Teaching

Teaching

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." — John Dewey

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy and practice are informed by the value of practical and embodied knowledge, scaffolding as a pedagogical tool, the classroom as community, and the importance of reflection...

I am also dedicated to making my classroom a space for building community. The importance of creating a positive community in the classroom is not merely an academic exercise. Current research suggests that students do significantly better when their environment is challenging but also supportive, allowing students both succeed and fail in productive ways...

In his essay, “Theatre for Pleasure, Theatre for Instruction,” Bertolt Brecht wrote that the “contrast between learning and amusing oneself is not laid down by divine rule; it is not one that has always been and must continue to be.” Everyone who has spent time making theatre knows that joy and work are not mutually exclusive. Neither should they be mutually exclusive in the classroom. By insisting on practical knowledge as much as possible, giving students a clear set of scaffolding tasks and concepts, building community, and urging reflection, I attempt to create a classroom space that stimulates a creative and joyful approach to both life and learning.
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"Peter was one of my favorite teachers here at Pitt. He made the learning environment so comfortable and he made us all aware that if we had any questions or issues that we could talk to him about them. I learned so much from Peter in just a short amount of time."
Introduction to Performance
University of Pittsburgh

"I have enjoyed the semester and your class has really opened up my eyes into the world of theater. I never knew there was so much that went into a play, or just how fun it was going to a play. Without your class, I would have never gone to a play on my own but that has since changed and for that I thank you."
Appreciation of the Theatre
University of Mississippi

I have never been a theatre person. I have never considered it a major nor considered associating myself with a course like this one. I am so grateful for your content and your course as a whole. I just wanted to say, this course makes life, the madness of online school, and the work load a little more tolerable. I love it.
Appreciation of the Theatre
Online Course (Fall 2020)
University of Mississippi

Courses Taught

Seminar class that focused on contemporary issues facing theatre as an artform and industry, with a particular focus on issues of race, gender, and accessibility.


University of Mississippi


Using a queer studies framework, this class looks at how polyamory has been represented in the 20th and 21st centuries in theatre, film, and other popular culture forms. While queer sexualities will be part of what the class examines, we will focus more on networks, definitions, and presentations of non-monogamous love.


This class was developed with support of The Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies.


University of Mississippi

This upper-level, seminar-style,  history/theory class examines the historical avant-garde through the women central to its development, as well as looking at how women impacted the development of experimental theatre and performance art in the 70s and 80s. Students are expected to both create examples of art based on various movements and styles as well as write a research paper.


This class was developed with support of The Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies.


University of Mississippi 


Syllabus

Using Katie Mitchell's The Director's Craft as our starting point, this class is designed for undergraduate theatre students with any amount of previous directing experience. Students engage in a mix of close reading of texts such as Chekhov's The Seagull, Sarah Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone, and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, among others, as well as participating in staging exercises, conducting research on a contemporary director, and analyzing performances. Their work culminates in the staging of a 10-15 minute play.


University of Mississippi


Syllabus

This course is an exploration of LGBTQ-related plays and their influence on American culture. The course explores the contributions to contemporary American drama, and culture, by Gay Americans. A significant portion of the course of study is devoted to the perspectives and contributions of LGBTQ characters and individuals.

The course covers major developments in dramatic literature from the 19th century to the present. Students will become familiar with important plays of each era, as well as the cultural and historical contexts that influenced playwrights and affected audiences.


University of Mississippi


Syllabus

The study and analysis of dramatic literature from the Greeks to the Romantics.

Examination of the major developments in theatre from the classical Greek period through the Elizabethan period with specific emphasis on the relationship between theatre and the broader culture of each historical period.

This course is a study of dramatic structure and methods of script analysis in preparation for performing, directing, designing, and criticizing plays

Serving as one of four arts gen-ed courses at the University of Mississippi, Thea 201 is taught as a hybrid course with one lecture per week per section and significant online work components. Each individual section has up to 300 students who are exposed to a wide-range of topics, including dramatic analysis, theatre history, some basic formalist and social/cultural theory, and an understanding of the different jobs and roles of the theatre profession. Students are also required to see at least two productions and write a review of one of these shows.


University of Mississippi


Syllabus

Overview of important artists and movements in theatre, film, and dance. Students research and present on a variety of topics as well as creating short theatre, film, and dance pieces.  Required course  for all incoming majors. 


University of MIssissippi

This history/criticism class is the first in a series of courses that I am developing on the history of avant-garde and experimental performance for undergraduate students. Students read history and critical scholarship on the development of Symbolism, Futurism, Expressionism,  Dada, and Surrealism in theatre and performance. In a move toward practice-as-research, students are expected to create a series of artworks based on the themes, styles, and manifestos of these various "-isms." The course culminates in a historical research paper on an artist or movement and the legacy of the historical avant-garde on contemporary performance practices.


University of Pittsburgh


Syllabus

Designed to expose students to a variety of dramatic texts across history and cultures, this course has included plays by Neil Labute, Maria Irene Fornes, Sophocles, Shakespeare, Diana Son, Lorraine Hansberry, Koffi Kwahulé, and Samuel Beckett, among others. Student work is centered around discussion based activities with some written and portfolio style assignments.


University of Pittsburgh


Syllabus

Designed for students with little-to-no acting experience, this course focuses on basic physical exercises and activities that help students express character through embodiment. Moving from solo performance projects to open scenes and culminating in a performance from an instructor approved play, students are exposed to the techniques and theories of Stanislavsky and Laban, as well as beginning levels of script analysis and emotional recall.


University of Pittsburgh


Syllabus

Public speaking class that focused on developing basic speaking and rhetorical skills through the creation and delivery of impromptu, informative, and persuasive speechs, as well as special attention given to interview techniques and presentation style.


Virginia Commonwealth University

Public speaking class that focused on developing basic speaking and rhetorical skills through the creation and delivery of impromptu, informative, and persuasive speechs.


Virginia Commonwealth University

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