Three Quick Questions with Theatre Instructor Professor Arthur Grothe

Professor Arthur Grothe is currently the Artistic Director of Theatre and Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Before moving to Wisconsin, Arthur was the Director of Theatre and Chair of Fine Arts at the University of West Alabama. At UWEC, Arthur has directed Three Sisters, Roustabout: The Great Circus Train Wreck, Shipwrecked: An Entertainment!, Urinetown: The Musical, The Tempest, She Kills Monsters, and Waiting for Godot. As an actor and director, Arthur has worked with Cleveland Public Theatre, TitleWave Theatre Co., The Theatre Ninjas, convergence-continuum, Hippodrome Theatre, Dobama Theatre, The Cleveland Play House, and the Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild. Most recently, he played "The Beagle" in Pop. 485 by Mike Perry. He holds BA degrees in Communication and Theatre Arts and English from Heidelberg University and an MFA in Acting from the University of Florida. Read on for more on Arthur!

1.)   Can you share a story about your early development as an artist? Were there times when you thought you were on the wrong path? How did you motivate yourself to move past it?

I was fresh out of grad school and working for a children’s theatre company.  The shows were geared to a very young audience and there were moments when I would look at myself playing “The Green Rabbit,” and think “is this why I went to school?”  But, those shows also taught me the value of performing for younger audiences and helped to pay my bills.  So, instead of becoming disenchanted that I wasn’t doing “high art,” I looked for ways I could grow and develop my skills.  The contract ended after a year and I moved on to more fulfilling projects, but doing those shows reminded me of the joy and imagination that younger audiences bring.  That year with the company, and listening to hundreds of children squeal with delight, helped me to remember that while it is hard work, there should be joy in the work.  I look to find those moments of joy and discovery in every project I take on. 

2.)   How has art shaped you into the person you are today?

I’m not sure who I be or what I would be doing if I wasn’t in theatre.  This artform has been a source of great joy, at times great frustrations, but it has shaped and changed how I view the world.  The experience of walking in another’s shoes when I step on stage has taught me understanding and empathy in ways I never expected.  And teaching theatre has given me the opportunity to share not just the technical components of what I know, but also lessons about life.

3.)   What's the most important lesson a young artist might learn?

With any artistic journey there will be failure.  It is inevitable.  Every artist struggles and every artist “fails.”  Instead of hiding from that potential, embrace it, celebrate it, learn from it, and in doing so you will grow into the artist you want to be.  Take the risk!  Embrace that splendid moment of “uncomfortability” when the idea grows into action and you await the response.  It is scary, but it is in the fear that the best work can be found.