Where are you from? (Hometown)
Alton, Illinois
Major/Minor
Professor of Theatre
What are you most excited to learn and to do while abroad in Scotland & England?
I’m most excited to share my love of theatre, particularly Shakespeare with this wonderful group of students. I always learn something new from our work with the professionals at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. One of the experiences that I most love is the first time the group attends a show at the Globe, as “groundlings,” standing right by the stage, seeing the actors and the actors seeing them. It’s magical!
If you could travel back in time, where and when would you like to go? and why?
If time travel were possible, I would visit Elizabethan England to see the original plays of Shakespeare, Marlowe, Jonson, and other playwrights of that time. I would love to see the original practices of the stage – acting, dance, music, costuming, and audience interaction (although I don’t know if I would be able to stand the smell!).
What is your favorite Shakespeare play or character or Shakespeare-inspired film?
Choosing my favorite Shakespeare play or character is almost impossible because I love each one for different reasons. But if I have to pick one play, it would be The Winter’s Tale with its powerful mix of grief and joy. “It is required you do awake your faith.”
What is your favorite way to express yourself creatively?
I love to create theatre — in a classroom, in rehearsals, in performance – but what most excites and satisfies me is being in a creative process, collaborating with others.