College - Kevin Long
Intro - Christina Ordonez (ITA Secretary)
As a high school theatre teacher, I've had the joy of watching my
students grow, develop their talents, and step into the next chapter of
their lives. It can be unnerving - they aren’t coddled per se in high
school - much - but the adults you send to college have a tendency to
appear as gawky 14 year-olds in need of your protection for the rest of
their natural lives. You hope you’ve done all you could for them, and
that they find the right person to push them to the next stage of their
lives personally and professionally.
Luckily, many of my former theatre students - on and backstage - have
found their way to Harper College’s program, and the transformation
they undergo under there is nothing short of extraordinary. It is not just
about becoming better actors, directors, or stage managers, but about
becoming better, more confident, and more compassionate human
beings.
And so, it is my honor and privilege to introduce someone who has left
an indelible mark on the lives of countless students and on the world of
theatre in my community and in all of Illinois—Kevin Long, the recipient
of the Illinois Theatre Association's Excellence in College and University
Theatre award.
You might be looking at Kevin and thinking - wow, this 2015 Tony Award
nominated professor for Excellence in Theatre Education looks so
familiar! Maybe you’ve seen him at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
as an Educator and Artist - his work with the First Folio Technique
brings Shakespeare to life both for those studying and simply enjoying
Shakespeare. He is the co-author of the book “Bring on the Bard”.
Maybe you worked with him during his time as ITA president or while he
helped to ensure the continuity of the All-State production during the
pandemic with his direction of Cabaret. Maybe you or someone you
know had him as a director or a professor of theatre where he has been
awarded the Motorola Solutions Foundation Endowed Award for
Teaching Excellence and the Professor Powell and Larry Moats Extra
Five Minutes Faculty Award. Or maybe you have had the pleasure of
just talking to him about teaching, about his community, about theatre
and have seen his joy and dedication to his passion.