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Although this was over 30 years ago, I remember falling. And I remember getting up. I remember the booming applause. I remember it all because it was my first moment of feeling the highs and lows of being an artist. 

 

Being an artist is part of my identity. It is who I am as a person. It is the reason I am a confident adult, able to connect and empathize with those around me. It is the reason I am a caring and affectionate mother. It is the reason I have dedicated my entire life’s work to this profession. From that defining moment at four, to acting in high school and college, to teaching and directing drama to young people, to researching and writing about theatre, I can firmly say that being an artist is who I am, how I think about myself, and the way I am viewed by the world. For me, theatre is an art form, is a means of personal expression and storytelling, and is a tool for social change.

 

As an artist, director, and teacher with over 15 years' experience, I am proud of the work I have completed, and am invigorated by the challenges I have ahead of me. This candidacy portfolio demonstrates how I have achieved competency in each of the New York State Learning Standards for the Arts of Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting. This portfolio serves as both a written documentation and a visual representation of my work as a teacher and as an artist.

 

As noted, performing was my first love, but today my artistic practice is multifaceted. I grew up, my priorities changed, and I saw the arts as a place to make a difference and spread awareness. It was no longer about the rush of the audience applause and was more about how the art made me think. What was it saying? How was it encouraging me to build community and think critically? What assumptions are challenged? What actions should I take because of this art?

 

And the center of all of these questions are the young people who need and deserve theatre arts to help form their identity. I firmly believe that theatre can build self-confidence and self-esteem within them.  I have felt massive highs over the past decade watching a shy student take the stage as a leading role, or having a young person work out some family issues through playwriting.  Theatre educators have the enormous potential to make a difference in each student’s life and inspire confidence and teach empathy. My goal is, and always will be, to instill passion and confidence in adolescents.

 

A large part of my teaching philosophy stems from theatre’s potential impact regarding justice, equity, and inclusion work. I feel enormous responsibility as a teacher to deliver this work in a powerful and engaging way.  Through my time as a teacher in the NYCDOE, I continued to seek to empower and enforce the concepts of social justice. I am aware of my privilege and strive to use it in a positive and helpful way. It is important as an educator to have a firm set of beliefs to ground me and keep me focused.  Below is an excerpt of some of the values that I carry with me into the classroom. I read and edit this list frequently, having faith that I will live my truth and honor my beliefs.

 

I seek to expose misconceptions regarding power dynamics and believe in anti-bias teaching. I believe in using inclusive, appropriate, and respectful language in my classroom and will strive to create a community where all people feel recognized and included. I will question binaries and stereotypes and work to have all diverse voices represented.

 

I believe it is my responsibility as a teacher to expose privileged students to diverse literature and multiple perspectives. I believe it is our duty as educators to break away from the “3 W’s”—all white, all western, all woman-less.  I will strive to help students of color see themselves reflected through inclusion and representation in the curriculum.  I want to create an environment that is intellectually and socially safe for learning, and will make space for student voice and agency. I seek to build academic mindset by pushing back on dominant narratives about people of color.  I strongly believe in diversity, freedom, equality, and inclusion.

 

I believe in the importance and power of resilience—the capacity to adapt, navigate, and bounce back from challenging life experiences.  I seek to build resilience by normalizing setbacks, encouraging problem solving and goal setting, and teaching students to keep things in perspective.  If young people face challenges, theatre education can help them overcome and handle issues in a positive and powerful way. 

 

I believe in the power of storytelling and story listening. I believe that everyone’s story is worthy of theatre and everyone’s story deserves to be listened to.  Storytelling is transformational in that art, ritual and social interaction all come together.  I also believe in the power of Verbatim Theatre.  If students can embody unfamiliar words and gestures, they can disrupt previous stereotypes and gain a deeper understanding of other communities.

 

And finally, I value presence.  I value showing and giving respect to all.  I value the power of questions and seeking the truth. I value mindfulness—teaching students to be careful with words and deeds. I value self-care.  I value empathy and believe it is the key to creating and learning.  I value freedom of expression, creativity, and kindness.

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-Lauren Gorelov, 2021