Distinguished Visiting Scholar program features London-based theater professor Andrew Jarvis.
By Michael Travis
Editor in Chief
In the ongoing quest to become a world-class university, Pepperdine recently began a new University Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program designed to bring notable figures in academics and fine arts to teach its students.
Designed by the Office of the Provost, the program, financed through the Pepperdine Strategic Initiative Fund, will bring “distinguished scholars, intellectuals and artists” to the university for extended stays.
Visiting faculty members may stay for a few days or for as long as a semester.
“When I came to the university over two years ago, I shared a dream to make Pepperdine an even greater center for culture, exchange of ideas and arts,” Provost Dr. Darryl Tippens said in an e-mail interview.
“In time, I hope that we will attract a stream of internationally known scholars, intellectuals and performers to our university. I would hope that we would one day have Nobel Laureates and others of similar note on our campus.”
The overriding goal of the program is to enhance the quality of education offered at Pepperdine.
“It seems to me that a great university must be a place where great and significant ideas are exchanged,” Tippens said. “One way to enhance this exchange is to bring to campus leading scholars, artists, philosophers, poets and performers. Through contact with our students and our faculty over an extended period of time, we are all changed.”
The first scholar selected through this program was Andrew Jarvis, an acclaimed London-based Mountainview Theatre School professor.
Jarvis has been working with students in the Fine Arts Department this semester to produce William Shakespeare’s classic “King Lear.” He will co-direct and star in the performance, which debuts April 8 and runs through April 12.
“Shakespeare is like Beethoven — the words are (like) the music notes,” Jarvis said. “An actor’s goal is to find expression in individual words, much like individual notes in a piece of music.”
In fact, Shakespearean words and acting are Jarvis’ specialty.
He is a veteran of 34 years on the London stage, and spent eight years with the famous Royal Shakespeare Company. He has more than 20 years of experience performing Shakespearean roles.
This experience is obvious when Jarvis describes his acting philosophy.
“The essence of Shakespeare is simply actors in light, speaking words,” Jarvis said. “It’s not about big sets or scenes. It’s about the language or it’s about nothing.”
According to Cathy Thomas-Grant, assistant professor of theater, experience was one of the main reasons Jarvis was brought to Pepperdine.
“One of the important things about having Andrew here is that he teaches Shakespeare like no one else,” said Thomas-Grant, who is also co-directing “King Lear.” “It is important for our students to have contact with an actor and director who has done this for 35 years. You cannot replace that kind of experience.”
It appears that the experience is as beneficial to the professional as it is to the students.
“This is a huge experience for me,” Jarvis said. “Living in another culture and getting to know students.”
Thomas-Grant actually wanted to bring Jarvis to Pepperdine well before the University Distinguished Visiting Scholars program was put into place.
Every other summer, the Fine Arts Department sends a group of students to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, where theater companies from all over the world come to perform over a three-to-four-week period.
During summer 2000, Jarvis spoke and captivated the visiting group of Pepperdine students at the festival.
“His scheduled two-hour talk turned into a six-hour talk,” Thomas-Grant said. “He had dinner with us and continued to talk through the dinner hour. What he had to say was so dynamic the kids didn’t want him to go.”
After that Thomas-Grant worked to find a way to bring Jarvis to Pepperdine. As soon as the University Distinguished Visiting Scholars program was announced, she nominated Jarvis.
“After consulting with the five deans of the university’s five schools, Mr. Jarvis was chosen,” Tippens said.
In spring 2004, Dr. Ken Elzinga, professor of economics at the University of Virginia, will come to Pepperdine for the next installment of the Visiting Scholars program.
“(Elzinga is) an outstanding teacher and author,” Tippens said. “We are considering several other candidates but are not ready to announce appointments at the moment.”
April 03, 2003