26th Play - Teach by Donna Hoke

This one was also recommended by a colleague. The idea of a show having roles double-cast with male and female actors hooked me from the beginning!

Summary: "Five actors, three characters, one story: Ten years ago, Ken and Chris were teacher and student. Now, as principal and teacher, Ken uses a student's suspiciously high grade as license to grill Chris until the young teacher is forced to confront both past and present. While most plays question the audience, TEACH exposes the biases that make audiences question themselves. Though its production requirements are simple, TEACH is anything but." (New Play Exchange)

Loved: The concept of telling a story with interchangeable male and female actors in the same roles to make different points is a FASCINATING one. I loved this idea, as binary as it is, partly because it speaks to how our conceptions of each side of the binary are somewhat pre-programmed and dangerous. I don't think that I was able to fully appreciate this idea in practice, as I was reading and not watching, but using my imagination, I could really see how some scenes were really changed depending on whether the instructor/student was male or female. I think the story underneath, regardless of the gender of the participants is both intriguing and challenging. It poses but doesn't answer a lot of questions which are less about gender than about the boundaries between teacher and student, and where the grey areas are. As a teacher, the dangers of crossing a line with students is murkier than it would seem. I would never have a romantic relationship with a student, but I do offer hugs if someone needs them, although I’ve stopped initiating them. Someone seeing one of those hugs out of context could potentially cause some similar problems to the ones the characters are dealing with in this play. Years ago David Mamet's Oleanna illustrated how unclear some of those lines could be, and that play hit me really hard. I wasn't even a teacher when I first saw it, but I could see how the power dynamic could be very tricky on either side. This play is very different than Oleanna, but that central idea is still powerful. I enjoyed that the issue became trickier when we learn that *** SPOILER *** Ken and Chris were right on the edge of a relationship when Chris was still in school, and actually did have one as principal/teacher when Chris first started teaching. The parallels between the two relationships are precarious for both Ken and Chris. This play makes me really glad I don't teach high school, but the lessons are valuable for me as a college professor as well.

What I didn’t Love: *** SPOILER *** As we watch the conversation between Ken, the principal and Chris, the teacher, I found a lot of moments uncomfortable, to the point of cringing. Ken continues to make advances to Chris, and regardless of Chris’ gender, it feels extremely creepy since he’s Chris’ boss. Right now we’re in a world that is currently (thank god) seriously considering issues of power in the workplace, so how is this okay? On top of that, it felt ... too obvious? Would Ken be that stupid? He's warning Chris about teacher/student issues, but from my perspective it's also terrible for a principal to be coming on to/wanting a relationship with a teacher, i.e. one of his employees. The play does allow Ken to be the antagonist, so I guess it's okay that his behavior is questionable, but it feels like he would be smarter. I understand what the playwright is doing, but I'm not sure I quite believe it.

Overall: The story that unfolds over the course of the play is interesting on its own merits, which is what allows the gimmick of transitioning between male and female actors playing the same characters to work. And even though it would have more of an effect live, I definitely felt some of the differences in the scenes with gender switches. I love that possible LGBTQ+ relationships are part of the conversation as genders switch back and forth, and aren't an issue in themselves. Same sex teacher/student relationships are also creepy, not because they are same sex, but because of the power dynamics. I had real problems with the principal trying to reignite his relationship with the teacher - I just think a principal today would … know better? (Am I being overly optimistic?) But I was fascinated to watch the plot unwind and the male and female actors go back and forth betwen the conversation with the principal and the conversations with the student. Overall, I really enjoyed and also felt very uncomfortable reading this play, and it definitely reminded me that nothing is as black and white as it seems, all of which I believe was the point. I'd be very interested in seeing or being a part of this production ... I guess there's no real part for me. I could conceivably play Ken, but it SEEMS that the playwright wants Ken to be male. Although it doesn't necessarily say that, so...? Could be an interesting exploration.

Here’s a link to Google Sheets with more info about the play: Play a Day Sheet

Read more about Donna Hoke: https://donnahoke.com/