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SMU Theatre’s Benard Cummings Talks Challenges, Favorite Shows, and the Path that Led Him to SMU

Photo by Kim Leeson

By Allison Barta

Benard Cummings is an Assistant Professor for the Meadows School of the Arts Division of Theatre. He received his B.F.A in Theatre here at Meadows in 1987. He went on to the Yale School of Drama and later moved to New York City. He starred in the film Raw Nerve in 1999 and the television series New York Undercover in 1996.

He has performed extensively in Off-Broadway productions such as “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, and has also tried his hand at playwriting. This fall he will be directing Normalcy by Bennett Windheim, off-broadway, for Theatre East.

What brought you to SMU Meadows?

I was born and raised in East Texas.  I’ve lived in NYC since the early 90s.  I am also a graduate of SMU Theater.  To be honest, my mom wasn’t in good health.  I was spending time going back and forth from NYC to Texas for a couple of months to help in looking after her, which was absolutely no burden.

I received an email asking me if I would consider applying for the teaching position at SMU.  All in the timing, I guess one could say. I applied so that it would allow me to be home for a while. Fortunately, I was offered the position. For the last 6 years, I have been able to be home, teach some great kids, work in one of the best theater departments in the country, and be near family. It has been very fortuitous, as I’ve been home for the passing of many close relatives. The old saying goes: “you are where you need to be.”  After many years of working in NYC and across the country in regional theaters, it was time to be home.  Time to say “goodbye” to some very close loved ones.

SMU has been remarkable.  The art, if you will, has totally balanced with the family life.  And I love teaching these wonderful kids selected to matriculate in our theatre department.

Do you have a favorite show you have either directed or performed in?

I love directing in academia.  I’ve done so at SUNY Purchase in NY and at the NYU/Stella Adler Studio.  So far, I’ve directed three shows on the main stage of SMU.

I also direct the incoming grad students in a rehearsal project in their first semester of graduate school.  But the most challenging directing project was with Dallas’ African-American Repertory Theater.  I was directing a production of August Wilson’s “Radio Golf” for the Elevator Series at the Dallas Theater Center in 2015.  On the last day of tech rehearsals, one of the actors became very ill and had to be hospitalized.  I was also slated to return home to NYC (I still have an apartment there) and begin classes at the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey right after Opening Night.  But I could not leave this production in a lurch.  The cast was really strong and had been working very hard to bring this play to life.  So I decided to stay and take on the role.  It was the wildest experience I’ve ever had on stage. It was like walking a tight rope.  But I found myself having to go from director to actor in a matter of minutes during tech.  I loved every minute of that nerve-wracking experience.

How has your performance and directing career influenced your teaching career?

To quote “Hamlet,” The Play’s the thing.  Everything begins with the written words on the page.  I have learned over the years that careful attention must be paid to the world that has been created on that paper.  As a director or actor, I am now very aware that the beginning process must be painstakingly observed.   Young actors are anxious to act without having thoroughly examined the Given Circumstances of the play.

They act an idea of a scene rather than experiencing the life of the characters they are portraying. My acting and directing have taught me to teach my students to slow down, read carefully and thoroughly, and take notice of everything about the character they are portraying.  They must expand on this knowledge by building the world with the information the playwright has given.  Assume nothing!  Act only from what is given by the playwright.  Their play, the world they have created, is the thing.  Without a rich understanding of a character’s world (and how they operate in it) an actor is merely behaving rather than living. 

What is one piece of information you learned in School of Drama that you have carried out in your life and/or instruction?

Get to know the world of the character, make choices, and play fearlessly. 

I must go to the world of the character, not bring the character to my world with all of my prejudices and hang ups.  Sometimes an actor may play a role that may be considered “unsavory.”  If I bring the character to my world in order to make the character less “unsavory,” I may overload him with my prejudices.  Thus, I must carry myself to the world of the character and be of service to how this person lives in their world.  Judgment can actually close an actor from totally enveloping a role.

What should a student signing up for one of your classes anticipate?

Let go.  Give it up. Characters in the modern realism plays I teach from are not safe.  The playwrights have captured them in some very dire circumstances.  Their lives are large, and you must fill that life with equal largeness. I love the heightened realism of Chekhov, O’Neill, Williams, Wilson. I love characters with heightened emotional stakes, where they are desperate to live as they are surrounded by dire circumstances. I am going to inspire the actors in my class to be bold, to be brave, to be larger than the life they live, and to be fearless.

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SMU Guildhall Ranked Number One in World for Game Design

The Princeton Review’s 2017 list honors SMU Guildhall as best of 150 international programs

SMU Guildhall has risen to the top spot among the world’s best graduate game-design programs in The Princeton Review’s eighth annual report, published Tuesday, March 21, 2017.

