Tenure Review Materials - Wabash Collegepersweb.wabash.edu/facstaff/ABBOTTM/Archive/Tenure Vita.pdf · Tenure Review Materials Submitted to Dwight Watson October 11, 1999 Fine Arts

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Michael Abbott

Tenure Review Materials

Submitted to Dwight WatsonOctober 11, 1999

Fine Arts CenterWabash [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Michael Abbott

Additional electronic materials are available at my tenure web site. Please click inside the blue box to connect to the site. To close this box, click on its upper left corner.

Michael Abbott

http://persweb.wabash.edu/facstaff/abbottm

Tenure Review Materials - Michael Abbott

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Table of Contents

Teaching ..................................................................................................... 3

Scholarship and Creative Work.............................................................. 5

Theater ............................................................................................... 5

Publications and Presentations .......................................................... 5

Professional Theater Vita ........................................................................ 7

College Service.......................................................................................... 8

Committees ........................................................................................ 8

Activities ............................................................................................. 8

Reflection.................................................................................................. 11

Teaching Statement................................................................................ 13

Theater 9 .......................................................................................... 13

Theater 4 .......................................................................................... 14

Theater 1 .......................................................................................... 16

Performance Courses....................................................................... 17

Freshman Tutorials........................................................................... 17

Production Statements .......................................................................... 19

Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde ......................... 19

The Grapes of Wrath........................................................................ 19

SubUrbia........................................................................................... 19

Lysistrata .......................................................................................... 20

Ah, Wilderness! ................................................................................ 20

As You Like It ................................................................................... 21

Studio One-Acts ............................................................................... 21

Research and Scholarship .................................................................... 23

College Service Statement .................................................................... 23

Outlook Statement .................................................................................. 25

Appendix................................................................................................... 26


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Teaching

Fall 1994• Theater 1 -

Introduction toTheater

• Theater 4 - DramaticStructure

• Theater 17 - DramaticTheory and Criticism

Spring 1995• Theater 3C - Women

in Shakespeare

• Theater 6A -Intermediate Acting I

• Theater 6B -Intermediate Acting II

• Freshman Tutorial -The Impact of JewishHumor on AmericanPopular Culture

• Production – As YouLike It

Fall 1995• Theater 3A - Fathers,

Brothers, and Sons inthe Plays of O'Neill

• Theater 4 - DramaticStructure

• Theater 8 - AdvancedPerformance andProduction

• Production – Ah,Wilderness!

Spring 1996• Cultures and

Traditions

• Theater 1 -Introduction toTheater

• Theater 6A -Intermediate Acting I

• Theater 6B -Intermediate Acting II


Introduction to Acting

• Theater 3B - Woody’sWorld: JewishIdentity in the Filmsof Woody Allen

• Theater 4 -Introduction to Film

• English 16 -Introduction toShakespeare (team-taught with MarcHudson)

• Production - StudioOne-Acts


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Spring 1997• Theater 1 -


• Theater 3D -Censorship in theAmerican Theater

• Theater 88 - ThePlays of LillianHellman (student:Chris Atkins)

• Theater 88 - TheFilms of Hirosito Ozu(student: CoryWright)

• Production -Lysistrata


Introduction to Film

• Theater 7 - Directing

• Theater 87 - Structureand Style in NarrativeFilm (student: NathanEarly)

• Theater 87 - FilmEditing andStorytelling (student:Juan Carlos Paredes)


Spring 1998• Theater 6 -

Intermediate Acting

• Theater 9 -Dramaturgy

• Freshman Tutorial -Women on Film:Hollywood's Image ofWomen from Gish toStreep

• Production -SubUrbia




• Theater 7 – Directing

• Production - TheGrapes of Wrath


Spring 1999• Freshman Tutorial -

The Western: AnAmerican Film Genre

• Theater 9 -Dramaturgy

Fall 1999• Freshman Tutorial -

The HollywoodSoundtrack: Music forthe Cinema


• Theater 87 - SceneStudy ofShakespeare'sSoliloquies (student:Tony Goodwyn)

• Production - GrossIndecency: The ThreeTrials of Oscar Wilde


Miscellaneous• Colloquium teacher

every semester

• C&T substituteteacher everysemester


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Scholarship and Creative Work

Theater• Director, original musical score, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of

Oscar Wilde, by Moises Kaufman, 1999.

• Actor, The Notebook of Trigorin (Trigorin), directed by James Fisher, 1999.

• Co-director, original music, Wabash Studio One-Acts, 1998.

• Director, The Grapes of Wrath,by Steinbeck/Galati, 1998.

• Director, original musical score, Nightwatch, by Lucille Fletcher, Red BarnSummer Theater, 1998.

• Director, SubUrbia, by Eric Bogosian, 1997.

• Director, original musical score, Murder By Misadventure, by EdwardTaylor, Red Barn Summer Theater, 1997.

• Director, original adaptation and musical score, Lysistrata, WabashCollege, 1997.

• Director, Ah, Wilderness!, by Eugene O'Neill, 1995.

• Director, As You Like It, by William Shakespeare, 1995.

Publications and Presentations• Chapter submitted, "Jewish Identity in the Films of Woody Allen," to be

included in forthcoming Woody Allen Casebook, Garland Press.1

• Chapter contributed, "Neil's Women: Images of Women in the Plays andFilms of Neil Simon." Neil Simon Casebook, Garland Press, 1997.

• Article, “The Curse of the Misbegotten: The Wanton Son in the Plays ofO’Neill and Shepard.” Eugene O’Neill Review, Spring 1996.

• Contributor, biographical entries for Theda Bara, Fred Coe, and FreddiePrinze. American National Biography Series, Dietrich, Meg. ed. OxfordUniversity Press, 1999

• Interviewer/Archivist, Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Project (fivesubjects interviewed in 1995-96).

• Book review, "Shakespeare: The Movie," Journal of Dramatic Theory andCriticism, Fall, 1998

• Book review, "Neil Simon's Rewrites: A Memoir," Journal of DramaticTheory and Criticism, Spring 1997.

• Book review, “As She Likes It: Shakespeare’s Unruly Women” by PennyGay. Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, Spring 1995.

• Book review, “Text and Supertext in Ibsen’s Drama,” by Brian Johnston.Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, Spring 1991.

1 Garland Publishing is currently reviewing its Casebook series. It is possible that the series will bediscontinued. As of 9/21/99, the book remains on their "to be released" list.


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• Book review, “Harold Prince and the American Musical Theater,” by FosterHirsch and “Harold Prince: From Pajama Game to Phantom of the Opera,”by Carol Ilson. Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, Spring 1990,pp. 217-222.

