Micheal

Lately, my thoughts have been wandering back to my time in London. I really miss the time when I could go to a theater at any given night and see a huge musical for a very low price. I got to study under a British theatre critic and just had the opportunity for my love of theatre to grow over those three months.  I had the really cool opportunity to sit down with my theatre professor, Ian, one day after class and interview him on his experience in the theatre.  While I still have the recording of the interview and listen to it from time to time, I wrote this article for my British literature class highlighting our chat and why studying under Ian was such a great experience.  Like I’ve said numerous times before, going on the London Semester Program was the single most life-changing opportunity I’ve ever had, and the opportunity for theatre had a major part in that.

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“I am not Mr. Herbert, and certainly not Dr. Herbert. You may call me Ian.”

This is the phrase that kindly greeted the twenty-three Mississippi College students studying across the pond as part of the London Semester program as we were introduced to Ian Herbert, theatre expert and our British theatre professor for this semester.

From the first class meeting, Ian’s theatre class became a highlight of the week for most of us. The informal nature of how Ian’s class instruction makes each of us feel at ease and really sparks an interest to what he has to teach us.  In fact, one class period I realized that I did not feel like I was in a classroom at all, but simply having a nice chat with a very kind man who was talking about his passion for theatre.  By studying under Ian, each of us is gaining a educational theatre experience not available anywhere else. At the beginning of each class, Ian allows us to share our own opinions and ideas about theatre productions we have seen as part of his class, followed by a lecture on the history of theatre complete with Ian’s own humorous ideas on people in theatre history, and finishing the class with Ian bringing in a person from the theatre world (such as directors, creative team members, and even an actor!).  Additionally, Ian’s course provides an opportunity can only be experienced in London: actually going to the theatre once or twice weekly to experience the type of plays we study in class!  The Mississippi College students are definitely getting a once-in a lifetime experience in Ian’s class.

Throughout the many casual conversations that we feel comfortable having with Ian, the students have quickly learned that he is more than just a teacher, he is an icon in the theatre community.  After studying at Cambridge University, Ian began his career as a book publisher.  He became involved with the theatre business when he took part in editing Who’s Who in Theatre, an informative publication in the theatre world. Continuing his success, he started his own similar publication, The Theatre Record, which published accounts of all plays and corresponding reviews.  His journal gained huge popularity has has continued to be distributed for over 30 years.  In fact, one of Ian’s guests in class referred to it as “the theatre Bible.”  During his tenure as publisher of the journal, Ian began writing his own reviews and became one of the most well-known theatre critics in London. Reaching even further than most critics, Ian participated in international activity where he visited theatre abroad and wrote about what he has seen. To our advantage, Ian began teaming up with Mississippi College more than a decade ago when he was asked to teach his theatre class to the Mississippi students by Dr. Dean Parks, London Semester director.  Ian’s unending theatre knowledge and involvement with the theatre scene in London provided an opportunity that would prove beneficial to the MC study abroad program.

Each student here feels honored to be under the instruction of Ian.  Even students who had no prior interest in theatre have developed an appreciation of it because of Ian’s method of teaching. I once asked Ian what was his goal for his theatre class and Ian responded, “The aim is to instill an appreciation for theatre…it’s fascinating to watch people develop their appreciation of theatre over the ten weeks we are together…one hopes that it all adds up to a lasting love of theatre.”

(originally written March 14, 2012)