Oral History Interview by Denise J. Hart with Dr. Geoffrey W. Newman (May 17, 2022) former faculty & Department Chair

Geoffrey Newman was born in Oberlin Ohio in 1946. He graduated high school in 1964. His dad was hired to computerize Howard (from paper systems to computer). Geoffrey was attending a white college and he wasn’t happy. He was complaining to his day and his dad told him to come to Howard. In 1966 Geoffrey transferred to Howard University. He graduated in 1968.

What was Howard like when you first arrived?

In 1967 or '68 the homecoming queen wore an afro and that was forbidden. It created a huge civil unrest amongst the students who saw that as their blackness was being censored.

The theatre department was performing Blues for Mr. Charlie and that production brought the theatre department into the student protest. A group of students closed down the production by walking on to the stage and telling the audience that if there were any white people there, If you value your life you should leave the theatre now.

There were constant bomb threats during this time. Plays weren’t being produced because the Howard campus was up in arms. The student movement became turbulent. The students occupied the administration building and shut down the administration. That was the beginning of the unrest.

Post Graduation Life 

Several years after Newman graduated in 1968 each year he was getting a call from Howard asking if he’d come back to be on faculty. He would say no because he was creating the theatre program at Wabash. However, after 4 years the folks at Wabash told him that they never thought he’d stay and that he’d go on to do better things so they didn’t expect him to apply for promotion. He was insulted. 

Around that time Dean Veda Butcher called him and she said they needed someone like him who had been through the rigor of the program in the 1960’s. Veda said she needed faculty who could bring back that kind of structure to the drama department. His dad said your alma mater needs you, you should go. So, he came to Howard in 1974.

Back to the Mecca

The students had not really recovered from the turbulence of the late 1960’s. They were angry. Technique was viewed as being white oriented. It was difficult to show that historical Eurocentric teachings were important. In the 70’s students thought Black theatre and black theatre technique was more important. If it wasn’t Black they thought they were wasting their time.

His biggest goal was to bring them back to the high rigor of the 1960’s. In the 60’s the training was so rigorous that you barely had any time to do anything else besides your classes, work on shows and be on stage in shows.

The department focus became performance based. However, students felt that the professionals were taking roles from them. Until 1979 the students saw this as a battle for them to get roles.

His next objective was to show the students the best way to train students was to bring in professionals to get them to work side by side to get a sense of the high professionalism required.

The Second European Tour for the Department of Drama 

Once the European tour of Raisin and Sound of Soul for the 1978/79 Department season were set up, the students no longer felt this way. 55 persons (approximately 32 students) were in Europe the entire spring semester of 1979 to perform those two plays. 

During these productions professionals had main roles and students had background and supporting roles. The rigor was so high that the students grew quickly and saw professionals in action and this made them recognize that technique mattered.

Geoffrey and Sandra Bowie put together an educational program to hold classes in the AM, then rehearse and build the show in the afternoon and perform in the evening. It was a whirlwind!

This trip transformed the theatre department. From that time forward they never had another problem with students understanding the high level of professionalism required for performance.

Any regrets?

When he came back from Europe he was on a high! 

However, he wasn’t able to do what he really wanted to do, which was to make the off-campus performance experience part of the academic experience in the department of theatre arts. He believed that the students would benefit from an off-campus touring program. But he was not able to achieve it. 

The upper administration didn’t see the value of investing in a program like that. They thought the classroom was the place for training. 

He regrets he was unable to convince the Howard administration of the value of off campus training.

The faculty were extremely close. Perhaps too close. They’d play and work together. They’d discuss the issues with student, administration and facilities at house parties and once the day had ended.

How Were Faculty Relations?

They lovingly battled each other daily about where they needed to go and what was needed to get there. It was a 24/7 job. They sort of lived and breathed the job like it was their full life mission.

Students were really hunger and eager for training. They’d eat up as much as you could give.

It was a highly creative environment!