Josef taking Theater in exciting directions

With nearly a quarter of the student body collaborating on theater productions each year, Josef and her department think broadly about how to appeal to such a diverse group. “I see what a great institution Exeter is, and I also see the potential for change,” she says. “I want to serve our students in a way that is current and exciting.” As part of a new initiative in 2020, the theater and dance department began focusing on a singular, unifying theme each year. The inaugural theme was “identity,” and guided decisions about everything from which plays to read to the choreographers invited to campus. “We really want to honor the traditions of the school, that canon that the school has paid such close attention to,” Josef says, “but it’s important that we bring in new voices, that we create an inclusive department where we’re telling stories from people of all identities.”

Connecting a student’s intellectual and physical abilities is at the core of the theater and dance curriculum. “Theater and dance offer opportunities for hands-on learning,” Josef says. “When students are up on stage or working in the tech crew, they can be very present and focused. It really allows them to create relationships with each other and, depending on the play that we’re doing, it allows for some really great conversation and Harknessing on stage.”

Inspiring all of Josef ’s work is the student experience. “I have a card on my office wall that the “Wizard of Oz” cast gave me,” she says. “Katie Reid ’21, who played Dorothy, wrote, ‘I’ve never felt so confident in myself, thank you for bringing that out of me.’ That’s why I do this.