• Paper presented, Talmudic Tradition in the Films of Woody Allen, Societyfor Cinema Studies Conference, Dallas, March, 1996.

• Paper presented, Images of Women in the Plays of Neil Simon, ComparativeDrama Conference, University of Florida, March, 1996.

• Paper presented, “Fathers and Sons in the Plays of O’Neill.” InternationalO’Neill Conference, Suffolk University, May 12, 1995.

• Paper presented, “The Curse of the Misbegotten: The Wanton Son in thePlays of O’Neill and Shepard.” Comparative Drama Conference,University of Florida, March 23, 1995.

• Panelist “O’Neill Onstage” seminar, International O’Neill Conference,Suffolk University, May 12, 1995.

• Video interview project with Will Hays, Jr., presented at opening ofWabash Alumni Center, 1997.

• Presentation, Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Project, Ides of August,and Board of Trustees, Wabash College, 1996.

• Presentation, "Digital Video Imaging in the Classroom," Ides of August,Wabash College, 1997.

• Attendee, National Educational Computing Conference, Seattle, 1997.


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Professional Theater Vita

Michael Abbott205 W. College St.

Crawfordsville, IN 47933765-361-5923

[email protected]

EDUCATION1989 M.F.A. in Directing, Columbia University1985 A.B., Wabash College

TEACHING EXPERIENCE1995 - Present: Assistant Professor of Theater, Wabash College1989 - 1994:Assistant Professor of Theater, Marquette University

DIRECTOR (SELECTED LIST)Gross Indecency: Moises Kaufman Wabash College The Three Trials of Oscar WildeThe Grapes of Wrath Steinbeck/Galati Wabash CollegeNightwatch Lucille Fletcher Red Barn Summer TheaterSubUrbia Eric Bogosian Wabash CollegeLysistrata original adaptation, score Wabash CollegeMurder By Misadventure Edward Taylor Red Barn Summer TheaterAh, Wilderness! Eugene O’Neill Wabash CollegeAs You Like It William Shakespeare Wabash CollegeA Lie of the Mind Sam Shepard Marquette UniversityFool for Love Sam Shepard Marquette UniversityThe Front Page Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur Marquette UniversityAction Sam Shepard Marquette UniversityKiller’s Head Sam Shepard Marquette UniversityMacbeth William Shakespeare Marquette UniversityNoises Off Michael Frayn Marquette UniversityGhosts Henrik Ibsen Marquette UniversityTwo Gentlemen of Verona William Shakespeare Marquette UniversityA Moon for the Misbegotten Eugene O'Neill St. John's UniversityPop Op (various operas) Pop Opera Co., Scarsdale, NYIndians Arthur Kopit Minor Latham Playhouse, NYC

STAGE MANAGERKismet dir. Russell Treyz Equity Library Theater, NYCThe Magic Fishbone dir. Russell Treyz Musical Theater Works, NYC

ARTISTIC DIRECTORPioneer Theater Company New York CityJewish Theater Ensemble New York City

Separate Acting Resume Available


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College Service

Committees• Academic Policy Committee, 1996-

98• Secretary, Fall 1997• Chair, Agenda sub-committee,

1997• Chair, Preamble revision sub-

committee, 1998

• Trustees Committee on CollegeLife, 1995-97, 1999-2001

• Teaching and Learning Committee,1995-2000• Co-Chair, 1998-2000

• Lilly Learning and TechnologyAdvisory Committee• Chair, Software Planning Sub-

Committee

• Visiting Artist Series PlanningCommittee• Chair, 1999-2000

• Visiting Artist SeriesImplementation Committee, 1995-96

• Multicultural Concerns Committee,1999-2000

• International Studies Committee(ad hoc member of Latin Americancurriculum development), 1998-99

• College Film Series Committee,1997-2000

• Gavit Committee (Div. II), 1995-98• Chair, 1997-98

• McGregor Committee (Div. II),1995-97• Chair, 1996-97

• Fine Arts Fellowship Committee(Div. II), 1995-99

• WNDY Board, 1996-97

Activities• Drafted course descriptions, APC

proposal, and developed two newcourses: Theater 4 (Intro to Film)and Theater 9 (Dramaturgy), 1995

• Designed Latin American filmcourse (with Gilberto Gomez andWarren Rosenberg) forInternational Studies Committee,1999

• Director of Senior Colloquium,devised and conducted assessmentprocedures for Senior Colloquium,1996-97

• Chaired search committee for one-semester Latin American Filmspecialist, funded by Lilly andMellon grants, 1999

• Participated in search committeesfor Music, Theater, ModernLanguages, English, ComputerServices, Owen Duston, andAssociate Dean positions, 1997-99

• Drafted Gentlemen's Ruleaffirmation statement incollaboration with Student Senate,motion passed by faculty, 1998

• Co-sponsored and participated inFeminist Studies Forum forTeaching and Learning Committee,1998

• Conducted Teaching and LearningCommittee Opening Workshopsession with Marc Hudson, 1997

• Conducted Teaching and LearningCommittee Friday lunch oninterdisciplinary team-teachingwith Marc Hudson, 1998

• Presented Teaching and LearningCommittee orientation for newfaculty, 1999

• Conducted Teaching and LearningCommittee workshops for newfaculty (topics included oralcomprehensives, discussion, andgrading), 1997-99

Activities, cont.

• Division II Secretary, 1996

• Observed Scott Feller's teachingand drafted feedback document onbehalf of Teaching and LearningCommittee, 1998

• Designed and implemented TheaterDepartment World Wide Web site,1996-99

• Freshman Advisor, participant inFreshman Orientation, 1995-96,1999-2000

• Coordinator, Theater DepartmentStudio One-Acts, 1995-99

• Advisor, Senior Theater MajorComprehensive Projects, 1995-99

• Presented dramaturgy symposiafeaturing work of Theater 9students, 1998, 1999

• Coordinated McGregor VisitingArtist/Scholar Martin Marks visitand arranged "Buster Keaton filmfestival" in conjunction with Marks'performance, 1998

• Coordinated Badi Assad VisitingArtist event and related activities,1996

• Coordinated McGregor VisitingArtist/Scholar Martin Prechtal visit,1997

• Recipient of two LLTAC summertechnology grants (digital audioand digital video editing), 1997,1998

• Teacher, L.I.F.E. Partnershipsummer program for high schoolstudents, 1997-99

• Faculty participant, CriterionProductions promotional video onWabash College, 1996

