"I have been involved with theatre programs both large and small. With RUTD, I feel a bit like Goldilocks, the size is just right." -Doctor Anthony Hostetter
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, love is in the air at the Rowan University Department of Theatre & Dance. For a sweet post to share on this occasion I interviewed two of our lovely professors: Doctor Elizabeth Hostetter and Doctor Anthony Hostetter. Dr. Tony and Dr. Liz met in the theatre department at VCU when she was a freshman in college and he was a junior. They both earned their Ph.D.’s from the University of Missouri and have been fortunate to work in theatre departments at three other universities: Stephen’s College in Missouri, Randolph-Macon in Virginia, and Stephen F. Austin in Texas. "We have always been very supportive of one another and we work really well together—our jobs at Rowan are truly remarkable and we are very grateful." -Dr. Elizabeth Hostetter
Keep on reading for what the two love about getting to work together at Rowan, their favorite part of the department, what they've taken away from working here, why they would recommend studying at Rowan, what their proudest accomplishment is, what they are looking forward to most in the upcoming season, and why Dr. Liz wants to get a second puppy.
Answers from Doctor Elizabeth Hostetter
Erica: "How long have you been working in the RUTD department? What do you love about working at Rowan? What is your favorite part about RUTD?"
Dr. Liz: "This is my 20th year at Rowan and I can’t imagine a better place to work. I absolutely adore watching students grow as artists and scholars over their four years in our program. I particularly love that our program is supportive of new work and close student mentorship. It means a lot to me that all of the faculty know the names of all of our students and I love that we strive to help students explore all aspects of theatre & dance during their time here. I also really love the large and talented network of alumni that are doing amazing things and sharing their success with us and our current students. Our program continues to grow and change with the times and I am delighted that we are so active in student recruiting. We are able to attract and work with amazing students who have a deep passion and curiosity about the world.
On a personal level, I am extremely grateful that I get to work with such a talented and smart team of faculty and staff—including my husband. I know I am one of the luckiest women in the world because landing a full-time tenure track job at such a progressive and growing university is not easy."
Erica: "What have you taken away from working here? Why would you recommend studying theatre/dance at Rowan?"
Dr. Liz: "I have learned a great deal from my students and colleagues over the years. Although I am very proud of the BFA in Acting that I earned at a top notch program, I did not have the level of movement training that our students get and I sincerely have grown to really love our focus on movement-driven theatre. As anyone who studies theatre & dance knows, we are preparing for a highly competitive and challenging job market. Therefore, it is very important for students to really explore a wide variety of performance skills in a supportive environment. We are not in competition with each other, we are working to support and grow our art form. I watch a lot of work from peer institutions and Rowan students truly stick out because of their fearlessness and their strong physicality in performance---that is a direct result of our connection as a department dedicated to theatre, dance and technical theatre training."
Erica: What is your proudest accomplishment within RUTD? What are you looking forward to most this year at Rowan?
Dr. Liz: "I am proud of the fact that many of our graduates still keep in touch and share their personal and professional success with me on a regular basis. That speaks to the fact that we really are an extended family and that RUTD is a kind of “home” that people love to come back to. I am very excited about directing “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” next fall. I have already begun my research on the production and I think it is a great show for us for so many reasons. This show is timely, relevant, physically engaging and has a super-smart script. It also gives Tony and I an excuse to get another puppy!"
Answers from Doctor Anthony Hostetter
Erica: "How long have you been working in the RUTD department? What do you love about working at Rowan? What is your favorite part about RUTD?"
Dr. Tony: "The year Liz started working at Rowan was the same year I started as the Technical Director at Temple University. I worked at Temple for eight years. After that, I worked at Kutztown University, which closed down the theatre program after I was there a year. I then started as an adjunct at Rowan while working at Delaware Theatre Company. I started working at Rowan full-time in 2013. I love the students at Rowan. They are nice, fun, smart, and sincere. Theatre & Dance students at Rowan are determined, understand hard work and are willing to try new things. It is a great honor to get to know students while they are at Rowan, to watch them grow and become creative and innovative artists. My favorite part of Rowan Theatre & Dance is that it is a program that encourages all faculty, staff, and students to try new things.
One of the great things about my relationship with Liz is that we have been able to share so much of our life together. This is hard for couples in academia. Many couples work at different institutions and are separated by long distances, including having to work in separate states. Not only have we worked at four colleges together, we went to the same undergraduate program and we both earned our Ph.Ds at University of Missouri. We have also worked at many of the same theatres. I have designed several productions Liz has directed and she has acted in three productions I have directed. We never seem to get sick of being together."
Erica: "What have you taken away from working here? Why would you recommend studying theatre/dance at Rowan?"
Dr. Tony: "I have been involved with theatre programs both large and small. With RUTD, I feel a bit like Goldilocks, the size is just right. It is not so small that opportunities and resources are limited, but it is not so big that everyone has to stay in one focus. At Rowan, students have the opportunity to try all areas of production and can double major if they want. One reason to study at Rowan is that current students welcome newcomers. The program allows students to participate from day-one. (Our undergrad program did not allow first year students to audition for anything their first year.) Students also take advantage of opportunities outside of Rowan. It is a great advantage being so close to Philadelphia, which is one of the largest theatre & dance markets in the country. It is also great that our faculty and staff have been so involved in Philadelphia and New York."
Erica: "What is your proudest accomplishment within RUTD? What are you looking forward to most this year at Rowan?"
Dr. Tony: "I agree with Liz, I am also proud that so many of the students keep in touch with us. They are doing great things out there and they make Rowan proud. I have directed two productions at Rowan, “Who Will Carry the Word?" was selected to perform at the Region II Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and received national recognition for “Distinguished Ensemble Achievement.” One of my research areas is Holocaust Theatre. I am involved with the Rowan Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and have presented on Holocaust Theatre at both national and international conferences. I have just started writing my second Holocaust play, which I hope to stage at Rowan during the 2021-22 season. I always look forward to graduation the most every year. I love seeing the students excited about graduating and meeting their families as they celebrate the start of the next phase of their lives."
Working with such amazing, heartfelt professors in our theatre department, I am super thrilled to now have an opportunity to showcase them on a larger platform for people to read more about. There is something so special and unique about everyones passion within RUTD that you truly cannot find anywhere else. Being in the classroom with teachers like Dr. Liz and Dr. Tony who genuinely love their craft and department makes me proud to be the student learning from them.
See you next Wednesday! (And Happy Valentine's Day!)
Erica Gerold
Rowan University Musical Theatre and Public Relations '23
Doctor Elizabeth Hostetter and Doctor Tony Hostetter. Circa December, 2015.
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