Another good morning Theatre People! Today I’m honored to introduce you to Jeff Hall. Jeff has been teaching in Oregon for 30 years and is a leader and true mover and shaker in the world of theatrical arts. I met Jeff years ago at an Educational Theatre Association national event and it’s always a delight catching up—hearing what new exciting things he’s up to. I hope you enjoy my interview with Jeff as much as I did. Another week closer to fully open stages, people—keep your chins up!
We are asking women in the entertainment industry around the world some key questions about their life and career. Here is Ksenia Dykina based in Moscow, Russia.
Like so many of you, last fall I embarked on teaching and directing online with trepidation. I thought my goal was to make the classroom and the event of the play feel as if it were all happening in person. To be honest, I tried to prepare for anything that could go wrong with virtual-ness of it. But after working through the initial discomfort, I learned that directing and teaching acting online, wasn’t all that different from the process of making theatre in a new space altogether. I knew this road. I was trained on how to make a rehearsal space or classroom conducive to experience of exploring a play. Moreover, I had simply fallen into my usual process of listening and reacting to how the distinctiveness of the space could be used to further illuminate the story. This time, it just happened to be a totally virtual space.
