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Drama director hopes to build on strong tradition
Published 8/30/2010 in Local News
By LAURIE SISK
The new drama director at Garden City Community College, Philip Hoke, brings a wealth of experience and talents to GCCC and the community.
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Laurie Sisk/Telegram New GCCC drama director Philip Hoke works on a saw in the scene shop.
Among his arsenal of talents, Hoke plays guitar, writes music and also has written about 10 plays.
He said the community has gone out of its way to make him feel welcome, and that the people are one of the most attractive aspects of his new job.
"People have been really welcoming," Hoke said "They have been very kind and very generous."
Hoke also said he enjoys the facilities at the Pauline Joyce Fine Arts Building.
"It's a beautiful theater," Hoke said. "And I think it has so many possibilities to it."
Hoke has spent much of his professional career teaching communication and theater at numerous colleges in Texas.
"I taught way too long in San Antonio for a variety of colleges there," Hoke said and laughed.
He then taught at Wharton County Junior College in Texas for nine years, before jumping at the chance to move a little closer to his Weatherford, Okla., family and take the GCCC job.
"It was time to come back home," Hoke said.
He said his most important goal is to produce a solid four-show season each two-year cycle so that each student involved in theater at GCCC will get a full range of experiences.
"In two years here, students will have a modern drama, a modern comedy, a classical work and a musical," Hoke said. "Then interspersed between those two anchor shows each year we will have some kind of a showcase."
Hoke said he also would like to establish a regular dinner theater once a year with an evening of light entertainment.
"I think if I do that, hitting the ground running, that will be good," Hoke said.
Hoke also hopes to eventually get GCCC involved in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, in which productions are entered into national competition.
"That would be a long-range goal in the grand scheme of things," Hoke said. "It's a great program that exposes students to all types of theater across our region."
He said he sees that as a way to open more opportunities for students to advance to strong four-year university theater programs when their time at GCCC is complete.
"The great thing about Garden City is there seems to be a really strong theater tradition here," Hoke said. "So many people have come out of the woodwork to help, so I intend to rely on the community quite a bit."
Hoke's first production will be Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," which will open Oct. 8. Hoke said there are still openings for a few roles in the 20-member cast.
"Later in November, we are going to do the worst play ever written," Hoke said and laughed. "I can say that because I wrote it."
The play, "The American Bullet Train," will be presented as a dinner theater on stage.
"The gag on this one is that the audience will have to solve it," Hoke said.
He said that since his arrival, it has been a whirlwind of activity.
"I just really appreciate everyone who has come out and been so helpful and supportive," Hoke said.
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