Back to School

As I have been working these first few weeks of a new school year, I have thought back to when I first went to college.

Although I have not had time to blog lately I have been thinking about my time at SUNY Buffalo, UB,

and trying to sort out just what I want to write about.

Many of my fellow classmates from my time college have gone on to have successful careers in Theatre, Designing on Broadway, working in Regional Theatre, Operas, Rock ‘n Roll, TV and Movies, winning Tony and Emmy awards and more.

As a college teacher today, 35 years later, I wonder if my current students worry and/or dream about the same things that I did back in college.

Do they really know what they are in for if they really pursue a career in Theatre.

Do they have the drive and commitment it takes to have a career in Theatre, or are they just hanging out trying to have some fun while in college?

When I have one of those special hard working and driven students who come through school every once and a while, I think back to when I was one of those young eager student just starting out and wonder if they will make it and what lies ahead for them.

I used to ask myself if any of my students will go on to have careers in Theatre, but I have been teaching long enough now to see that some of my former students are working and teaching in theatres all over the country, plus few overseas too.

I have never minded working hard or staying late to get a production done, and I  like working with those students who really want to learn and enjoy showing them what to do.

When I hear back from them a few years later, and they tell me what they are working on, it makes me feel good and makes all the extra time worth it.

But back in the fall of 1974 I was one of those fresh kids wanting to make his mark, wanting a chance to show off what I knew (or thought I knew).

Just a few months before in High School I was the President of the Theatre Club, Head of the Stage Crew, but now I was just one of the several new kids.

I worked on everything I could, both for class credit and just for the experience.

By the end of my freshmen year I moved up for just a general technical assistant to a crew chief and even master electrician for one of the plays.

The student Lighting Designer for the play that I was the master electrician for as the has gone on to have a very successful career in NYC working in both Theatre and TV, winning three Emmys.

I just ran into him for the first time since 1975 at the USITT conference in Cincinnati back in March.

I do not think he really remembered me, but we had a nice talk about the people we worked with back in Buffalo and what they are doing now.

UB had several Theatres and each was unique, I will talk about them in my next post.