Recently I had the chance to speak to Reuven Russell, the new Artistic Director of the Stern College Dramatics Society, about what drew him to SCDS and what he hopes to achieve with the program over the next year. Russell, a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, has worked with different types of media, from film and television to theater, and has performed his own material across the globe.
Reflecting on the SCDS inaugural dinner at which he was first introduced to the students, Russell said that he was impressed by the turnout, asserting, “That’s one of the reasons why I’m here; it’s good to be part of a group that is hungry.” Russell added, “What spoke to me the most was the challenge to direct Jewish girls who have practically no outlet whatsoever to express their creative talents, whether it be acting, directing, stage managing…any job it takes to run a show.â€?
Russell outlined some of the difficulties that he has faced as an Orthodox Jew in the entertainment business, where Friday night and Saturday are prime working days, and that Jewish women face the additional challenges of tzniut. “You’re dealing with issues that the normal theatre world doesn’t deal with, in terms of men and women,� he said. However, he emphasized that he does not see tzniut as a limitation but as a “positive challenge to make things work.�
I asked Russell how he felt about SCDS’ somewhat checkered past, but he responded that he would rather not go into the “messy details� of the program’s history. “Things weren’t as successful in the past,� he said. “All I know is that I’m starting with a clean slate here—there’s no past baggage that I have to deal with, just good and positive from here on out.�
Russell was hired to direct both a fall and a spring production and to teach a workshop once a week. The fall production, he said, would more closely resemble the traditional SCDS showcase, with singing and dancing acts. However, he hopes the acts, which would include monologues and acting scenes written by the students that he would direct, will have a more coherent theme than in the past, and come off almost like a typical musical. “I will make sure that the show will work beginning from ending,� he said. “I’m working with them on the script. I am Mr. Glue, gluing all the talents that we have to work with together to make a coherent show.�
He said that he hoped to put on a dramatic production in the spring, but that he is waiting to observe the level of participation in the fall before he selects any specific play.
While no specific room had yet been designated for the workshop when I spoke to Russell, he did say that it was scheduled to take place on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM. The workshop is not available for credit, though he mentioned he would like it to be. It is like a class in that students are asked to commit to the entire program from the beginning. The workshop’s aim is to help students develop their acting and directing abilities.
That, Russell stressed, is his overall goal as the new artistic director: to hone the students’ skills and to teach them how to use their art in an entertainment industry fraught with obstacles for religious Jewish women.
Russell emphasized that it was important for students to learn how to make the first move. “[I succeeded] only because of my own initiative…and I want to instill that in others,� he said.
He also said it is better that students learn to write their own material, because “Number one, just from a business standpoint, you’re not relying on other people for your work,� Russell said, adding, “Number two, ninety-nine percent of the time people write about what’s important to them, what they care about, so all of a sudden, without even acting, the performer has a connection with the material, because it’s coming from their soul.�
“I’m very excited about the prospect of the girls bringing in their own pieces…and from that we’ll choose a play, start rehearsing it, and hopefully we will wow the Stern community,” he said, adding “I want this year to be something that’s exciting, meaningful and inspiring.â€?
Russell did not seem concerned about the funding for the program, noting that Dean Bacon “has told me that if I need to build something, if I need to rent a space,� she is willing to “do whatever it takes to create a strong program, which I am totally dedicated to.�
The SCDS program, Russell said, is “not about graduating and getting a job on Broadway, which is what many theatre programs are about…I’m trying to trail-blaze for these girls to use these talents and find a kosher way to use it out in the world. I want to show people that these girls can take these talents that they have to entertain and hopefully inspire.