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February 28, 2000
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Jane Peterson says she's a shy person by nature who will do anything to avoid the spotlight. So naturally she pursued the only logical career for her-the theater. "I've acted and directed, but I would rather be backstage or learning what makes a play tick," she said.
Peterson, who teaches literature, history and criticism of theater, considers herself fortunate to be able to do the things she enjoys, which include serving as graduate adviser for Theatre and Dance, and fine-tuning both the B.A. and M.A. programs. "I want to give the B.A. candidates more opportunities to perform and focus on the program so they can leave here with a more broadly based experience," said Peterson.
Eager to offer her students more knowledge about the theater, Peterson said she jumped at the opportunity to travel to Turkey last summer on a Fulbright-Hays Group Project award. After investigating the performing arts within the cultural context of contemporary Turkey for five weeks, Peterson said she will be sifting through the information she collected in Turkey for years.
INSIGHT: Tell us about the Fulbright-Hays Group Project.
Peterson: I visited Turkey in 1998 by myself and vowed to go back. Last year, an announcement about the Fulbright came across my computer screen. I was one of 15 educators from the United States at all levels of education and a diversity of fields selected for the fellowship. It was an amazing experience. The expertise the other people in the group brought to the trip was a great benefit.We attended lectures on all aspects of Turkish society during the first two weeks. Then, on a road trip to Istanbul, we visited universities or faculty lectured at our hotels. It was academic overload. I'm still sorting out and processing all that amazing information, and I'm sure it will go on for a number of years. I intend to continue to learn about Turkey and theater in that area.
INSIGHT: What aspect of Turkey fascinates you most?
Peterson: The multiplicity and complexity of this country. It has a history that goes back 10,000 years with 14 major civilizations. And, of course, east and west meet in this particular world. There are vast archaeological ruins of the western world with an overlay of eastern Asian influence.
INSIGHT: What did you learn about Turkish theater?
Peterson: There's a vibrant tradition of performing arts that are somewhat imitative of the west. They have this wonderful infrastructure of theater, and in a sense it's westernized theater. I recently saw a performance by Turks and Turkish-Americans in New York-a play on how to reconcile the older forms of public theater with modern theater. It is storytelling with a modern version of drama. They're trying to incorporate the new without losing the traditional form-a negotiation they are still struggling with.
INSIGHT: Have you incorporated this new knowledge into the curriculum?
Peterson: What became immediately apparent to me was that towns or cities of all sizes in the ancient world had in a dominant place, a massive theater. Turkey has a history of Greco-Roman and Roman influence, and I got to see various forms of that theater in manifestation. I took photographs of some amazing theater ruins and I've used them in my classes. As far as contemporary theater goes, I still don't have enough information to impart to my students. I'm still getting my feet wet.
INSIGHT: What is the most valuable lesson you teach theater students?
Peterson: I want them to learn how to read a play so they're mining it for all the layers of its meanings. Too often productions at a superficial level are trite, boring. If we could teach playwrights and directors to read a play for each moment that it has in its life, we will be doing a great service to theater as an art form in the 21st century.
INSIGHT: Where do you go to enjoy good theater?
Peterson: Below 42nd Street. I find that Broadway is too expensive. Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions are more challenging intellectually and stylistically. Regarding playwrights, Carol Churchill is brilliant, and Tom Stoppard is amazing with his theatricality and intellectual puzzles. Those two are at the top of my list.