Thursday, September 20, 2007
Dennis Christilles credits theatre with saving his life. After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1975, he returned home to Texas and joined a theatre troupe and worked as a waiter. Because of his job, he had to have a health card. Chest X-rays showed a tumor was wrapped around his aorta. He immediately went into surgery and the tumor removed. Christilles said the doctors told him that had it gone untreated, it would have been fatal in about six months. “Something inside me told me to come back to Texas and get involved in the theatre troupe,” Christilles said.
In his 14 years as an associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Film at the University of Kansas, Christilles has been involved in nearly every aspect of theatre production. His latest work is a production of Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There.” The play is a sequel to “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Christilles directed and designed the sets and lights for the play. He said performing for a live audience was special because the audience and performers could interact.
“You just don’t find it any other form,” Christilles said. “It’s not pre-recorded, it’s not removed from the audience by distance of miles or anything like that. You’re in the same room with the audience, and there you are. And that aspect of it, to me, is really, really special and exciting.”
Christilles earned his Ph.D. from the University in 1990 and worked for four years in Louisiana before returning to the University in the fall of 1994. Since then, Christilles has, in a sense, directed students’ lives. He said one key component of his job was to set the scene of the play long before the opening curtain.
“Whenever I’m directing I just try to create an environment and atmosphere that’s creative and not very high pressure so people feel to experiment and realize the joy of it, the fun of it,” he said.
Angela Chrysostomou, Nicosia, Cyprus junior and theatre major, has been involved in many of Christilles’ shows as an actress. She said that Christilles helped her become a better actress by helping her develop her English speaking skills.
“I learned how to feel comfortable on stage,” she said.
Kate Giessel, Larned graduate student, completed her degrees in theatre and linguistics last spring. In the summer of 2006, she and other members studied abroad with Christilles in Greece, and last summer, they went to Belgium and performed The Odyssey.
“He’s a great teacher because he will introduce material and then let you as a person find meaning for it,” Giessel said.
Christilles said that at the University, working with actors has not been difficult. He said that actors generally want everyone to succeed and to have the best performance. Shy people sometimes need a little extra help.
“That’s one of the things a director does is to be that bridge and a person who can move everybody along,” he said.
In the future Christilles wants to continue studying abroad during the summer and also spend more time conducting research on Greece and contemporary theatre. Christilles said that he advises his students the same way he does his own kids.
“Don’t make your dreams little,” he said. “Dare to dream big dreams and don’t be afraid to go out and try to make them come true.”
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