Tuesday, February 10, 1998
A child at art
PROFILE Creative professor directs children’s art series
utilizing different elements of theater
By Emi Kojima
Daily Bruin Contributor
Professor Michael Hackett was dressed in all black with a wide
smile adorning his face. His eyes lit up as he began to talk about
his favorite subjects: theater, children and his students.
"A child never is too young to go to a museum, play or cultural
event," he said. "I remember taking my daughter to the National
Galley of Art when she was 6 months old."
To help children appreciate the arts, Hackett runs a performance
series in which he narrates the transformation of normal children
into those of 18th century France at the new J. Paul Getty
museum.
While assistants dress a little girl and her older brother,
Hackett describes the importance of each piece of clothing and
comments about the period costume in general.
Their costumes, designed by UCLA alumna Roslyn Moore, were based
on some paintings at the Getty.
"Audiences are very mesmerized by transformation," said Hackett.
"(The child) will begin like you or me and then become completely
different."
The first performance in the series was part of the opening
events of the Getty. The next performance will be on Feb. 28.
Hackett involves his students in his professional work as he
does children.
Many of his first-year theater students play roles in his
lecture series at the Getty.
They act as assistants who dress the girl and her teenage
brother. One of Hackett’s former students, Darren Ishmael, plays
the role of the brother.
"It’s a privilege to work with these (UCLA) students," he said,
"they really are very talented."
Some students who perform at the Getty are students whom he
taught in "Introduction to Performance." He also teaches graduate
students directing. He has taught at UCLA for almost 18 years.
He has directed performances for the Royal Opera, Covent Garden,
the Royal Theater in Hague, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the
Hollywood Bowl and at the Third International Gombrowuz Festival in
Poland, among others. At UCLA, he directed a musical adaptation of
the "Scarlet Letter" earlier this year.
Theater not only is acting, but also incorporates singing,
poetry and dance, according to Hackett.
"The present model is dominated by naturalism – actors don’t
sing, dance, or speak poetry – I advocate a style of acting that
implies a different relationship with the audience (in which) they
are included more directly," he said.
Students have learned from Hackett’s philosophy that theater is
comprised of more than the traditional acting.
"He taught us to learn as much from everything that you see,"
said Jenn Wong, a first-year theater student who performs at the
Getty.
His class also attended a variety of different kind of
performances such as watching Vietnamese water puppets and "Zulu
Macbeth."
"He showed us a bunch of things he would not have considered
theater," said Matthew Hobart, first-year theater student who
performed at the Getty.
In the classroom, Hackett challenged actors’ ideas of what
theater is as well.
"What he does is to take a student and make him do something
they think is stupid, absolutely ridiculous," Hobart said.
"To do it and take it seriously is a lesson in itself," he
said.
Actors would dance in a circle to drum beats in an Egyptian
style every Friday, according to Jamie Martz, another first-year
theater student.
Every class of theater students does these dances.
"It helps actors in a scene together to focus energy on to the
other person," Martz said.
Hackett also would make students form a small circle and have
one student stand inside the circle. The person in the middle of
the circle would be the "god of the group and control the actions
of the other characters," Martz said.
"You have to be there," said Martz. "I’m embarrassed to say what
we did because it sounds so retarded. You have to be there," he
said.
During a performance, Hackett and his students put in long
hours, sometimes from 9 a.m. to 11 at night.
"Actors have to be especially disciplined to balance their
personal and professional lives," said Hackett. "Hopefully, people
in their homes are understanding," he said.
Hackett, himself a husband and a father of two daughters, relies
on the his family’s support in dedicating so much of his life to
theater.
"At least they understand. Being in the arts is hard for
students of the School of Theater, Film and Television," said
Hackett.
"It’s hard to have a personal life," he said, because of the
time commitment and travel.
To help his family understand his demands, Hackett promotes
theater at home and involves his family the arts.
"My wife Clare, teaches English and drama," Hackett said. "My
oldest daughter is interested in photography, acting and writing.
My youngest daughter likes acting and playing the piano," he
said.
Hackett actually became involved in theater because of his
father’s interest.
"He was very excited by performance and the arts," said
Hackett.
"I am very lucky," he said. "We saw plays when we were only
three or four. We would watch TV when special events were on," he
said.
"Theater doesn’t have to be about an outpouring of suffering,"
he said, "It can also be about joy, being excited about life’s fun
and pleasure."