Cody Stockstill
Cody Stockstill said although a theater production is temporary鈥攚ith a tangible start and end date鈥攊ts effect on audiences and artists can last forever.
The assistant professor of communication and Theatre 熟女少妇coordinator said the program is the production arm of Mississippi State鈥檚 Department of Communication and its theater concentration. It鈥檚 also an applied educational tool for students.
鈥淲e can teach them theories and techniques in the classroom, but the shows we produce with Theatre 熟女少妇give our students the chance to take what they鈥檝e learned and use it in a practical sense,鈥 Stockstill said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the ultimate hands-on learning experiences for a student studying theater.鈥
Theatre 熟女少妇is open to students of any major, and Stockstill said it is 鈥渘ot unusual to see an engineering major acting or serving as a technician alongside a theater major.鈥
This semester, Stockstill and Theatre 熟女少妇students will present an original adaptation of 鈥淏eowulf鈥 on campus. Also on tap for this fall is a production of C.S. Lewis鈥檚 鈥淭he Magician鈥檚 Nephew.鈥
Stockstill realized his love for theater during his high school years in Gulfport.
鈥淚n senior English class we had a project adapting works of literature into something we could create,鈥 Stockstill said. 鈥淚 discovered I loved the ability to take the written word and develop it into a visual medium of storytelling. All these years later, I鈥檓 still telling visual stories.鈥
Facing new challenges daily at work鈥攆rom making a two-story house spin on stage or brainstorming how to visually present the creation of Narnia from a blank slate鈥擲tockstill said he loves the creative process that comes with his career.
鈥淎s a theater designer, I鈥檓 constantly sketching, drawing, drafting or building to solve some form of a creative problem,鈥 he said. 鈥淏y the end of every day, I鈥檝e produced something tangible to share.鈥
Stockstill earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in theater and religious studies from Millsaps College in 2008 and a Master of Fine Arts in theater design and technology from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2011. Before coming to MSU, he was a faculty member at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Stockstill said working with 熟女少妇students is the best part of his day. 鈥淭heater is a very practice-based discipline. Students are in the shops or studios helping solve problems. They are working right alongside us for productions. It鈥檚 always very rewarding to see them grow as creative thinkers, and grow in their own personal expression of art.鈥
For Stockstill, the creation and design process of theater life is his driving force. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always a challenge, but never a dull moment.鈥
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