The futures of theater and the Council of Graduate Students at Ohio State are in good hands with J. Briggs Cormier as their leader.
Cormier is now in his fifth year as a doctoral candidate for theater and is the president of the CGS. He received his master’s in fine arts in directing and movement from the University of Memphis in 1998.
“Briggs’ commitment to others and to just causes really sets him apart from others,” said Anne Farrelly, a doctoral candidate in the department of theatre and diversity chair for CGS.
He is concerned with the equitable treatment of others, Farrelly said. His goal in life is to see that others are treated fairly, at the university and in life as a whole, she said.
“Briggs Cormier has done a spectacular job as president of CGS,” said Susan L. Huntington, dean of the graduate school.”He is knowledgeable about the important issues, fair-minded, and able to bring together the many voices that make up the graduate student body into a series of coherent statements.”
“He is a pleasure to work with – a complete professional – and I admire him tremendously,” she said.
The domestic partners benefits program is one of the things that Cormier has done for the university, Farrelly said. He brought it before the University Senate last year.
“Many of the issues I’ve raised as president have to do with diversity, sort of the issue dujour,” Cormier said.
Cormier said he sees his role as president as a precursor to being a faculty member. The role has taught him about budgets and how a university is put together, he said.
“Briggs is committed to student issues,” said Katie Whitlock, a friend and fellow doctoral candidate in theater.
The issue of diversity is very important to graduate students, because they are one of the most diverse groups on campus, Farrelly said.
“His ability to connect with others, both students and faculty, have carried over from his teaching role to his role as CGS president,” said Lesley Ferris, Department of Theatre chairwoman and adviser.
“I was so delighted that (Cormier) came here for his Ph.D., but didn’t expect him to go into student government,” she said.
Cormier has a wide range of experience in theater, as a director, a performer and as a writer, Ferris said. He has directed numerous plays at OSU and has done some editing and writing.
“The fact that he has such a wide range of experience in theater and his ability to make a connection with students make him an excellent teacher,” Ferris said.
Students in Cormier’s theater class, Fundamentals of Script Analysis, learn the basic principles, techniques and challenges of formal script writing.
Students begin to understand the dynamics of a play by dissecting it from the perspective of an actor, director and designer.
“Briggs is a spontaneous burst of energy that can rally an 8:30 a.m. class like no other person I’ve met,” said Frank Peterson, a sophomore in business with a minor in theater.
“As a teacher, Briggs uses his intelligence and humor to the benefit of his students,” Whitlock said. “His willingness to listen to all sides of an issue makes his classroom a safe, open learning environment.”
Cormier became interested in theater in the seventh grade, where he played a hillbilly-Scrooge character in a Christmas play.
“When I was first enrolled at undergraduate school I had thought of going into law school, but then I decided that I wanted to go into higher education because I really loved the environment,” Cormier said.
“It’s very exciting to see students light up when they understand a new concept,” Cormier said. “It’s the ‘aha’ moment that I love.”
Cormier has directed several plays since he has been at OSU, including “The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs” by Simone Benmusa and “Roasted Shoes,Toasted Tootsies” by Jason Kravits; and he was assistant director of “Angels in America, Part II: Perestroika” by Tony Kushner.
“A lot of the plays I’ve directed deal with issues of gender,” Cormier said.
Some of his best accomplishments in the theater have been detail in movement, character building, his clarity of directions to students and his ability to communicate, Ferris said.
“Lesley Ferris was also my adviser at Memphis,” Cormier said. “She really had made an impact on my studies, and had first introduced me to movement.”
The concept of movement for the actor is learning various techniques and skills to discipline the body so it can be used as expressively as possible, he said. It also involves improvisation and compositional works, getting to know the spatial relationships between actors.
“We have worked together on several productions as well as being in several classes together – so our relationship has been in both professional and educational spheres,” Whitlock said.
“As classmates, Briggs and I have had a long and productive history, we complement one another well for opinions and ideas,” she said.
The majority of their work together has been working in a director-designer relationship, she said.
His directorial positions have consisted of movement coach, assistant director, director and creator.
“In that capacity, Briggs is one of the most innovative and daring individuals I’ve worked with,” Whitlock said.
As a creator of work, Cormier demands a high level of artistry that encourages the best from his team.
“As a collaborator, Briggs brings energy and insight to the artistic process, Whitlock said. “As a director, Briggs maintains his artistic vision while still allowing performers and designers the opportunity to become artistically invested in the work.”
Cormier has also been a source of creative inspiration, Whitlock said.
“He remains one of my strongest barometers for excellence,” she said. “His commitment to creating new and exciting work is inspirational for any artist.”
One exciting project the two have worked on is the creation of digital image libraries, Whitlock said.
“We initiated the digital image library and portfolio ideas to create new avenues for our fellow students to become more marketable and better equipped to face the challenges of teaching,” she said.
Although it is not a common practice in theater, they hope this type of work becomes standard.
“Briggs has a willingness to embrace the new that stands him in good stead as a creator, teacher and administrator,” Whitlock said. “Our department has benefited immeasurably from his innovation and excitement.”