• Served as moderator for onlineconference sponsored by ATHE(American Theater in HigherEducation), 1996

• Served on Computer Servicesvideoconferencing committee forAmeritech grant proposal, 1996

• Attended Lilly FoundationMulticultural Workshop, 1995,1997

• Attended Diversity Forum,conducted by Peter Frederick andWarren Rosenberg, 1995

• Attended Critical ThinkingWorkshop, 1998, 1999

• Faculty invitee for Trusteeconversation of Multicultural andGender Studies Minors proposal,1997

• Actor for staged reading of "AnEvening of French Theater" forRousseau Conference, 1995

• Employed three Division II-sponsored summer interns, 1995,1997, 1999

• Technology-related advising,including reviewing demonstrationunits from various suppliers forKorb projector purchase,researching CAD softwarepurchase for Lonna Wilke,evaluating laserdisc and DVDmodels for department purchase,assisting various faculty withsoftware and hardware, 1995-99

• Established Modern DramaListserv group with professors fromthree other small colleges toconnect dramaturgy students viathe internet, 1995

• Coordinator, Teaching andTechnology Sampler (and follow-up PowerPoint training sessions),1997

• Revised department StudioWorkshop Guidelines, 1995

• Recorded audix host voicemailsegments for Computer Services,1995

Activities cont.

• Member of Wabash WebDevelopment Group, 1998

• Supervisor and advisor for originalstudent film, Tuesday Night MovieTheater, 1999

• Advised and supervised three filmsby Juan Carlos Paredes, screenedfor campus audiences, 1997

• Conducted Chicago Equityauditions for role of "Rosalind" inAs You Like It. Negotiated guestartist contract and arranged fortravel and accommodations relatedto Teri Clark's stay. Arrangedaudition workshop for Theaterstudents conducted by Ms. Clark,1994

• Participated in Admissionsbreakfast for high school guidancecounselors, 1998

• Participated in letter-writing andphone call campaign forprospective students, conducted byAdmissions, 1996

• Faculty Advisor to WNDY, 1996-97

• Served on C&T final examcommittee, 1996

• Presented demonstration on digitalaudio supported by LLTAC grant,1999

• Keynote speaker, Fine ArtsFellowship dinner, 1996

• Volunteer, Wabash Jewish Studentstable at Montgomery County Dayof Diversity, 1996

• Department representative, annualWabash Street Fair, 1995, 1996

• Department representative, HonorsScholar fair at Chadwick Court,1996, 1998

• Faculty panelist, shOUT-sponsoredworkshop on homophobia, 1996

• Taught mock classes to prospectivestudents for Admissions, 1997,1998

• Judged Baldwin Oratorical Contestand Last Word contest for SpeechDept., 1995

• Participated in survey team to assistlibrary in choosing online databasefor college, 1997

• Theater faculty participant inFriends of the Fine Arts, 1995-98

• Designed poster for Tom Ammianocampus visit, 1999

• Participated in Theater departmentlogo re-design, 1998

• Designed Theater departmentseason flyer, 1998

• Faculty representative at numerousFootball Friday and footballrecruiting lunches, 1994-99

• Participant, annual Senior-Facultygolf match, 1996-99

• Participant, Annual Wabash CrockAlumni golf tournament andEvansville alumni outing, 1996,1998

• Timer for Wabash-WashingtonUniversity Swim Meet, 1997

• Scrambled egg cook and pancakeflipper extraordinaire, MidnightMunch, 1995-98


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Reflection

Preparing the materials for my tenure review has given me a chance to reflect on mytime and experiences at Wabash College. I have a clear memory of my first visit tocampus as a high school senior in the spring of 1981. I was reluctant to considerWabash because I felt it was too close to my home in Frankfort. I recall telling mymother that an all-male school was not for me. She encouraged me to spend one dayon campus.

Wabash is inescapably seductive in spring. I recall touring the facilities and meetingstudents. I attended two classes and spoke with several members of the faculty. Bythe afternoon, my resistance was wearing down. Then something happened which Iwill never forget. I walked into the office of admissions, and it appeared to bedeserted. The receptionist was gone, and I could see no one in any of the offices. Thesound of what I thought was a radio emanated from the back of the building. Ifollowed it to a small room where I found about a dozen people huddled in front of aportable television. Ronald Reagan had been shot.

I walked out of the building, and as I headed back to the mall, I saw a man whom Iassumed was a professor herding students into the Sparks Center. I later learned itwas Norman Moore, the Dean of Students. He saw me walking by and motioned meto join the other students. I moved toward the door and as I passed by, I heard astudent ask him what was happening. I cannot recall his exact words, but heanswered that a moment of tragic history was unfolding, and every student had aresponsibility to witness it.

As I reflect on it, this event foreshadowed my coming of age as a teacher here atWabash. While a nation sat glued to its televisions watching the story, Moore took itupon himself to alert the students and expose them to this horrible incident. It was, asPeter Frederick might say, a teaching moment. In my five years at Wabash, I havelearned that such moments come often, both inside and outside the classroom. Theyare rarely such historic incidents. More often, they are small and apparentlyincidental. They arise unexpectedly, between a single teacher and a single student. Ihave been thinking lately about many such moments. In my five years here, I havecome to see that my impact on students--and theirs on me--is greater than I everrealized.

An example of this reciprocal relationship has emerged during rehearsals for myproduction of Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. As I write this, it issix hours before opening night. Over the course of the day, nearly every member ofthe cast has found time to drop by my office to offer a kind word or to thank me forworking with them. While I find this terribly gratifying, I also find it confounding. Itseems to me that I should be thanking them. They are the ones who will putthemselves on the line tonight before a live audience. They are the ones who havedevoted three hours a night, five days a week, and five weeks to this project. While Ienjoy directing immensely, even if I did not, I would continue directing every yearbecause it is part of the job I am paid to do. But these students are strictly volunteers.What is in it for them? And why would I wish to continue directing, even if it werenot required of me?


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The answer, I believe, lies in the countless teaching and learning opportunities thatarise throughout the rehearsal process. Good actors have curious minds. We loverehearsing--many of us even more than performing--because we learn so much in theprocess. Actors who only wish to strut before a captive audience soon grow weary ofthe process of making theater. It is clear to me that I have grown to love and admirethis group of nine men because they have devoted themselves so completely to thepractice of discovery and experimentation. They thanked me today for what theyhave learned from me in this process. From my point of view, however, I have verylittle to teach them. Beyond the elemental aspects of voice, movement, andcharacterization, I do not exert much control over the acting process. Rather, I createan environment within which they may explore, experiment, imagine, and testthemselves. What they learn on their own and from each other is at least as great aswhat they learn from me.

