TETA Board of Directors
Immed Past President
As some of you may have noticed, I took a hiatus during the last edition of Texas Theatre Notes. After all the excitement and success of TheatreFest 2013, I needed a break. I also needed to reconnect with other facets of my life such my family and my students. Being CEO/President of TETA was a huge honor for me, but it was also a tremendous responsibility which consumed a great deal of time and energy. Holding that office was also an enormous learning experience, and like any production it was a bit like a birth: there were moments of great joy, but at times it was challenging. I'd like to thank those of you who have been so supportive of me during the past two and a half years; there are far too many of you to name here, but you know who you are, and I thank you for all your encouragement and kindness.
As I've transitioned out of that leadership role in TETA, I'm also transitioning out of one in my professional life. After spending twenty five years at Central Heights High School, it is time to for me to move on. Next fall, I'll be joining the faculty at Stephen F. Austin State University where I will not only be teaching full time, I'll also have the opportunity to work with undergraduate theatre education majors. One of the reasons I chose to accept the leadership positions I've had with TETA is because I wanted to help young theatre educators. Working with theatre education majors at SFASU will give even more of an opportunity to do that, and that brings me great joy. To say that I'm excited about this new opportunity is a HUGE understatement.
The transitions I've been going through in the last two or three years have certainly made me even more introspective than usual. I find myself looking back at my career in education. During my thirty-one years as a secondary educator, I've taught a vast array of subjects: English, speech, art, creative writing, math (!), and, of course, theatre. However, while I was teaching those subjects I think some of the most important lessons I 'taught' were related to the development and importance of character in the non-theatrical sense. Integrity. Giving. Compassion. Kindness. Respect. Honesty. Anyone who has worked on a show knows that in addition to the theatrical skills required, strength of character is needed for a truly successful production. Working together and supporting one another through the good times and the tough times is not easy work; it is not for the faint of heart. At the end of that painful birthing process of learning/production work, we receive many gifts: a successful show, a found family, and changed lives. I'm reminded of this passage from Frank Huser's Notes on Directing:
The Director's Role: You are the obstetrician. You are not the parent of this child we call
the play. You are present at its birth for clinical reasons, like a doctor or midwife. Your job most of the time is simply to do no harm. When something does go wrong, however, your awareness that something is awry--and your clinical intervention to correct it--can determine whether the child will thrive or suffer, live or die.
I don't really agree that our presence is entirely clinical, but I think we're all aware how hugely important our awareness, our acurate perception and our appropriate intervention is. Of course, we also realize that our work in theatrical productions is just a mirror for life itself. What we do teaches lessons for a lifetime. Even if those who are not educators don't understand the huge affect and difference we make, we do, and it's wonderful when educators can support each other as we so often do in this organization.
Most of you have heard me say this before: We have the best jobs in the world! My life as a teacher in K-12 classrooms has been hugely rewarding. Now that this part of my life is nearly done, I continue to realize what a positive affect I've had on students, and the positive affect they've had on me. I look forward to transitioning through the summer to my new adventure at the university level, and I look forward to continuing to serve this organization whose members I care about so greatly.
Best wishes for a super summer!
~Melissa McMillian-Cunningham
TETA Immediate Past President
Central Heights High School