Unlike a lot of my peers, my advanced degree isn't in Educational Leadership, or Educational Counseling, or any other field one would generally expect to see on an Academic Advisor's resume. My Masters degree is in Theatre Pedagogy…leaving me in the unenviable position of lacking the "standard" degree for a profession I love and not currently working in a field in which I hold a degree. I came to advising while working on my Masters and I realized that advising suits my "teaching style" (something we discussed a lot in the pedagogy program) far more than a regular classroom.
But in these difficult economic times, students in the Performing Arts (the majors I advise) are struggling against the need to be "practical"; believing, as their parents do, that there are no real world equivalents for their artistic skills. I'm here to tell you that my students are wrong. They just need to look at their skills in a different light. Because everything I know about advising, I learned in the theatre.
1). Never turn your back on your audience. The whole purpose of staging a play is to draw the audience in to the world you are creating. Every aspect is considered–especially the psychological ramifications of body positions. By turning your back on your audience, you are shutting them out–you don't allow them to see your face or your emotions. We do the same thing to our students when we turn our backs to them. Think about the position of your body as you advise students. Are you hidden in any way (i.e. by a desk, a computer monitor, etc.)? Is your office door open or closed when the student approaches and what kind of message does that send?
2). Find your light. Whenever a show goes into "tech week" (the week before the show opens, when all of the technical elements come together), the actors are required to attend something called a "cue to cue" rehearsal. Each cue "lighting, sound, etc." is rehearsed and adjustments are made to each of the elements. Actors will be asked to recall their blocking and the lights will be adjusted around their position on the stage. The most repeated phrase heard from directors during these rehearsals is always "find your light". The actors need to know where the lights hit them the best so that they aren't in shadow during any particular scene. As advisors, we all need to find our light. Are you particularly strong in organization? Why not run seminars for your students on getting their lives organized? Are you better in the classroom? Consider using a bigger percentage of your time teaching, rather than in appointments.
3). Don't forget to yell, "heads!" Most theaters are large, cavernous spaces with complicated rigging systems for hanging lights, curtains, and backdrops. All of these items need to be moved on a regular basis, and theatre practitioners have developed a system of yelling, "heads!" every time an item is moved (simply to remind one to watch one's "head"). This system is also marvelously handy if you are working on a ladder and happen to drop tools or other heavy objects. Basically, this is the theatrical method of saying "duck and cover!" And advisors should do it on a daily basis. Are there curriculum changes on the horizon? Let your students know! Are students complaining about a departmental policy? Why not tell the department that there is some unrest amongst the masses?
4). Work together to get the job done. Unlike painting or sculpture, theatre is a collaborative art. We cannot do what we do unless we are assisted by other people. Advising works the same way. We have to work with our students–we have to work with the departments for whom we advise–and we have to work with our advising colleagues to ensure that everyone is given the same level of care.
5). Prepare like a stage manager, react like an actor. Stage managers are the people in theatre who organize every rehearsal–they keep copious notes on required props, costumes, set pieces. They attend every production meeting, they know every line, they know every measurement and cue. They will run the show when it goes into performance. In contrast, actors must simply react–they have required lines, but they are reacting to the emotions of their fellow actors and the audience members. A good advisor has to be just as prepared as a stage manager: we know all about university policies, we know all about curriculum and university services. On the other hand, a good advisor has to be just as flexible as an actor: we need to be able to throw a carefully planned schedule out the window if a student is in crisis and adapt accordingly.
6). "Suit the action to the word" (Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 2). Ok, I couldn't resist getting a little Shakespeare in here. Hamlet's Advice to the Players is possibly the most famous acting lesson in the history of theatre. But it works for advisors too. I've talked already about the messages we send to our students psychologically and this is a continuation of that idea. If you tell a student you're going to do something, do it!
7). Commit! The number one thing any acting teacher (or any art teacher for that matter) will tell you is that you need to commit to what you are doing. An audience will know if you are only "playing" at an emotion. Our students know when we are only playing at our jobs too. If you're going to be an advisor, commit to being an advisor 100%, or find something else that makes you happy.
8). Listen. You cannot be a "good" actor unless you listen to your fellow performers and your audience (this follows that idea of reacting I talked about earlier). One of the hardest parts of being an advisor is listening as much as we really need to. We've all had students who don't want to talk–and it's incredibly tempting to fill the silence ourselves. But the best of us will simply wait…and listen.
9.) Say, "yes, AND…" We do a lot of improvisation in theatre. And the number one rule of improvisation is to say "yes" to whatever you're given in a scene, and then add on to that by saying "and…" You're accepting an idea and then adding on to it. As advisors, we have a wonderful opportunity to do this for our students. How many times a day do you say "no" to a student? Pay attention to their body language when you shut down their hopes and dreams… It is possible to be practical with students and not use the word "no"…you just have to be creative!
10). Hold on tightly, let go lightly. When I was in college acting classes, my teacher used to bellow out the phrase "hold on tightly, let go lightly" with the fervor of the devout. He meant that when you were in any particular moment, you should hold on to it–you should connect to it. But at the same time, when the moment ended, you co
uldn't be afraid to let go and move on to the next thing. As advisors, we have to be prepared to hold on to our students tightly…and then to let go of them so that they can make their own decisions.