At No. 1, SMU Guildhall ranks above the No. 2 Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy at UCF. Other schools in the top 25 include the University of Utah, Rochester Institute of Technology, USC, NYU, Drexel, Abertay University (Dundee, Scotland), DePaul, Michigan State, Ohio State, MIT, the University of Malta in Msida, and the University of Pennsylvania.

In addition, SMU Guildhall ranks higher than two other top-25 graduate programs in Texas: the University of Texas-Dallas (No. 14) and Texas A&M (No. 17).

“Becoming the No. 1 graduate game-design school is a tribute to faculty with deep experience, bright and motivated students, a robust network of successful alumni, stellar industry support, cutting-edge curriculum, and a commitment to continual improvement,” said SMU Guildhall Director Gary Brubaker.

The Review determined its rankings based on its 2016 survey of 150 institutions in the United States, Canada, and abroad that offer game design coursework and/or degrees. The 40-question review asked schools to report on everything from academic offerings and faculty credentials to graduates’ starting salaries and employment experience. Curriculum, faculty, facilities, career services, and technology were all among criteria The Princeton Review weighed to make its selections.

The Princeton Review’s reporting partner, PC Gamer magazine, will include a section on the top schools in its May 2017 issue, available on newsstands March 29. It will feature information on degree programs, class offerings, events, prominent professors, and alumni.

The Princeton Review developed its “Top Schools to Study Game Design” project in 2009 with assistance from a national advisory board that helped design the survey instrument and methodology. Board members included administrators and faculty from respected game design programs, and professionals from some of the top gaming companies.

About SMU Guildhall

SMU Guildhall is one of the premier graduate video game education programs in the United States. Founded by industry icons in 2003, the program has graduated over 600 students, with alumni working at more than 200 video game studios around the world. Classes are taught by industry veterans who have produced numerous top-selling game titles. The Guildhall is an industry-driven program with high standards of admission.

SMU art majors who are pursuing a B.F.A. are eligible to apply for a two-part B.F.A./M.I.T. (Bachelor of Arts/Master of Interactive Technology) program in partnership with The Guildhall at SMU. The 5½ year program offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Meadows School of the Arts and a graduate professional certificate or a Master of Interactive Technology degree from The Guildhall.

Applying to The Guildhall at SMU

For students wishing to combine their SMU Meadows B.F.A art degree with the M.I.T. at The Guildhall at SMU:

  • First, you must be dually admitted to SMU and the Division of Art. See Art Admission Page for application guidelines.
  • During your freshman year you must take Foundations: ASAG 1300, 1304, 1308, and 1312.
  • By Sept. 1 of your sophomore year, you must declare your major as a B.F.A. in Art at SMU Meadows and then set meetings with both the Division of Art advisor and a Meadows degree counselor to review your degree progress.
  • In your junior year, begin working on portfolio requirements outlined on The Guildhall website.
  • In the summer before your senior year, before July 1, apply to The Guildhall online.
  • Once accepted, you will spend the second semester of your senior year, plus an additional 18 months, at The Guildhall at SMU-in-Plano.

Read more for information about requirements for the B.F.A. in Art degree.

Read more about the academic programs at The Guildhall.

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Journalism Note

Infographic: Five Tips for Applying to Arts School

For visual or performing arts future-majors, the college application process can be nerve-wracking for anyone. Here are five tips from SMU Meadows for applying to an arts school to help you along the way.

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The Fall 2016 Semester in Photos

All photos by Kim Leeson
Photo by Kim Leeson

From A-to-SYZYGY, it’s been nothing less than a busy year at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts.

As we continue on to the next academic year and reflect on the inspiring events of fall 2016—which includes Meadows Prize winner New Cities, Future Ruins’ hybrid conference on art and urbanism in America’s Western Sun Belt, the many, electric events of Ignite Arts Dallas, stunning dance premiers, Mayor Rawlings’ Sammons Media Ethics lecture, swing dance, a lighting battle, the election, and much, much more—we present a look at photos we love from the year at SMU Meadows School of the Arts.

The indefatigable photographer Kim Leeson was on hand for many Meadows events. Here are just some of our favorites:

Meadows Division of Dance presented To Have and To Hold, choreographed by Danial Shapiro and Joanie Smith in 1989 in response to the devastation of the AIDS epidemic (Photo by Paul Phillips)
Meadows Division of Dance presented To Have and To Hold, choreographed by Danial Shapiro and Joanie Smith in 1989 in response to the devastation of the AIDS epidemic (Photo by Paul Phillips)
Scene from the New Cities Future Ruins walk around Dallas’ Jubilee Park neighborhood, see installations by artists and designers throughout the neighborhood, and enjoy an evening of food, discussion, keynotes and presentations.
Scene from the New Cities Future Ruins walk around Dallas’ Jubilee Park neighborhood, see installations by artists and designers throughout the neighborhood, and enjoy an evening of food, discussion, keynotes and presentations.