This process is essentially the same for all devoted teachers and students. Myrehearsal method is not fundamentally different from a Tuesday afternoon Chemistrylab or a Wednesday evening Colloquium session. The reward for me is not watchinga student deliver a soliloquy with proper articulation. I already know that goodarticulation will enhance any speech. Nor, I imagine, would a Chemistry teacher feelespecially rewarded watching a student conduct a simple experiment whose outcomeis already known. But when a student exceeds his own limitations; when his curiositycompels him to search for the right answers--or the right questions; when hisnewfound perspective liberates him to see things he has never seen before; when his19-year-old mind expresses a point of view that I have never considered or long agoforgotten, suddenly the value of a symbiotic teaching and learning process is clear.

We have cultivated an environment and fostered a community that embrace teachingand learning beyond all other values. I consider my directing, advising, and researchto be extensions of my ongoing development as a teacher. To me, the single mostexciting thing about Wabash is our resolute devotion to this endeavor. My experienceas a teacher here has served only to reinforce my conviction that Wabash is anextraordinary place to be.


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Teaching Statement

In hiring me, the college increased the size of the Theater department from twofaculty to three. I did not think much about it at the time, but I have come toappreciate the positive impact of that situation on my career here. I joined a stableand highly functional program that had already built a firm curricular foundation.Moreover, I was reuniting with a group of people (Dwight Watson, Jim Fisher, andLaura Conners) whom had already gained my confidence and trust. Having been the“new guy” at Marquette several years earlier, I now recognize the advantages of mysituation here at Wabash.

Upon arriving, I was most excited by the prospect of developing and teaching twonew permanent courses: Theater 4 (Introduction to Film) and Theater 9(Dramaturgy). Interestingly, the department did not mandate these two specificcourses. While the department clearly wanted to incorporate dramaturgy into thecurriculum, it was left to me to decide what form such a course should take.Furthermore, no one ever asked me to develop a film course. Theater 4 emerged frommy own desire to teach it and the department’s willingness to grow in this direction.When I brought the course proposals to the APC and later to the faculty, the collegeaffirmed the value of these courses and embraced their pertinence to a liberal artscurriculum.

Theater 9I hold Theater 4 close to my heart, but I believe Theater 9 has played a bigger role inthe development of our Theater majors. In my first year, I taught a preliminaryversion of the course called “Play Structure” (then listed as Theater 4). My approachin this course was to focus on the building blocks of dramaturgy—essentially,deconstructing dramatic materials to understand how they are constructed. Iemployed an approach derived from David Ball’s methodology in Backwards andForwards.2 Breaking down a play such as Hamlet into actions and events, andanalyzing the cause-effect relationships connecting events to each other can enablestudents to understand how plays are built, as opposed to written—hence the termplaywright (correct), as opposed to playwrite (incorrect).

After Theater 9 was approved, I overhauled the Play Structure course and began toconnect the students’ dramaturgical work to our productions.3 The advantages of thisapproach emerged early in the course. The students were highly motivated to producesolid dramaturgy because their work was not simply theoretical. They played activeroles in the production process. They provided valuable information about historicalsettings, period clothing and styles, period music, definitions and properpronunciations of words, background information on the playwright, etc. Rather thansimply another paper for a professor, this research had a direct bearing on the successof the production. Also, the students knew that their essays would be published in theprogram, and later as study guides, which every member of the audience wouldreceive. It was clear to me that these parameters compelled the students to approach

2 Appendix—Syllabi and Class Materials—Theater 4, August 30, 1995.3 See memo to Dwight Watson in Appendix—Syllabi and Class Materials—Memo dated October 25,1999.


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their work differently than they had previously in the Play Structure course. Theydemanded more of themselves and each other.

In the second year of Theater 9, I placed more emphasis on research methods andstrategies. While the students were clearly motivated to produce useful andinformative study guides, they lacked the resources to dig up the information theyneeded. We now spend the first few weeks of the course performing “fact-findingmissions” on texts or productions, using the electronic databases provided by thelibrary (FirstSearch, Inspire, Lexus-Nexus, etc.). When they finally begin providingdramaturgy for the first production, their search skills are far more refined.

I work with no syllabus in Theater 9. We work on a schedule defined by thedepartment’s production calendar. The students read the plays and meet with thedirectors at the beginning of each production, and they choose their projects based onthe dramaturgical needs of the productions. The dramaturgical work performed forSubUrbia, for example, focused on the youth subculture depicted in the play. Thedramaturgy for Charlie’s Aunt, on the other hand, concentrated on Victorian-erasociety and morality.4

In the last two years, I have added one more component to the dramaturgical process:a public colloquium scheduled on the Monday or Tuesday prior to each production’sopening and featuring the work produced by each dramaturg. The students andfaculty in the department have responded very favorably to these, and I intend tocontinue them.5

Theater 4I began teaching Introduction to Film at Marquette in 1991. At that time, Iapproached it as a “Film Appreciation” course, primarily focused on genre study andthe elements of filmmaking: directing, acting, cinematography, etc. Gradually, itevolved into a course that closely resembles the one I now teach at Wabash. Here Iemphasize “cinemaliteracy,” or how to “read” a film. The course contains a stronghistorical component, beginning with Muybridge’s early experiments with seriesphotography and ending with the collapse of the studio system in the late 1960s.

Theater 4 has proven very popular with students, which both delights and concernsme. I enjoy teaching a course that students seem to enjoy; however, I sometimesworry that they perceive it merely as a course where they get to watch a bunch ofmovies. I have tried to counteract this perception by including more writingassignments and quizzes, and I believe my tests are significantly more rigorous thanmy Theater 1 exams, for example. Yet despite these measures—and the fact that Iassign more low grades in Theater 4 than in any other course I teach--the coursecontinues to attract more than its share of seniors who are primarily interested infulfilling a distribution requirement and apparently unmotivated to work very hard. Iconfess that I have yet to discover a successful means of engaging these students in ameaningful way.

4 Copies of several study guides (now called production notes) can be found in Appendix—StudentWork.5 See memo from Laura Conners dated April 22, 1999 in Appendix—Student Work.


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On the other hand, the course never fails to attract a large number of students with akeen interest in film studies. Without question, the level of discourse in Theater 4 is amagnitude higher than any other course I teach. I suppose this should not besurprising, given the fact that most of them have seen literally hundreds of filmsbefore enrolling in the course. These students are extremely film-savvy, and Ifrequently find myself racing to keep up with the contemporary films to which theyoften refer.

