and plot. So it’s no surprise that an acting professor can find a link between two seemingly different plays. R. Scott Lank, professor of theatre, is fascinated by human nature. He likes to help students discover their own identities and see characters as people making lifealtering decisions. “[The students] are not just concerned with their characters,” he said, “but understanding the world — not just intellectually, but viscerally. Why did people do the things they did?” Among Lank’s most recent productions are 2013’s “The Heidi Chronicles” and last month’s “Compleat Female Stage Beauty.” “Heidi” focuses on a woman from the ‘80s while “Stage Beauty” is about
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an actor who portrays women in the 17th century. Lank made an important connection between the shows’ contrasting protagonists. “I think they both deal with identity,” he said. “When your identity is taken away or challenged after so long, you have to decide what you want most. And I think that’s a universal experience.” Although Lank enjoys teaching, his first taste of UE was as a student. A 1978 graduate, he holds memories of plays he had been in, from “Godspell” to “Company.” Lank earned his master’s degree from Nebraska, where he was able to hone his skills under the guidance of respected professors. While working in Charleston, S.C., he learned of the teaching and directing vacancy at UE. “I was looking for a program that was a little more serious about teaching students and the quality of the productions,” he said. Lank’s favorite lesson involves navigating the world after college. “With my teaching, it’s not necessarily about teaching them to have jobs,” he said. “It’s about teaching young people to teach themselves to be artists. They need to have a process so they can navigate through all the crap with a core purpose.” Lank’s success reaches beyond campus; he earned the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana “Educator of the Year” award in 2012. The win surprised him, as he takes his job to heart. “Teaching is very important to me,” he said, “and I’m a firm believer that you do the best you can in everything you do, whether it’s teaching or not.” From teaching to directing, Lank brings his creative spirit from the classroom to the stage. One student finds that spirit particularly inspiring. Junior Reagan Wallace, a theatre performance major, has worked with Lank a number of times. He appreciates the way Lank analyzes characters. “One of the things I blatantly admire about [Lank] is you’ll see these characters and think they’re interesting,” he said, “but Lank takes them and expands on them.” Lank is a man of many talents and ideas. He is dedicated to helping actors grow, and he takes advantage of teachable moments. “It’s impossible to capture him in words,” Wallace said. “Lank himself is an experience, but not an easily forgettable one.”
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IDENTITY PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE in stories regardless of setting
by Marah Franklin photo by Amy Rabenberg
03.2014 | Crescent Magazine
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