Towards the Artist–Scholar

Abstract

Theatre educators often struggle with the burden of constructing a working model for teaching dramatic and production/performance theory-in-practice. Stratifi-cation of the vocational and academic constraints of theatre studies seems to work against us. In response to this problem, I have deviseda course model that incorporates both academic and applied theatre education and that seeks to relate theory to practice, and vice versa. The proposeddual model enables a flexible application, which can be adapted to the educator’s programmestrengths as well as university resources. Thefirst variant has the applied production as its core and is augmented by theory-based tutorials. The second is centred on a lecture/seminar format andincorporates smaller applied projects as a testing ground. While each of thetwo variants approaches theory-in-practice from a unique perspective, both build on a solid foundation in theoretical understanding and applied technique for the best understanding of the relationship needed to become an artist–scholar.