While I have made a few programming changes (such as replacing North ByNorthwest with Vertigo; Double Indemnity with XX), the structure of the course hasremained essentially the same. The biggest changes were prompted by studentrequests for more hands-on creative experiences. While these students tend to berather knowledgeable about genres and narrative devices, they have precious littleexperience making film or even thinking like a filmmaker. I responded to theserequests by incorporating a storyboard project into the course.6 The students havereacted positively to this assignment, and many of their ideas are simply terrific, butmany of them continued to express a desire to move beyond the limitations of still-image cells. In the summers of 1997 and 1998, I received two mini-grants from theLilly Learning and Technology Committee to support my use of digital video anddigital audio editing. I purchased software (Adobe Premiere and Sonic Foundry’sSound Forge) to enable me to incorporate these two technologies into my Theater 4course. My summer intern, Trevor Fanning, served as a guinea pig of sorts, learningto use the software in a mock storyboard project I gave him. Trevor’s experiencetaught me many things about how to set up and refine the assignment, and heencouraged me to proceed with the project, albeit with still images instead of video.In the fall of 1998, I introduced and demonstrated these technologies to my studentsand gave them the option of using them to complete their storyboard projects.Approximately one-third of the students chose this option. Many went well beyondthe parameters of the assignment to create complex storyboards with sophisticatedtransitions between cuts.7

While feedback on this revised version of the project was positive, the studentsclearly want to move beyond digitized stills and try their hands at full motion video.Currently, the Media Center cannot support digital video editing. In order to move inthis direction, we must equip several computers with digitizing hardware and, moreimportantly, a digital video camera. I have tried to move this initiative forward forthe last two years, but without much success. However, I am very encouraged by theadditions of Garry Bohm and Guy Davis to the Media Center and Computer Services.Both have significant filmmaking and video experience, and we have togetherdiscussed strategies to promote and justify the college’s purchase of this valuableequipment.

Many of our students have an avid interest in film. I want to enable them to take onprojects that can be realized and exhibited. Film schools like USC, UCLA, NYU, andColumbia have begun in recent years to shy away from students in specializedundergraduate film programs in favor of more liberally educated students. I believeour students can be legitimate contenders for admission to these schools, and there is

6 See Appendix—Student Work for assignment and an example of a student project.7 Examples of these projects are available at my tenure web site:http://persweb.wabash.edu/facstaff/abbottm.

http://persweb.wabash.edu/facstaff/abbottm.


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no reason why they should not apply to them. I expect we will soon see a small butsteady stream of Wabash students entering graduate film programs.

The best evidence of our students’ desire to make their own films is the project thatseveral of my Theater 4 students took on last year. They wrote, produced, anddirected a short film called Tuesday Night Movie Theater. Using the knowledge andexperience they had accumulated from various courses (the film course, playwriting,acting, directing), they produced a competent and surprisingly effective small film,which they screened to a full house in the Korb Classroom last May.8 I supervised theproject, but the students made all the decisions and did all the work. It was a truelearning experience for all of us. I am certain that many other students will seek outsimilar opportunities. I hope we will commit our resources to support them.

Theater 1In my fourth year review essay, I wrote that I continued to struggle with Theater 1(Introduction to Theater). I wish I could report that the situation has improvedsignificantly, but I cannot. Course evaluations indicate that students generally like thecourse, but they clearly are not as enthusiastic as my Theater 4 students, for example.The challenge with this course is overcoming the students’ natural inexperience andresistance to live theater. Unlike Theater 4, these students bring little if anyexperience with them to the course. To address this, I have attempted to shift thecourse away from a history and literature focus and toward a “theater appreciation”emphasis. I realize there are risks in doing this. One is that the course becomeswatered down and overly elementary—a sort of “this is a curtain, this is a light”approach. I think it is possible to avoid this trap and concentrate on theater as an artform. I have found that the process of making theater—what exactly a director does,for example—is interesting to students. The task, it seems to me, is to engage themwith this approach while avoiding the deadly “sender-receiver” teaching model.9

Though they may not think they can, students can be inspired to think and even actlike directors, actors, or designers. My experience team-teaching English 16 withMarc Hudson taught me that students with no theater experience whatsoever can leapinto the abyss, so to speak, with little hesitation, if the conditions are right.

I continue to believe that the course should be moved out of the Korb Classroom, butthis has proved more difficult than I expected. The 11:20 period is very popular, andfew rooms large enough to accommodate 35-40 students—with multimediaequipment—are available. While Korb is a terrific room for some courses, it is aterrible place to teach introductory theater. The seating arrangement discouragesdiscussion, there is no ideal place for the teacher to be, and it is impossible to get thestudents out of their seats for exercises or scene work.

In my fourth year review essay, I expressed hope that we could occasionally integrateour performance courses with Theater 1. I remain devoted to this goal and haverealized some degree of success by inviting an actor or two to perform a monologueor scene in class. Tony Goodwyn (Theater major), in particular, has been useful tome in this regard. We could certainly go farther with this approach, but I believe we

8 The script, shooting schedule, and journal related to this film may be found in Appendix—StudentWork.9 Examples of lecture and discussion notes for Theater 1 may be found in Appendix—Class Materials.


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have a made a start in the right direction. Ideally, importing a scene from an actingclass or an upcoming department production would enliven any class, but students’class schedules usually prohibit this.

I believe Theater 1 will continue to challenge us as a department. Our students do notconnect with the theater naturally, nor are they convinced the theater has any realvalue to them or to society. Their preconceptions and limited exposure make our taskformidable.

Performance CoursesThree years ago, Dwight Watson and I agreed to reformulate our main performancecourses, Theater 5 (Introduction to Acting) and Theater 7 (Directing). We decided tobring our classes together one week out of every three to allow the directors to workwith the actors. While these courses may seem an obvious match, the department hadnever before connected the courses in such a way. This new formula has effected aprofound change in my teaching strategy for these courses. I have moved away fromthe self-directed method of scene work in favor of coupling actors with directors whooversee their scenes. In the process, my teaching role has evolved away from “guruteacher” and toward a more individualized mode of instruction. Inevitably, theDirecting students play a teaching role in this process, and this has occasionallycreated pitfalls. Nevertheless, I am pleased we are now recognizing the teachingdimension of a director’s work and incorporating this role into our instruction.

