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 to 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 also disciplined my aim to be a professional storyteller at Texas Tech and Bowling Green State University. Since 2001, I have worked in higher ed theatre in Texas, Ohio, and Indiana as a designer, technical director, director, and associate professor. Along with my extensive college teaching experience, I have also directed youth from ages 8 to 18 in both the United States and China.
Between my work with children and college students, I have taught courses, classes, and workshops in sets, lights, costumes, makeup, theatre history, scriptwriting, communication, stagecraft, mask, color theory, and acting. For questions and inquiries, please feel free to contact me, or follow me on social media for current updates. drsteventhewood@gmail.com
Artist Statement
Art is a way to entertain, it should be done with skill and creativity. Art is a way to engage, it should instinctually speak into our collective experience and be aimed at an audience. Art is a also a way to educate, it should challenge both the artist and viewer to question, affirm, explore, discover, lament, and 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 art as prescriptive, a sort of medicine for the soul and therapy for the flustered. In my work, I look for ways I can ease troubled minds or delight the stifled child within. Art is always political. I look for ways I can challenge the status quo, offer self-evaluation, or address equity and inclusion. Art is strongest when deeply personal. I look for ways I can help bridge the many differences that keep humans compartmentalized, separated, and at odds, while at the same time, celebrating differences and glorying in our our shared humanity. Better minds have put theatre 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!