by David Snider
Calgary drama teacher Rob Daugherty has brought over 1,000 junior high school students to Rosebud Theatre over the last ten years. That’s enough to strike terror in the hearts of most actors, as many experiences with such hormonally-challenged groups prove trying at best. I have a memory of acting in a performance where the stage being was pelted with coins. Our production manager, not unlike a prison warden, stopped the action, came out on stage and threatened to call the show if there was any further incident.
Here’s the difference: Daugherty’s students have a reputation for being some of the most respectful and engaged audience members, and at talkbacks have offered genuinely curious and insightful questions. How could this be? Well, to find out, and quite frankly, to offer some overdue thanks for such loyal patronage, I went to Tom Baines Junior High School in northwest Calgary to give a workshop, and spend the afternoon visiting his classes.
Rob, or “Mr. D” as most of his students call him, is an inspiration to meet. He has built a program that exposes students to the whole of theatre and gives them hands-on experience (a group of grade 7’s were staging an episode of “The Brady Bunch” when I arrived). His class room is a mini-theatre, complete with costumes and props, flats, light grid, curtains, and a sound system. The walls are decorated with giant movie posters and images from big productions the school has done (remarkable to see at the junior high school level, and daunting to imagine what Mr. D’s daytimer looks like). I also learned, by seeing a tattoo on his calf of a Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet, that he has a movie-grade Stormtrooper uniform and belongs to a group called “501st Legion”, a global non-profit group of Stormtroopers who make appearances for charity work.
I could tell from listening to his teaching that he has a rich knowledge of the craft, but even more importantly, that he is a living example of a creed he created for the Drama Room: “Equality Within”. He explained that the intrinsic value in connecting students to theatre is to form a community where everyone receives and gives unconditional acceptance of each other. I was amazed to witness about 70 students throughout the day (and a pretty even balance of boys and girls) risking being themselves, and celebrating each other.
The workshop went well, meaning the 30 or so students were engaged, I wasn’t at a loss for activities, and we found a few moments of theatre magic. After a quick lunch at the corner Chinese restaurant, I returned to watch two groups of grade nine students present their final projects: original musicals. Yep, they wrote a libretto, composed music, produced, directed, teched and performed a fifteen-minute piece, one about bullying called “Victimized” and the other called “Jr. High School Musical” inspired by Disney’s secondary-level version. Rob has been told by high school teachers that such a project is expected of grade twelve students, but he says “Students will rise to whatever bar you set for them.” The pieces were clearly victories for the performers, and the classmates gave specific feedback to each other of what they thought was “strong” in the work.
The days’ gem, and answer to the mystery of the “how can they be such great audience members?” question came from hearing Mr. D. tell his students that the audience’s job is to “give yourself away to the story and actors and production elements.” He had equally-wise advice for the players, saying at performance it’s time to trust the work, and let go of control. Now I know why his students have been such fabulous audience members at our shows. They aren’t just “being quiet and paying attention”. They give themselves away to the story we tell in the theatre, and to the experience of being in our community.
Before I said “goodbye and we’ll talk soon” Rob gave me something to bring back to RCA. When his students finish their Rosebud field trip, he has them write him a letter about their Rosebud Theatre experience, from getting on the bus to bedtime. He gave me five of his favorites. Two highlights include: being in Rosebud was “fun, peaceful and very interesting school” and “I really loved how much art was in Rosebud, and would love to go to their school of performing arts.”
Rob told me he could take the students to other theatres like Theatre Calgary, but he chooses Rosebud year after year because it offers a “total immersion experience in theatre in such a unique setting. “ To me, that’s a great compliment, and tells me our “Drama Room” is also a place that champions “Equality Within”.
