of people: First off is Caitlin Reed. I feel like personally, Caitlin is underappreciated. She will always answer whatever question I have no matter how dumb I think it is. Dr. Elizabeth Hostetter has been integral in me getting through college. Michael Dean Morgan... Jamie Grace-Duff and Natalia de la Torre have been super big mentors of mine with all the costuming I did. I mean, really our whole design/tech department has been really fantastic, and Dr. Chris Roche of course is fantastic in making sure I'm not about to have a complete meltdown.
I'd also like to talk a bit more about Jamie Grace-Duff. She not only taught me costuming skills and all these different things I needed to know, but she taught me how to take care of myself as a person. When I first got into college I would just go, go, go all-day, eventually have a breakdown, and be out of commission for a week. She taught me how to time manage and I have seen her work on this too as a real adult. I have really learned a lot from her seeing, "Yes! You can do professional theatre and have a family. You can do professional theatre and still take care of yourself as a person. You can be a teacher and mentor but still have fun with your students, so that's been a big inspiration for me."
A lot of your work is with children in theatre. Why do you think it is important to make sure adolescents can stay involved in the arts at this moment in time, and always?
"We had a lot of really big conversations about this right at the beginning of the school year. Something that's really important right now, and I feel like we lose a little bit of it especially with college online courses, is the social/emotional learning aspect that comes with being in middle and high school. It's not just about going, getting good grades, and moving on. It's about building relationships and learning how to be empathetic people. My teaching philosophy really boils down to, "I want them to be good actors and technicians when they leave me, but I want them to be good people, collaborators, and team members." That's my biggest thing: "Are you leaving our theatre department being a better person?" That's what it really boils down to, and making sure they have an outlet during this awful time when so many of them are stuck in their house all the time! I get it, and I can't imagine this happening when I was in high school because I would've lost my mind."
Do you have any advice for anyone tackling theatre right now?
"Yes. It's possible! I know it's a little bit more work than usual, but it is possible. Obviously do it in the safest way you possibly can because it's essential, but, I don't know! Today it's November 8th and it's 70 degrees outside, like go and do theatre outside! Or get on a Zoom call with a couple of students and do a reading of something. It just really helps to keep the gears and muscle going in your head, and keep with it until we can come back 100% like we want to."
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See you next Monday!!
Erica Gerold
Musical Theatre & Public Relations '23
(Left) Jason Wylie, senior theatre major, theatre education concentration.
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