Theatre Program

Alan Lysell

is a performer with a side of ham.

Currently

Theatre Department Coordinator and Instructor

My Approach

I try to learn my students' names on the first day so our conversations are not 'Teacher with Student' but rather 'Allan with George.'

An observation

Students seem to have gotten younger but that might be an illusion.

A smile a day

I laugh out loud in almost every class I teach – probably terribly inappropriate but there you go.

Been there, done that

My first professional acting job was when I was 15 doing a radio play on CBC radio. From there I went to UBC for theatre training and then straight into the acting profession. Along the way I wrote for film and television, acted onstage, in television and film, and became a theatre producer (which means you do everything including clean the toilets and take tickets).

A recipe for success

Students excel in this area because of the same qualities that students excel in all areas of education: strong commitment, solid work ethic, good reading and communications skills, empathy, and healthy eating and living habits.

Staying in the game

I still enjoy working in film and TV because it keeps me connected to the realities of what I teach. I think it probably works well for the student too, as they understand that I am actually practicing what I teach and in many ways I am able to continue growing and learning both as an actor and director, and as a teacher.

Wild Kingdom

It is not uncommon to be in class with 22 students working on serious Shakespeare scenes but working on them through the physical lenses of baboons, sloths or ostriches. The combination of heightened Shakespearian dialogue and outrageous animal qualities has reduced me to tears more than once. My good fortune is that crazy and fun is part of my job description.

My motivation

The best thing about teaching is my students. They are funny and clever, sensitive and compassionate, mean and nasty, endlessly inquisitive and terminally lazy. They are all shapes and sizes, shy and obnoxious, scared and bold. Just when my hope is dead, they revive it with an expression of understanding or a demonstration of integrity and joy that surpasses comprehension. Every one of them is a vivid individual and that’s the best thing about teaching.

Links:

Information Sessions
Theatre Program
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Published January 30, 2009