Student responses to this new system have been uniformly positive, with both theactors and directors clearly prospering. The directors enjoyed the opportunity to workwith a group of eager actors, and the actors were able to enhance their scene work incollaboration with a director. Both classes were outspoken in their opinion that weshould continue the practice, and we have continued to do so.

Freshman TutorialsI am currently teaching my fourth freshman tutorial…and I already look forward toteaching the next one.10 This course is, unfailingly, a pleasurable experience. I am afirm believer in the value of tutorials and am convinced they serve an invaluablepurpose in the education of Wabash men. Aside from indulging my interests inJewish humor and cinema, they allow me to try things I might not be so willing toattempt in a regular course. Of course, sometimes these experiments fail.

In my Western film tutorial last spring, I decided to use the online DISCUS programto create a discussion forum for students in the class. My objective was to encouragestudents to continue our conversations beyond the classroom. After setting it up andposting the first question, I noticed that only a few students posted replies. I sent twoemail messages to all of them, encouraging them participate. Still, only a fewstudents responded. When I finally mentioned it in class, I discovered that thestudents simply did not know how to access the system. They were, as freshmanoften are, too embarrassed to admit they were having problems. Moreover, since Ihad never told them I would correspond with them via email, many of them neverchecked their messages.

10 Syllabi from these courses may be found in Appendix—Syllabi and Course Materials.


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I assumed they knew what to do. They didn’t. I learned a valuable lesson. As weincrease our reliance on computers and electronic communication (email, networkclass accounts, online discussion boards, etc.) we must consider the fact that notevery student is comfortable using these resources. I fear we are entering an age oftechnology haves and have-nots. A gap is emerging between students from suburbanschools and their counterparts from rural or inner-city schools, in terms of their use ofcomputers in the classroom and, especially, at home. While the impact of thisdisparity may hit large state schools harder than Wabash, we must still find ways toaddress this issue. In the tutorial I am currently teaching, I have set up anotherdiscussion board that is easier to operate than last year’s version. Despite taking timeto teach every student how to use it, three of my students remain diffident and rarelylog on to participate. Two hail from small rural schools, and one comes from a largeinner-city school in Detroit. None has ever owned a personal computer. I believe this“technology gap” is widening, and we must find ways to ensure that some of ourstudents are not left behind.

Overall, I believe I have become more relaxed and spontaneous in my teaching.Though there are obvious perils to avoid, I have found that preparing a bit lessassiduously for each class has enhanced my willingness and ability to go where thestudents take me. I still struggle to strike a balance between delivering essential factsand information to the students and allowing them to find it on their own. Usuallyone method is preferable to the other, but seldom is the choice obvious. I continue totry to develop a keener sense of when to control and when to hang back. I still makethe wrong choice now and then, but I think I am right more often than I used to be.


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Production Statements11

Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar WildeI am currently directing Moises Kaufman's Gross Indecency: The Three Trials ofOscar Wilde, my sixth mainstage production at Wabash. I typically choose a playbecause I am intrigued by its characters, story, or dramatic construction. However,none of these elements is particularly compelling in Gross Indecency. I was drawn tothe play for two reasons: I was intrigued by the formal aspects of the play (Piscator-esque dramaturgy, Brechtian storytelling), and I wanted to tackle material that calledfor no particular style of staging. I saw the play, essentially, as a blank slate and wasdrawn to the myriad of possibilities inherent in the script.

In many ways, I consider Gross Indecency the most fully realized production I havedirected here. Without question, the design team’s work enhanced the visual aspectsof the production significantly. I have never felt so comfortable entering the dressrehearsal phase. Deadlines were met, and my original objectives for lighting andcostumes were fully realized by James Gross and Laura Conners. The nine actorsbuilt a cohesive ensemble, and their hard work and enthusiasm were infectious to allof us. While I am sure this production is the least “entertaining” I have directed atWabash, I believe we have created a vibrant and stimulating evening of theater.

The Grapes of WrathLooking back on it, we were crazy to take on this enormous project. The sheermagnitude of the production—the cast size, multiple scenic locales, realistic designelements, special effects, and pure scope of the play—made this a grueling, and oftenfrustrating, six weeks. The fact that we pulled it off, that we delivered a productionwhich resonated with our audiences, was deeply satisfying to me. However, inretrospect, I think I may have bitten off more than I could chew. I believe westretched ourselves beyond our capacity. I feel a burden of responsibility to JamesGross, in particular, for throwing such an overwhelming project at him for his firstproduction at the college. The actors hurled themselves into the project with limitlessenergy, but they were clearly exhausted at the end. I believe I asked too much ofthem.

As it frequently is for me, music played a major role in The Grapes of Wrath, and Idecided to incorporate a narrator/musician into the production. I believe this choiceworked well, and the visiting artist (Jim Webb) I hired to play this role did sobeautifully. He emerged as a key factor in realizing my production concept for theplay.

SubUrbiaI chose this play because I was intrigued by its brutally realistic depiction ofcontemporary youth culture. Having recently completed Lysistrata, I was alsolooking for a smaller play that would enable me to bring the audience close to the

11 Materials related to each production, including the complete text of Lysistrata, may be found inAppendix--Creative Work. Original music from various productions may be found on my tenure website at http://persweb.wabash.edu/facstaff/abbottm. Videotapes of each production are also included inthe submitted materials.



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action, ideally in the Experimental Theater. As the initial design meetings began, itbecame clear that the Experimental’s ceiling was too low to accommodate some ofthe action called for in the script. Our solution was to build the set on the BallTheater stage and erect bleachers and seats for the audience onstage. I think thissolution worked well, and despite some difficulties in the building process (a realistic7-Eleven was constructed onstage), the regular and technical rehearsals went fairlysmoothly.

While the play proved very popular with students—many saw it multiple times—Iconfess that I became a bit bored with it by the end. Once the students tapped into theraw energy of the play and grew familiar with their dialogue, the material grew rathertedious to me. I think I may have overestimated the quality of the script. Bogosiancaptures the sound and fury of his characters extraordinarily well, but he ultimatelyfails—or refuses—to do much more than that. On one hand, I admire him for hisrefusal to write a “well-made play;” however, the simplicity of the work defies thekind of discovery process I enjoy most.

LysistrataThis production was the most satisfying artistic experience of my career. What beganas a mild attempt to update Aristophanes' ancient play developed into an undertakingthat consumed all my creative energies for nearly a year. Lysistrata reawakened inme a long dormant desire to write for the stage. The process of writing and rewritingwas exhilarating to me, even surpassing directing the production. I found myselfdrawn to the discipline and solitude of writing in a way I never expected.

