do you wanna hear a Story?
I love to tell stories—funny ones, tragic ones, lyrical ones, short ones, childish ones, serious ones. Stories tell us who we’ve been, who we are, and who we’re becoming. They remind us of what matters most and help us let go of what doesn’t. They unite. They guide. They entertain. And sometimes, they confront.
I learned how to tell stories at a very young age, but I honed my craft and trained professionally at Texas Tech and Bowling Green State University. Since 2001, I’ve worked in higher educational theatre across Texas, Ohio, and Indiana as a designer, technical director, director, and professor. In addition to my extensive college teaching experience, I’ve also directed youth ages 8 to 18 in both the United States and China, and worked in regional theatres in Indiana.
Across my work with children and college students, I have taught courses, classes, and workshops in set design, lighting, costumes, makeup, theatre history, scriptwriting, communication, stagecraft, mask, color theory, voice and movement, and acting.
For questions or inquiries, please feel free to contact me—or follow me on social media for current updates. You can reach me at drsteventhewood@gmail.com
Artist Statement
Theatre is entertainment; it should be done with skill and creativity. Theatre is a way to engage; it should instinctively speak into our collective experience and be aimed at an audience. Theatre is also a way to educate; it should challenge both the artist and the viewer to question, affirm, explore, discover, lament, or evolve.
The philosopher Francis Schaeffer said it best when he argued that good art is like plumbing: it makes life livable. As I have participated in the visual and performing arts over many decades, I have also come to think of theatre as prescriptive—a sort of medicine for the soul and therapy for the rest of us. In my work, I look for ways to ease troubled minds or delight the stifled child within.
Theatre is also inherently political. I look for ways to question the status quo, offer opportunities for self-evaluation, and address equity and inclusion. The arts are strongest when deeply personal, so I look for ways to help bridge the many differences that keep humans compartmentalized, separated, and at odds—while at the same time celebrating those differences and glorying in our shared humanity. Better minds have put it this way:
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with
which to shape it.” Bertolt Brecht.
“[Theatre] is like a magnifying glass, and also like
a reducing lens.” Peter Brook.
Every theatre artist starts their journey with some moment of clarity: their passion, talent, and skill collides with opportunity. Some call this luck and fortune; others call this destiny. For me, when I designed my first set for BGSU’s traveling Treehouse Troupe in 2001, I knew exactly why I wanted a professional career in theatre. I understood that my purpose in life was to be a visual storyteller and that I was uniquely equipped to help others discover their stories in return. Each theatre experience is about expanding our collective mythology. What world(s) will we make together?
Creativity: Let’s do good work….
Collaboration: together….
Community: for others!