We are proud to welcome two new associate editors to The Grappler team! Liz Bazzoli and Camille Pugliese will be joining the editorial team, so be on the lookout for the exciting work that they contribute in the coming months. Between the four of us, our conversations lately have been about mentorship – both what it looks like at TTS and what it actually means. Since we all come from different years and even different majors we’ve had varied experiences when it comes to mentorship, with one unfortunate thing in common: We haven’t had enough of it. This month, we seek to answer the question: How can the Theatre Studies department create a thriving culture of mentorship?
Currently, mentorship in Theatre Studies looks like:
Receiving a G.O.D. parent in your first year, typically an upperclassman with whom you may exchange a word or two and maybe, if you’re lucky, getting your Norton from them.
Seeing other years of your major only at department meetings, a space where formality limits actual mentorship opportunities.
Working with directors and dramaturgs on productions as an assistant, only to step up and fulfill more than your required load.
Never connecting with alumni more than four years older than you, developing the sense that the second they graduate they disappear into the void of Chicago theatre.
The reason for all of these small, but dissatisfying insistences is quite simple: In this department, mentorship is not prioritized as a necessary part of learning how to become a theatremaker.
The structure within mentorship for those in Theatre Studies has devolved into an afterthought, something that we might be able to fit in once everything else has been completed. No wonder I constantly see my peers struggling to meet deadlines, confused about what direction they want to head in, and what kind of work they are responsible for. There are areas of education that cannot come from a faculty member, like knowing how to approach a certain director about notes, or what a degree in Theatre Arts looks like outside of the TTS halls. I want to see a culture of mentorship that is casual, cross-generational, and perhaps most importantly, prioritized. This culture cannot arise without upperclassmen stepping up to become mentors.
Changing mentorship culture should begin with the most robust form of mentorship we already have: Production assignments. As dramaturgs, most of us began as assistants in productions and will eventually step into leadership positions spearheading dramaturgy teams. If the relationship between dramaturgs and assistant dramaturgs is to become a peer mentorship, we must hold each other accountable. Because dramaturgy requires us to focus on so many different tasks, mentorship can often slip to the bottom of the list. However, there is a precedent for a practice of dramaturgy that puts mentorship at the forefront. When Leah and Liv worked together on the Dance Nation dramaturgy team, we established a non-hierarchical structure and focused instead on the ways that we could contribute to the dramaturgy work in the ways we felt strong. We filled in the gaps of our knowledge together, in a way that is truly collaborative. In the end, this focus on showing up for each other strengthened everyone’s skills as a dramaturg and created a room where dramaturgy felt like a crucial part of the production. Collaboration is the pathway to mentorship, which means we need to show up the way we would want others to show up.
For those of us thrust into a first production without a mentor dramaturg, the experience of learning the practice is much different. The dramaturgy team for Everybody this past fall consisted of two BFA2 dramaturgs, including Liz. We were each experiencing our first show at TTS, with little to no prior experience as dramaturgs, in our first in-person academic quarter without a mentor guiding us through the process. There is certainly something to be gained from a dramaturgical “baptism by fire”, but it defeats the point of collaboration when we are meant to individually learn the trade. Furthermore, how can I be expected to assume a mentorship role in the future when I never had the experience of being a menteé? It is difficult to show another dramaturg the ropes when I am still trying to untie them myself. If the assistant-mentor relationship is crucial to so many TTS productions, then all dramaturgy students should have the opportunity to inhabit both roles.
The way that mentorship currently functions in the Theatre Studies department can be different. We long to see the integral mentorship that is required for us to grow into ourselves as artists. Starting the conversation around mentorship is the first part, but we need to go further. We need to hold ourselves accountable by communicating our needs as mentors and menteés, and expressing our desire to connect to the theatremakers who have come before us. We want to see alumni coming back to talk to us about what their experiences have been as working artists. We want to see mentorship written into the responsibilities of a director or a dramaturg.
Mentorship should also be woven into production practices outside of the Dramaturgy department. Theatre Arts majors working on Assistant Directing production practices are often relegated to taking notes or sitting quietly in the corner. What would it be like for ADs in the TTS community to be actively mentored through their production practices, rather than relying on them to absorb how to direct through observation? Furthermore, how might that strengthen the feeling of ensemble in the room, leading to better connections across majors and years? When an institution nourishes a healthy culture of mentorship, it actively fights against a scarcity mindset, encourages sustainable practices, and invests in community-building. Mentorship is fundamentally a joyful act, so why doesn’t TTS embrace it as such?
The act of mentorship, when done correctly, can actually be incredibly rewarding. It is important to note that not all mentorship programs need named structures or designated assignments – informal mentorships can often be the most rewarding. Casual mentorships have emerged as a result of attempting to rebuild feelings of community within TTS after a year of online learning. In this time of rebuilding community, it is important to build relationships with our peers who can potentially help us return to normal operations pre-COVID. As a fourth-year, Liv has experienced being both the mentor and the mentee in these situations. Coming back in person has allowed the after class, hallway, and Fullerton Starbucks conversations that helped me make artistic connections as a freshman and sophomore. These joyful conversations about art are crucial to the conservatory experience; after all, aren’t so many of us here to build our community? A casual mentorship combines the joy of seeing your friends and loved ones succeed with the knowledge that can be gained by working closely with your peers. They’re essential to rebuilding mentorship culture within TTS.
In order to create a culture of mentorship in the dramaturgy department, we all have to be the collaborator we would want to work with. Be the dramaturg we would want to learn from. Mentorship is not just a transfer of knowledge, but someone who has your best interest in mind and can advocate for your talent and ability. If we haven’t had people to show up for us, we can start showing up for our peers. We would love to see these relationships extend beyond the four years it takes to circle through The Theatre School, so we can begin to build a strong alumni network connecting mentees in the TTS building to their mentors in the industry. By establishing these principles now, the tides of mentorship at TTS can change.
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