The Drama Classroom: There is a seat for everyone at the table

Episode 175: The Drama Classroom: There is a seat for everyone at the table Scott Giessler is a teacher and a playwright. He went into theatre teaching without any training and not only is he still doing it, he has a strong philosophy for how to do it. He’s well aware that what you need as a teacher isn’t necessarily what your students need. And for Scott, he’s adamant that there is a seat for everyone at the table in the theatre classroom. Enjoy this conversation from the trenches of the drama classroom and the importance of what goes on there. Show Notes Theatrefolk.com Finishing Sentences Episode Transcript Welcome to the Drama Teacher Podcast brought to you by Theatrefolk – the Drama teacher resource company. I am Lindsay Price. Hello! I hope you're well. Thanks for listening! This is Episode 175 and you can find any links to this episode in the show notes which are at Theatrefolk.com/episode175. Okay. Today is a great conversation. It’s about stepping into a Drama classroom, what the Drama classroom means, and what is the purpose of being a Drama teacher. Frankly, I think that’s about as much introduction as this episode needs. It’s lovely. I think it’s just lovely. I’ll give you something to listen for, though. Scott, our guest – who is also a teacher and a Theatrefolk playwright – does not believe in the phrase “the show must go on.” Why, you ask? Let’s get started and find out. LINDSAY: All right, I am talking to Scott Giessler. Hello, Scott! SCOTT: Hi there! How are you? LINDSAY: Excellent! And how are you? SCOTT: I am doing terrific. Thank you for having me. LINDSAY: Yeah! So, tell everyone where in the world you are. SCOTT: Okay. Well, I am currently located in a lovely little hamlet here in New Hampshire called Tuftonboro which, most people, of course, will never have heard that but, if you know where Lake Winnipesaukee is in New Hampshire, that’s where you’d fine me. LINDSAY: Well, of course, we all know where that is, Scott. We know where you are! SCOTT: Okay! LINDSAY: And so, Scott is not only a teacher – and, actually, it looks like you wear a ton of hats from teaching theatre tech to performance to filmmaking and playwriting. Scott has written a fantastic little piece – not a little piece – a piece, a great piece called “Finishing Sentences” which we have. We’re going to talk about it but we’re going to start with you, Scott. Tell everybody how long you have been a theatre teacher. SCOTT: Okay. I’ve been teaching for about sixteen years. Well, it’s been exactly sixteen. I started my career and stayed in my career at Kingswood Regional High School and I teach a theatre class there as well as coach the afterschool theatre program there. It’s been a great run. LINDSAY: What was it that connected you to teaching? Why teaching theatre? SCOTT: Well, oddly enough, if you kind of connect it up at the play, I worked as a camp counselor when I was younger and it was really – and this is even now strange to say – it was the only I had ever really connected with for the first – I don’t know – 26 years of my life. But, you know, I was also an avid theatre student in high school, did a little bit more in college. I took a break from that because I was mostly paying attention to television and radio broadcast. But, when I got out of the working world, you know, I really felt like something was missing. And then,