Teaching
Information regarding my teaching experience.
Documents
Teaching Philosophy Statement
I teach creative problem-solving, applying skills and knowledge to challenging situations. Lessons are exercises in problem-solving that students can then apply in their careers. Students learn to define the problem and what factors will indicate its success, research, and gather information to inform their decisions, develop a plan, and then execute it by applying skills and knowledge from the classroom.
When teaching hand drafting for the theatre, one of my projects is taking a designer's sketch of a scenic unit and creating an elevation plate. As a class, we discuss the sketch and define what the designer is looking for, how the piece needs to function, and what information the shop will need to build the piece. We gather information on the size of a human being to understand the object's scale and how that will affect how the actor interacts with it. The students then apply their knowledge from previous projects to plan the steps of executing the drawing and then apply their skills to complete the project. I grade students not on how much their drafting looks like other students' but on how well they interpreted the designer's idea and communicated that for the shop.
I have also used this method when teaching a class on digital portfolios and other materials used in self-marketing and job applications. When creating a website, a resume, or a business card, we start with defining what future employers seek in these documents and an employee. The students research what these materials look like for others in their fields and gather relevant information from their archives of work experience. Finally, they plan and execute the project. They create materials unique to them, and by understanding why they put certain items in a resume or portfolio, they can make informed changes as their careers evolve.
This focus on problem-solving in the lecture hall makes the material more engaging for students. Now that information is so easily accessible through our computers and smartphones, these classes are shifting from information you must assimilate and retain to learning where to find and apply that information. In a period styles class, instead of memorizing the difference between different styles of chairs, it is far more useful to take students through the process of finding art, photographs, and catalogs from the period in question and how to analyze, interpret, and then apply that to representing that period on stage. This practice gives the course a practical application and requires the student to engage rather than regurgitate. Even an introduction to theatre for non-majors becomes more engaging when focused on how to find entertainment they enjoy and then discuss it intelligently.
As an educator, my role is to prepare students to be professionals. By giving my students practice in creative problem-solving, I am giving them the confidence to adapt to a rapidly changing industry.
When teaching hand drafting for the theatre, one of my projects is taking a designer's sketch of a scenic unit and creating an elevation plate. As a class, we discuss the sketch and define what the designer is looking for, how the piece needs to function, and what information the shop will need to build the piece. We gather information on the size of a human being to understand the object's scale and how that will affect how the actor interacts with it. The students then apply their knowledge from previous projects to plan the steps of executing the drawing and then apply their skills to complete the project. I grade students not on how much their drafting looks like other students' but on how well they interpreted the designer's idea and communicated that for the shop.
I have also used this method when teaching a class on digital portfolios and other materials used in self-marketing and job applications. When creating a website, a resume, or a business card, we start with defining what future employers seek in these documents and an employee. The students research what these materials look like for others in their fields and gather relevant information from their archives of work experience. Finally, they plan and execute the project. They create materials unique to them, and by understanding why they put certain items in a resume or portfolio, they can make informed changes as their careers evolve.
This focus on problem-solving in the lecture hall makes the material more engaging for students. Now that information is so easily accessible through our computers and smartphones, these classes are shifting from information you must assimilate and retain to learning where to find and apply that information. In a period styles class, instead of memorizing the difference between different styles of chairs, it is far more useful to take students through the process of finding art, photographs, and catalogs from the period in question and how to analyze, interpret, and then apply that to representing that period on stage. This practice gives the course a practical application and requires the student to engage rather than regurgitate. Even an introduction to theatre for non-majors becomes more engaging when focused on how to find entertainment they enjoy and then discuss it intelligently.
As an educator, my role is to prepare students to be professionals. By giving my students practice in creative problem-solving, I am giving them the confidence to adapt to a rapidly changing industry.
Diversity Equity and Inclusion Statement
For me, the joy of creating theatre is in the collaboration. I have seen time and time again different viewpoints and ideas come together to create something extraordinary. This is diversity at work. As a collaborator, I seek to create relationships where other artists can express themselves and share their ideas openly. I listen and ask questions for further understanding. I seek for us to find the right solution not my solution to be right. As an educator, I will apply this knowledge and experience not only to the practice of production but in the academic setting with my students and colleagues.
I recognize that there are communities that our industry has underserved by what we produce and who we hire. The educational environment is where we can model change and develop the talent of underrepresented groups. Secondary theatre education in this country varies greatly, and students enter collegiate programs with different levels of knowledge and experience. I will create space for students to grow their skills to match those with more previous opportunities. I will build diverse teams for projects and equitably distribute leadership roles. In the classroom, I will incorporate materials requiring students to examine world views different than their own and explore how to represent them authentically and respectfully on stage.
Theatre is a way of exploring the diversity of the human experience. Our industry will only strengthen by diversifying our stories and who tells them.
I recognize that there are communities that our industry has underserved by what we produce and who we hire. The educational environment is where we can model change and develop the talent of underrepresented groups. Secondary theatre education in this country varies greatly, and students enter collegiate programs with different levels of knowledge and experience. I will create space for students to grow their skills to match those with more previous opportunities. I will build diverse teams for projects and equitably distribute leadership roles. In the classroom, I will incorporate materials requiring students to examine world views different than their own and explore how to represent them authentically and respectfully on stage.
Theatre is a way of exploring the diversity of the human experience. Our industry will only strengthen by diversifying our stories and who tells them.
Curriculum Vitae
Course Samples
Hand Drafting for the Theatre
Stage Design Graphics 2 is a hand drafting for the theatre course at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and is a mandatory class for all Theatre Design & Production undergraduate students, with the exception of those studying costumes. I was the instructor of record for four semesters between the Fall of 2019 and the Spring of 2021. The course follows many of the expectations and projects laid out by the former course instructor Mark Halpin and relies heavily on Dennis Dorn & Mark Shanda's Drafting for the Theatre. During the second year, the course had to be modified for Covid-19 precautions, becoming a hybrid of online lectures, Canvas quizes and submissions, and one-on-one feedback sessions. The following are example materials from that course.
Digital Portfolios
I taught the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music's Digital Portfolios course as a remote adjunct instructor during the Fall of 2022. The objective of that course is to guide theatre production and design students through the creation of their portfolios, websites, resumes, and other self-marketing materials. The following materials reflect a proposed revision of the course based on my experiences that semester and to include topics that are typically covered in other classes at the University of Cincinnati.
Introduction to Theatre
As an exercise I have outlined an introductory theatre course for non-majors.
Joshua E. Gallagher, Scenic Designer / [email protected] / 570-336-0376 / Site Updated: 4/15/25