Though I did not originally intend it as such, Lysistrata grew into a musicaladaptation—a complete reworking of Aristophanes’ play. For the first time, I wrotemost of the music and lyrics for the production. Though I make no claims of greatmusical artistry, I enjoyed the chance to fuse together two of my creative interests. Ishould add that I owe a debt of gratitude to Deirdre Abbott, who contributed mightilyby serving as musical director for the production, as well as writing the arrangementsand directing the onstage band. The production could never have happened withouther.

Lysistrata was a thoroughly positive experience for me, and I have begun to exploreother playwriting opportunities, including a new piece I began writing this year. Ihave recently begun to seek a publisher for Lysistrata, and Primary Stages in NewYork City is currently considering it as part of their emerging artists series.

Ah, Wilderness!My ongoing love affair with the plays of Eugene O’Neill began in my freshman yearat Wabash, when I played the role of Jim Tyrone in Jim Fisher’s production of AMoon for the Misbegotten. Since then, I have directed three other O’Neill plays,published an article for the Eugene O’Neill Review, and presented a paper at theO’Neill Conference in Boston.

Ah, Wilderness! is the only comedy O’Neill wrote, and I was delighted when JimFisher suggested I direct it. We also discussed his involvement as an actor in theproduction, and before I knew it, I had recruited three members of the Fisher familyto play father, mother, and daughter in the play. The fourth member of the Fisher


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family, Dan, became involved too by filming a documentary on the making of theproduction.12

Unfortunately, what began as a joyful and productive rehearsal process disintegratedinto an exasperating and disappointing experience for the actors and me. The utterdisorganization and ineptness of the technical and running crews, coupled with thescenic designer’s inability to decisively organize and solve problems and the visitingcostumer’s basic incompetence, severely undermined the product we had created inrehearsal. For the first time in my career, I felt the production slip away from me, andI was helpless to prevent it from happening. Although the actors made a valiant effortto overcome the technical obstacles facing them, I believe they were ultimatelyunsuccessful.

I did a lot of soul-searching after Ah, Wilderness! closed. There was clearly a pointlate in the process when I allowed my frustration to get the best of me. This didnothing to improve the situation and only alienated me from one of my collaborators.I should have managed myself better, and I regret not doing so. The department, aswell, was tested by this experience. If nothing else, we were reminded of the vitalrole Laura Conners plays in our ongoing production process. I also believe thisproduction was the beginning of the end for the scenic designer, who was never ableto overcome her limitations as a designer and technical director.

As You Like ItMy first production at Wabash was great fun for me. I staged a one-hour version ofAs You Like It as a graduate student at Columbia, and I had long hoped to stage thecomplete play. Shakespeare’s text contains many songs, so I set the play in a 1930s-era nightclub and merged the music of Duke Ellington with Shakespeare’s lyrics. Ihired Teri Clark, a professional actress and singer from Chicago, to play the role ofRosalind, and I gave her several torchy numbers to perform. We created a smokynightclub called “Duke’s Place” in the Experimental Theater, and some audiencemembers sat at tables on the edge of the acting space.

I believe it worked like a charm. Though not all the actors succeeded in makingShakespeare’s dialogue their own, most of them felt quite comfortable with it. Iimported an English major named Joe Gianoli to serve as dramaturg for theproduction, and he played a valuable role in helping the actors understand difficultpassages, define antiquated words, and make connections to key passages in thetext.13

Studio One-ActsShortly after I arrived, the theater faculty met to discuss our annual student projects,which give theater majors the opportunity to write, direct, design, or act in a projectof their own making. Since these projects are usually linked to our comprehensiveexams, they serve as a valuable capstone experience for our seniors. We agreed thatthe projects needed restructuring and more faculty supervision. I drafted a new set of

12 A videotape copy of this film, The Making of Ah, Wilderness! is included in the additional submittedmaterials.13 See Gianoli’s “As You Like It Study Guide” in Appendix—Examples of Student Work.


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guidelines that established a phased system of student productions.14 This systemrequires students to progress through a series of experiences before they arepermitted to mount a full studio production. I believe these guidelines have enhancedthe learning experience of our students and improved the overall quality of theproductions. It is clear that the process runs more smoothly now, with some studentsrequiring more guidance and supervision than others.

My role in the studio has varied, depending on the nature of the comprehensiveprojects chosen by each senior. In some cases, I have monitored a director'srehearsals, and in others I have directed the productions myself. I believe we hit upona successful formula last year when we linked our Theater 7 (Directing) students withthe playwrights who were involved in the Studio One-Acts. This process evolved intoa truly collaborative effort, with each member of the production team (playwrights,directors, designer, and actors) contributing to the outcome in positive ways. Weeven worked collaboratively in writing original music for the production.15 I believethe Studio One-Acts are a critical component of each theater season, and the studentscontinue to respond to them with enormous creative energy.

14 See Appendix—Service-Related Materials.15 My contribution, Solitude, was written for Chris Short's play of the same name and may be found onthe accompanying CD or on my tenure web site at: http://persweb.wabash.edu/facstaff/abbottm.



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Research and Scholarship

I have focused the bulk of my research energies on film studies and, particularly,Woody Allen. While my interest in Jewish humor and its impact on American culturehas led me to publish pieces on Neil Simon as well, my main interest is Allen. MyBKT funds were used to build a library of film-related materials. With the assistanceof two summer interns, I have used this material to produce several projects. One wasa paper I presented at the Society for Cinema Studies Conference in 1996. Another isa chapter on Allen to be included in the forthcoming Casebook on Woody Allen, to bepublished by Garland Press.16

This year Oxford University Press released its long-awaited American NationalBiography Series, the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in print. Icontributed three biographies to this series on Theda Bara, Fred Coe, and FreddiePrinze.

I continue to enjoy my relationship with the Journal of Dramatic Theory andCriticism. My fifth book review appeared this year, and I intend to continuecontributing regularly.

I have been pleased to present papers at two Comparative Drama Conferences, aSociety for Cinema Studies Conference, and an International O’Neill Conference.These experiences enabled me to meet and engage with a variety of scholars in myfield. One result of these meetings was the appointment of Martin Marks as the 1997McGregor Visiting Artist/Scholar at Wabash. Mr. Marks also participated in theBuster Keaton film festival I arranged that year.17

In 1996, I completed my work on the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Project.To the best of our knowledge, the project has contacted every known survivor of theHolocaust living in the eastern Illinois and central Indiana area. Archivists are nowworking with leading computer companies to digitize the videotapes and design adigital library system. This will not only preserve the testimonies for generations tocome, but will also enable easy navigation of thousands of hours of material bykeywords, subjects, and names. These interviews will soon begin to appear onlineand at the repositories located in New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., andJerusalem. (See appendix for detailed description of project.)

