Teachers are the Difference: Jacob Hauser

Inside the Donovan Arts Center’s black box theater, Middle School students are gently pushed step-by-step outside their theatrical comfort zone. 

Middle School theater teacher Jacob Hauser’s classes enable students to explore creative choices and figure out how to bring dialogue and characters to life.

“The kids are super confident,” Hauser said. “I think the biggest thing is helping them become comfortable as an artist with who they are and what they want to say. It’s about learning how to make choices on stage, regardless of the art form. It’s all about the choices. Whether it’s tempos in music or mediums with painting, I want them to understand that they have to make their own choices.”

Hauser explained that students may be nervous about committing to a choice because it might be wrong. 

“It’s a safe place to fail, onstage, because every rehearsal is learning to fail until we get the desired result. Until you get an audience in the seats, you’re free to make mistakes and choices,” Hauser said.

Hauser has different goals for each grade level in Middle School, to help students build a solid foundation of skills and a love or appreciation for theater.

“My sixth grade class is about getting them interested in theater and performing, and it’s all improv based to sort of trick them into having fun. They need that intrinsic motivation to want to learn it. Building up the joy and fun they can experience helps them have something to remember when they’re nervous about making a choice, because they know something great comes afterward,” Hauser said.

In seventh grade, students read open scenes, which have intentionally vague, nondescript dialogue. The lack of description causes students to decide all of the details in the piece. 

“We do that so they understand a script doesn’t do everything, and their job as an actor is to bring meaning to the words on the page,” Hauser said. “They need to use vocal inflection, tone of voice, body language, and other things to bring the words to life. Open scenes are a great opportunity for them to practice a wide range of skills.”

By eighth grade, students are discovering what aspects of theater they’re drawn to and are showcasing initiative to hone their talents.

“During ‘Willy Wonka, Jr.,’ we were very proud of the tech kids. We had 21 scene changes, and the eighth graders in the stage crew took it upon themselves to practice the stage cues and make them better. Their maturity and initiative helped make the production run smoother,” Hauser said.