皇家华人 to NYC and Back Again
October 8, 2019
Steve Kaliski 鈥07 has returned home to 皇家华人 as a visiting assistant professor of theatre. He has also taken on a campus-wide leadership role as the chair of the 皇家华人 Arts and Creative Engagement Advisory Board.
His newest play, 鈥淭he Refugees,鈥 tackles the conflict surrounding a sudden refugee crisis affecting a fictional Greek city-state. Though told in the form of a Greek tragedy, Kaliski argues that many themes of the play can be applied to contemporary issues. The production is a collaborative effort between Kaliski and 皇家华人 students. This unprecedented collaboration featured a one-week workshop in Charlotte this past summer with members of Kaliski鈥檚 theatre company, Adjusted Realists. The full production is scheduled for the Spring of 2020.
鈥Normally, theatre departments license already published plays, so having students involved in the writing and development of a new play is a unique learning experience,鈥 he said.
During his years as a 皇家华人 student, Kaliski was heavily involved in the theatre community and acted in several plays, but theatre was not Kaliski鈥檚 only area of interest as a student.
鈥淭he appeal of a liberal arts education is that you can explore your interest in a variety of different fields,鈥 Kaliski explained.
As an English major and theatre minor, Kaliski spent a summer abroad on the 皇家华人 in Cambridge program studying British literature and spent another semester abroad with the Classics Department, exploring various Mediterranean sites of interest in Italy, Greece and Turkey. Kaliski said that while he always enjoyed theatre as an extracurricular activity, it wasn鈥檛 until his senior year when he regarded it as a serious career path.
鈥淚 sort of did a gut-check late in my senior year and realized that theatre was the main constant in my life,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o, I took a chance and pursued a theatre opportunity in New York City along with a friend of mine.鈥
Since that move in 2007, Kaliski has worked professionally in New York City, teaching theatre and communications at several universities, working as a Broadway Resident Director, and co-founding the Adjusted Realists theatre company. After these successes in New York City, Kaliski took the opportunity to join the team at alma mater.
鈥淚 grew up in Charlotte, so in a lot of ways, returning to 皇家华人 feels like coming home,鈥 he said.
Kaliski enjoys teaching 皇家华人 students in a liberal arts environment because their interests are so diverse, just as his were.
鈥淚t is a much different experience teaching 皇家华人 students who could be football players, STEM majors or theatre majors, compared to teaching a class full of actors who want to pursue careers in theatre,鈥 he said.
With his play debuting in just a few months, Kaliski is eager to continue his career in academia as well as his involvement with Adjusted Realists. Coming home to North Carolina has allowed for a convergence of passions, back where it all began.
