My Second Life

An EMU Story of an ADTY Grad Student

So, I was a high school English and theatre teacher for 28 years. When I started my teaching career, I thought I’d be doing this until I was very old and very gray. I loved teaching theatre and admittedly teaching English was a by-product of something I had to do in order to do something that I loved to do. But don’t get me wrong, I had some great experiences teaching English, and I worked with some awesome colleagues in the field, but my whole heart wasn’t in it like it was when I taught theatre. Directing plays became my identity.

I directed two shows a year, a straight play and a musical. There were some long hours involved in that and like any high school drama teacher knows, you are your own production team. You may have some parents who occasionally help you build a set or get some advertisement/fundraising out there for you, but if you are from an economically challenged district, you are the lead designer of everything and the crew head of all. My life became teaching all day, directing productions all afternoon, and building sets all night. This was who I was, how the students saw me, and the thing that gave me such security in life.

Then a couple of financial scandals happened in our school district, several budget cuts, and finally the exodus of good parents who took their good, involved kids to other northern districts. The atmosphere changed in our school rapidly which made running a creative program difficult at best. Having a principal whose main drive was his own ego didn’t help either.

In the midst of “No Child Left Behind” and teachers needing to be “highly qualified”, my teaching life has cut short. Well, not cut short but cut in half. I was told because I didn’t have a major in English that I was no longer able to teach English classes, so I was cut to part time. I did have a minor in English language and literature and I’d been teaching English for several years, but I guess that didn’t matter. This gave me time to reflect and think about if teaching was a career I wanted to stick with. I decided to start looking at other jobs, maybe do some interviews to strengthen my skills, and plan on change. But, I said that maybe I should take that English certification test just in case.

Well, to make a long story short, I passed the test (standardized test, it was a miracle), was hired to teach English and theatre in another school district, but I wasn’t able to direct productions like I did at my old school. Someone who refused to get his teaching certificate was already directing, so they allowed him to run the auditorium and continue to direct. He went to high school there and did have a theatre degree. It was nepotism at its best. Unfortunately, he was not receptive to me being a part of the theatre productions even though I taught the classes that would help feed into his program. We’ll just call him Mr. Petty.

Now, without this identify defining thing around, I had to decide what’s next? I decided to make English my passion and after a few years became head of the English 12 team. We created some awesome lessons, and I was happy with my input, but not fulfilled as before. Years have gone by, students are starting to get really apathetic about things, and I don’t have the energy to do it anymore. There, their, and they’re can’t be my life. Once Covid hit, I knew there had to be something else. In walks the EMU ADTY program.

I’ve always been involved with Eastern Michigan University’s theatre program to some degree since I received my BA from there. I loved taking students there for drama days, and I worked on a theatre program called Summer Quest. I was asked to be on the renaming committee of their Communication/Theatre Arts building, and I currently am the Communication, Media, and Theatre Arts Alumni chair. During Covid, I was given the chance to direct an online production which was such an awesome experience especially since it had been a while since I directed a full production.

Once I decided to pursue my Applied Drama Theatre for the Young MFA degree, my life has drastically changed. First, I am being introduced to a field of study I always knew existed but never explored. I have learned so much about how drama can be used in not only an educational setting but in our world that may benefit people of all ages. My colleagues and educators in the field are inspirational and offer so much. Second, I decided to retire from high school teaching and go to grad school full time. The students were draining any creativity I had left to offer into the world, so I applied for a graduate assistantship and got it. I’ve been able to teach a basic speech class and work in the ADTY/ theatre department creating study guides for productions and doing whatever they need me to do. Third, I’ve been given yet another chance to direct a show. When I started the program, the ADTY program was putting together a showcase which allowed those of us in the program to shine in whatever area we were comfortable. I chose to re-imagine and adapt a short folktale, creating a script and directing it. I had a ball. This was my first post-covid directing chance, so I went for it. Next, I was asked to be a part of a directing team of eight to put on a production for EMU’s mainstage, and finally I am currently directing my own show for EMU called Stick Fly.

My final words are that you are never too old to start over. You may even find a better path the next time. I’ve learned to always keep my eyes open for opportunities and to really strive for what’s important for me, to me, and by me. I will never regret making the choice to get a second master’s degree from EMU (FYI- I have a MA in theatre direction from Roosevelt University in Chicago), because it has jumpstarted a new sense of belonging and direction in my life. Much thanks to our program director Meriah Sage and the head of the theatre department Lee Stille for allowing this grad student to be all that he can be.

-Randy Stewart
BA Communication and Theatre Arts
First Year MFA Student

Stick Fly opens next weekend Feb 10th -19th in the Legacy Theatre in the Judy Sturgis-Hill building on EMU’s campus. Here is a ticket link https://emich.ludus.com/index.php?show_id=21301

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