College Service Statement

During the past five-and-a-half years I have served on several college committees,including the Academic Policy Committee (secretary - Fall 1997), the Teaching andLearning Committee (co-chair - 1999-2000), the Visiting Artist Committee (chair -1999-2000), the Trustees' Committee on College Life, and the Lilly Learning andTechnology Advisory Committee.18 I have also chaired two divisional committees:the McGregor Visiting Artist/Scholar Committee and the Gavit Committee. In

16 For complete text of all published articles, reviews, and presentations, see Appendix—Scholarship.17 Thanks also goes to Larry Bennett, who helped arrange Mr. Marks’ visit.18 Materials related to my work on these committees may be found in Appendix--Service-RelatedMaterials.


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addition to these assignments, I have also served as faculty advisor to WNDY,director of Colloquium (for which I conducted an assessment), and coordinator of thesenior theater major comprehensive projects. While these commitments require aconsiderable amount of time, I have enjoyed my work on them. Consequently, I havedeveloped some insight into the workings of the college, particularly in the area offaculty governance.

Last year, Melissa Butler invited me to join the International Studies Committee intheir plans to incorporate a Latin American component to the International Studiescurriculum. I proposed that we consider offering a Latin American film course andbegan work with Gilberto Gomez on building an outline for such a course. Supportedby funds from the Lilly Endowment, the committee decided to bring a LatinAmerican film specialist to campus for a one-semester appointment. This personwould assist Gilberto and I (and Warren Rosenberg, who has joined us) in planningand team-teaching the course. I was appointed chair of the search committee, and wecontinue to search for a qualified applicant.19 We will offer the course for the firsttime next semester.

In addition to this course, I have worked with the committee as we plan for theupcoming “Teaching Latin America at a Small Liberal Arts College” conference tobe held at Wabash this November. I built a web site devoted to the conference, whichcontains up-to-date information on panels, speakers, and lodging.20

I continue to seek opportunities to bring cinema-related issues and speakers tocampus. I am particularly pleased by the visit of Molly Haskell last week. Ms.Haskell is one of the preeminent film critics in the world, and was a pivotal earlyinfluence on my interest in film. Her visit to my and Bert Barreto’s tutorial classeswas a highlight of the semester for our students, and I was honored to host her duringher stay.21 Gilberto Gomez and I are members of the College Film Committee, andwe are delighted to bring the noted Colombian filmmaker Victor Gaviria to campusthis year.

I believe we are obliged to bring international film to our students. Aside from theoften-neglected aesthetic value of these films, they also provide a vital and livelyportrait of other societies and cultures. I believe many people on campus would besurprised to note the number of international films scheduled to be shown on campusthis semester alone. I and several student members of the Multicultural ConcernsCommittee have compiled a comprehensive list of these films, which we arecurrently distributing campus-wide.22

I confess there have been a few times, particularly while directing a production, that Ifeel I have overextended myself. In 1997-98, I became concerned that I was doingmany things, but none of them well. I have since found ways to budget my time morecarefully. I do not expect my workload to decrease, nor do I wish it to. I feelprivileged to have served on the APC, for example, and hope for the opportunity to

19 Materials related to my work on this committee may be found in Appendix—Service-RelatedMaterials.20 The Latin American conference web site is at http://www.wabash.edu/depart/is/la.21 Special thanks to Joy Castro and Tom Vaughn for helping arrange the details of Ms. Haskell’s visit.22 This list is available on my tenure web site at http://persweb.wabash.edu/facstaff/abbottm.

http://www.wabash.edu/depart/is/la



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serve on other important college committees. As an untenured member of the faculty,I do feel a certain obligation to participate fully in the life of the college, while alsodeveloping my teaching, research, and creative work. This precarious balancing actcan be difficult to sustain, particularly during periods of heavy committee work. Iadmit that I have occasionally asked myself whether my function is to teach or attendmeetings. I am a firm believer in the concept of faculty governance, and I appreciateWabash's distinctiveness from other colleges in this regard. But I do think theadministration should reflect on the issue of service to determine whether the burdenit places on faculty diminishes our effectiveness or accessibility as teachers.

Outlook Statement

In the area of teaching and learning, I want to continue pursuing team-teachingopportunities, both intra- and interdisciplinary. My experience co-teaching English16 with Marc Hudson was one of the most rewarding classroom experiences of mycareer. Likewise, my work with Dwight Watson in Theater 5 and 7 has significantlyrevised my way of thinking about our performance courses. It is clear to me thatstudents enjoy and benefit from these teacher collaborations. Despite the obstacles—e.g. the need for equitable course loads, the limitations of small departments, and theneed to maintain our commitment to all-college courses—I believe we can makethese collaborations work. Within the next five years, I would like to see the Theaterdepartment:

1. Commit to regularly co-teaching English 16 and cross-listing it as,perhaps, Theater 16.

2. Stage a full-scale musical in collaboration with the Musicdepartment.

3. Combine Art, Music, Creative Writing, and Theater students in amajor collaborative performance art project, possibly in fulfillmentof the senior comprehensive projects.

If I am awarded tenure, I plan to take my sabbatical in the fall semester of next year.During that time, I plan to complete work on a new as-yet-untitled play. I also intendto find a publisher for Lysistrata and encourage additional productions of it. If theplay is accepted as part of the Primary Stages series in New York, I would go there tooversee its production.

One additional sabbatical activity would be drafting a new article on Woody Allen.In the summer of 1998 my intern, Trevor Fanning, and I compiled a comprehensivedatabase of every song used in every Woody Allen film.23 I intend to use this materialto produce a piece on Allen's distinctive use of music in his films. To that end, I havesubmitted an abstract to the University of Texas, which is seeking articles for aforthcoming conference and journal on film and popular music.24

23 Available at http://persweb.wabash.edu/facstaff/abbottm24 See Appendix—Scholarship



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Appendix

Section 1: Scholarship

Section 2: Syllabi and course materials

Section 3: Service-related materials

Section 4: Creative work

Section 5: Selected examples of student work

Documents

Tenure Review Materials - Wabash Collegepersweb.wabash.edu/facstaff/ABBOTTM/Archive/Tenure Vita.pdf · Tenure Review Materials Submitted to Dwight Watson October 11, 1999 Fine Arts