with Michael Allen
Bardstown, Ky.
Resides:
East Orange
Education:
B.A., speech and theater, Eastern Kentucky University
M.F.A., Tulane University
Pastimes:
Playing softball, working out
Favorite Play:
Likes musicals, drama, Shakespeare and all types of theater. "But
I really enjoyed 'Bat Boy' and 'Balm in Gilead,' which I saw on Broadway
and brought here."
One thing people would be surprised
to know:
"I'm a Buddhist."
Growing
up in a small town in Kentucky, Michael Allen didn't have much exposure
to the world of theater. While he seemed to have natural ability as a dancer,
there was nowhere to hone his talent. "There weren't any dance schools
on the corner in my town," he said with a laugh. "My parents weren't
that savvy as far as the arts were concerned." His father was a trumpet player and tried his best to instill music into his eight children. "He thought he could have a supergroup like the Jackson Five and make some money off us." But only Michael landed a career in the arts.
Michael has worked on stage and behind the scenes, and has spent the last three years as a professor and managing director for the Theatre and Dance Department. He discovered that academia is where his heart is.
This semester Michael is teaching production management at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as theater practicum and independent study for senior projects. As managing director, Michael's responsibilities range from budget planning to marketing and public relations to the daily operations of the office.
After studying theater as an undergrad and pursuing a career as an actor for eight years, Michael attended graduate school to study the management aspect of theater. The chair of the department who persuaded Michael to consider teaching as a profession.
"He said, 'I don't mean to be racist when I tell you this, but there are very few African-Americans or people of color in teaching theater in colleges and universities and I want you to be one of them,'" recounted Michael. "He thought I would be an excellent teacher and that I had a lot to offer. At that point I didn't see myself as a teacher."
But it was his mentors who inspired him to think about what he could offer in the field of education. "I looked back on my life and on the people who have been key to me and helped shape who I am," he explained. "They have been people who I've mentored and who I've connected with and who have taken me on a totally different road that I may not have traveled, opening my eyes to something new."
Michael says his own experiences inspire him to give back to his students. "That's my teaching philosophy," he said. "It's about nurturing and mentoring, and being there to help guide somebody through a transitional period. It doesn't have to be years and years of cultivation, it can just be a matter of a show, or a production or a conversation. I like that aspect about teaching most."
One of the classes he offers and believes is essential is a practical course in which students work behind the scenes in various areas relating to production management where they also get a taste of the business side of theater like marketing and budget planning. "I want students to realize that there are things they can do other than acting. Every person is not going to walk out of here and land on Broadway," he said. "They'll need to find other ways of maintaining themselves and making a living, and I try to convince them to have as diverse a background as they can so that if nothing else they will stay employed in the arts rather than somewhere obscure where they're removed from everything they love. They can be hired in the arts in some capacity; they just need to learn what those jobs are and be trained for them. So I try give them as broad a base as I can to help them in what they decide to do with their future."
Michael's love and dedication to the theater--and his work--doesn't end when he leaves campus. While he tries to take in as many shows as he can, he doesn't exactly sit back and relax while watching them. "I like shows like 'Lion King' and things of that grandeur. It's always fascinating, technically. I'll sit there and look at the set, the lighting and the costumes. I'll pick a show apart from every angle you could possibly imagine," he said.
"I'm always looking for things I can take back and share with my students. When I go to a show I look at all the technical elements because those are the things we're teaching here. I also appreciate it a lot more because I know all the work that goes into it."
Is there a colleague you'd like to nominate for "On the Job?" If so, e-mail his/her name along with a brief description of how he/she contributes to the campus community, to Jennifer Fusco at fuscoj@mail.montclair.edu.