Recently, students in the University of St. Thomas’ Core English course, "The Modern Imagination,” had the privilege, through the generosity of a donor, to attend “Fences” by August Wilson at the Alley Theatre in downtown Houston. Dr. Anna Svendsen, assistant professor of English and Core Fellow at the University of St. Thomas, led about 30 students and a few faculty colleagues to see this special show in Houston’s Theatre District.
Dr. Svendsen stressed that, while her class focused on the reading of texts, the deepest experience of comprehending a play happens not just in reading the words but in witnessing them come alive on stage. The students, who had spent the semester reading some of the greatest writers of the Western tradition (including Jane Austen, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and T.S. Eliot) were used to thinking about and even acting out the details of these literary masterworks.
Seeing a professional production of a play was a step further in the experience of embodied visual storytelling. “For many of my students, ‘Fences’ was already their favorite work from the semester,” Svendsen said. “The possibility for them to see August Wilson's play live—many of whom had never been to a play before—allowed the characters they already knew to be transformed into real people before their eyes.”
Students were indeed impressed by the sensible artistry of the production.
“I thought the actors really embraced their characters, and I could tell that they were passionate about their part,” Student Ayla Askin said “It was amazing to see their interpretation of the characters compared to mine while I was reading the script. It really made the end of the semester amazing.”
Student Hoai Nguyen said what he imagined as he was reading through the book came to life at the Alley Theatre.
“The emotions behind every character in the scenes were acted out beautifully to illustrate the stage directions in the play,” he said. “I was astonished at the actors' ability to remember all the long lines throughout the entire play as I was following along with my book from class. I felt transported into the setting of the play in Pittsburgh 1957 with the set design and outfit choices. Being able to experience something I have only read on the pages of a book was truly amazing and different from any other courses I have taken.”
UST’s Core Curriculum seeks to guide students to an integrated vision of reality that is illuminated by faith and reason. With access to one of the greatest live theatre districts in the nation right here in downtown Houston, UST students were able to experience this integration as a part of their class credit.
“In the magical exchange unique to theater, students were challenged to return to reality with renewed eyes, often seeing their own choices and those of others with new comprehension and sympathy” Dr. Svendsen said. “It is this ability to see reality anew and for oneself that we strive for in the Core at UST and we are truly grateful to our donor for making this experience possible for our students."
To learn more about the University’s Core Curriculum, visit the website.