Teacher Representations in Dramatic Text and Performance This book examines representations of the teacher on stage – in both theatrical performances and dramatic text – in order to demon- strate how these representations have shaped society’s perceptions of educators in and out of the classroom. At the heart of this book is the interaction between theatre and teacher education. By considering how dramatic portrayals reimag- ine, reinforce and/or undermine our understanding of the teacher’s personal and professional roles, this volume bridges the gap be- tween truth in dramatic literature and truth in the classroom. Chap- ters critically explore the personas embodied by fictional teachers in well-known works such as Educating Rita, School of Rock and The History Boys and illustrate how educators might use dramatic literature and performance to interrogate entrenched ideas about the student-teacher dynamic. By bringing together a diverse set of contributors from the fields of teacher education and theatre, this book takes a critical look at performance, text, society and culture to promote a new understanding of teaching and learning. This unique book will be of great interest to graduate and postgraduate students, academics and researchers in the fields of teacher education, drama and theatre education. Melanie Shoffner is Professor of Education at James Madison Uni- versity, USA. Richard St. Peter is Assistant Professor of Theatre at Northwestern State University, USA. Routledge Research in Teacher Education The Routledge Research in Teacher Education series presents the latest research on Teacher Education and also provides a forum to discuss the latest practices and challenges in the field. Teacher Education in the Trump Era and Beyond Preparing New Teachers in a Contentious Political Climate Edited by Laura Baecher, Megan Blumenreich, Shira Eve Epstein and Julie R. Horwitz Values and Professional Knowledge in Teacher Education Nick Mead Professional Development through Mentoring Novice ESL Teachers’ Identity Formation Juliana Othman and Fatiha Senom Research on Becoming an English Teacher Through Lacan’s Looking Glass Tony Brown, Mike Dore and Christopher Hanley Intercultural Competence in the Work of Teachers Confronting Ideologies and Practices Edited by Fred Dervin, Robyn Moloney and Ashley Simpson Teacher Representations in Dramatic Text and Performance Portraying the Teacher on Stage Edited by Melanie Shoffner and Richard St. Peter For more information about this series, please visit: https:// www.routledge.com/Routledge-Research-in-Teacher-Education/ book-series/RRTE Teacher Representations in Dramatic Text and Performance Portraying the Teacher on Stage Edited by Melanie Shoffner and Richard St. Peter First published 2020 by Routledge 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2020 Taylor & Francis The right of Melanie Shoffner and Richard St. Peter to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this title has been requested ISBN: 978-0-367-22781-4 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-429-27683-5 (ebk) Typeset in Sabon by codeMantra To Anna Claspy, Whose friendship, humor and support were greatly appreciated from the beginning to the end of this project. You are indeed a wonder. ~ Melanie Shoffner ***** To my kids Olivia and Aidan, For making me always want to be a better father. To my teachers, David Balthrop Naum Panovski Dorothy Chansky Bill Gelber For making me always want to be a better teacher. And to my students, For keeping me young. ~ Richard St. Peter Contents List of Contributors ix Foreword xiii CLAY McLEOD CHAPMAN Introduction 1 MELANIE SHOFFNER AND RICHARD ST. PETER 1 Unfit to Teach: Morality, Panic and Hazardous Teachers 9 JAMES WILSON Response to Chapter 1: Sexual Perversity in Our Dreams of Teaching 19 JAMES STILLWAGGON 2 Educating Frank: Mentorship in Willy Russell’s Educating Rita 23 RICHARD CORLEY Response to Chapter 2: Educating Rita Today 34 ANDREW GOODWYN 3 Fun Home: Representations of a Fractured Father 39 HEATHER WELCH Response to Chapter 3: The Complex Multiplicities of Teaching: Finding the Right Metaphor 50 MARSHALL GEORGE viii Contents 4 The Teacher’s Ethos in William Mastrosimone’s Tamer of Horses 57 BENNY SATO AMBUSH Response to Chapter 4: The Teacher as Savior Fallacy 67 SHELLEY NOWACEK 5 Teaching the Coach, Coaching the Teacher 72 RICHARD ST. PETER Response to Chapter 5: Reading Coaches Critically 83 LUKE RODESILER 6 A Rocker in Teacher’s Clothing: Outlandish Lessons in School of Rock: The Musical 88 PAULINE SKOWRON SCHMIDT Response to Chapter 6: The Danger of Deweys: What Real Teachers Face 98 LISA SCHERFF 7 A Holey Trinity: Crises of Communion in John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt 104 JEFF SPANKE Response to Chapter 7: Faith and Futurity: Embracing the Struggle 117 JULIE GORLEWSKI Index 123 Contributors Benny Sato Ambush holds an MFA in Directing from U niversity of California, San Diego, and is a Fellow of the American Theatre. He is a stage director, producer and teacher of acting and directing at university programs nationally. He has served as the Senior Distinguished Producing Director-In-Residence at Emerson Stage/Emerson College; Acting Artistic Director at Rites and Reason Theatre Company; Producing Artistic Direc- tor at Oakland Ensemble Theatre; Associate Artistic Director at American Conservatory Theater; Co-Artistic Director at San Francisco Bay Area Playwrights Festival and Associate Artistic Director at Anna Deavere Smith’s Institute on the Arts & Civic Dialogue at Harvard University. Richard Corley holds an MA from Goddard College and an MFA from Illinois State University. He teaches Shakespeare and Modern Drama at University of Illinois, Chicago. He most re- cently directed Tennessee Williams’ Small Craft Warnings at the Williams Festival of St. Louis and served as the conceiver and dramaturg of Desire, an evening of plays based on Williams’ short stories, produced by The Acting Company. Richard served for seven years as the Artistic Director of Madison Repertory Theatre in Wisconsin. He is the recipient of the TCG/NEA Director Fellowship. Marshall George is the Olshan Professor of Clinical Practice at Hunter College of the City University of New York. He is the Program Director of the EdD Program in Instructional Leader- ship at Hunter and teaches in the English and Literacy Teacher Education programs as well. His scholarship has focused pri- marily on teaching young adult literature and on the prepara- tion of English language arts teachers.