All photos below by Kim Leeson

Ben Voth, Ph.D., of SMU's Corporate Communications and Public Affairs division, held a debate during the Presidential election in November.
Ben Voth, Ph.D., of SMU’s Corporate Communications and Public Affairs division, held a debate during the Presidential election in November.
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A night together at The MAC, punctuated by performances by Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Autumn Knight, Postcommodity, and Lee Escobedo, during the New Cities Future Ruins fest in Dallas.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings at the 17th annual Rosine Smith Sammons Lecture in Media Ethics
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings at the 17th annual Rosine Smith Sammons Lecture in Media Ethics
The Rosine Smith Sammons Lecture in Media Ethics at SMU presented “Making Sense of a Tragedy in Real Time: Media Coverage of the Dallas Ambush"--featuring Steve Pickett, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, and Mike Wilson (R), editor of the Dallas Morning News. (At center, Journalism professor C Jake Batsell)
The Rosine Smith Sammons Lecture in Media Ethics at SMU presented “Making Sense of a Tragedy in Real Time: Media Coverage of the Dallas Ambush”–featuring Steve Pickett, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, and Mike Wilson (R), editor of the Dallas Morning News. (At center, Journalism professor C Jake Batsell)
Kathleen Gallagher is an Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship professor at SMU. Gallagher took her International Comparative Cultural Policy class to the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park.
Kathleen Gallagher is an Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship professor at SMU. Gallagher took her International Comparative Cultural Policy class to the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park.
Students, and faculty re-lived the classic era of the famous big bands and spend an evening dancing to the music of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and other legendary artists of the 1930s and ’40s.
Students, and faculty re-lived the classic era of the famous big bands and spend an evening dancing to the music of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and other legendary artists of the 1930s and ’40s.
The SMU Meadows Jazz Orchestra presented its second annual swing dance concert onOctober 29.
The SMU Meadows Jazz Orchestra presented its second annual swing dance concert onOctober 29.
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A performance from the Alternate ROOTS Weekend-Dallas, presented by SMU’s Ignite Arts Dallas (run by Clyde Valentin)
For the second year in a row, judges selected a team of SMU Meadows M.F.A. Theatre Design students as a top-three finalist for High End Systems’ “Hog Factor 4” live show lighting competition. Kolby Clarke, left, and Andrew Garvis, with Russ Bockemuehl on laptop screen.
For the second year in a row, judges selected a team of SMU Meadows M.F.A. Theatre Design students as a top-three finalist for High End Systems’ “Hog Factor 4” live show lighting competition. Kolby Clarke, left, and Andrew Garvis, with Russ Bockemuehl on laptop screen.
SMU Provost Steve Currall named Associate Professor of Organizational Communication and Director of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Maria Dixon Hall as Provost’s Senior Advisor for Campus Cultural Intelligence. Dixon is seen here teaching her course at Meadows.
SMU Provost Steve Currall named Associate Professor of Organizational Communication and Director of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Maria Dixon Hall as Provost’s Senior Advisor for Campus Cultural Intelligence. Dixon is seen here teaching her course at Meadows.

 

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SMU’s Highly-Ranked Guildhall Wants You to Play Student-Designed Video Games

guildhallplaytestThe SMU Guildhall is Southern Methodist’s video game design school located in Plano, Texas. The graduate school is ranked #2 for video game design and is the only program in the world to offer a Masters in Interactive Technology.

As a part of the master’s program, students are required to create their own game. Students here at SMU will have the opportunity to playtest these games on November 29. It’s free, and there will be doughnuts.

We checked in with Marc Mixon, graduate student specializing in production at SMU Guildhall, to tell us a little bit more before the playtest:

SMU art majors who are pursuing a B.F.A. are eligible to apply for a two-part B.F.A./M.I.T in Digital Game Development.

Can you tell us about the students’ games? Are they first person narrative? Web-based or console? 

They are all 2-D mobile games built for android tablets in the Unity 5 engine. Each game is unique and at this stage in development quite a bit can change, so that is little tough to answer right now.

How long have the students been working on them?

2-3 months. That includes pitching the initial concept on paper all the way to a final product complete with marketing materials like posters and logos. It is the first of three games that students will design as part of a team during their master’s program. Team includes programmers, artists, level designers, and producers.

Why is testing an important part of the process, within the curriculum? 

Testing is crucial to game development, and SMU Guildhall prides itself on a curriculum that simulates what development is like in the industry. Testing identifies usability problems i.e. when players don’t understand how a game works. It helps developers discover which mechanics are the most fun, so they can allocate their resources to focus on those areas. Bug testing is the aspect that people are most familiar with; it’s part of the quality assurance process to make sure the game functions correctly. Although there are many facets to testing, its overall goal is to improve the end user’s experience.