Professor Andrew Laine joins HKAPA's School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts with 25 years of real-world production experience to inform his academic interests.
Coming from a background in stagecraft and technical direction, Professor Andrew Laine brings a potent combination of real-world professional theatre experience and arts-education curriculum design to his new role. Professor Laine took over as Dean of the School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts (TEA) in July last year.
Immediately prior to his new role, Professor Laine spent 19 years at Temple University, the public university in Philadelphia. He taught classes in stagecraft, theatre design and technical direction, and co-authored and headed the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Technical Production & Management at Temple's School of Theater, Film and Media Arts.
What prompted the change, after two decades at Temple, leaving behind an enriching arts scene in the City of Brotherly Love?
"I was comfortable there," he concedes, but when the opportunity came to move halfway around the world, and to lead a School within an Academy of such quality, "I couldn't say no."
Comfort "Overrated" Compared to Risk
It was, in fact, time to shake off those familiar surroundings, and leap into a little more risk.
"Comfort can be overrated, both personally and professionally," Laine explains. "It can be much more fulfilling to take the riskier path."
Spoken like a true artist. Besides the geographic relocation, he must also adjust in terms of scope, the student enrolment at Temple topping 30,000, compared with the 1,110 students across undergraduate and postgraduate study at the Academy.
"It's an interesting experience coming from a large university to a conservatoire," he notes. "HKAPA students are very focused and committed, which is very impressive at such a young age, and they put in more hours than typical American college students. I hope they're taking some time to be young and have fun between projects. The work is important, just don't forget to play."
"Embryonic" Ideas Taking Shape
And what about Professor Laine's first priorities as he settles into his office and gets to work?
"My first job as I'm settling in is to listen and learn," he says. "TEA is a big organisation with a lot of moving parts, and I need to know which parts are working great, and which ones might need a little attention."
As part of the learning process, he is looking to speak with as many of his colleagues as he can, to get a clear picture of how the School and the Academy can move forward. Many of his ideas at this stage are "quite embryonic," he admits, and will require more time to take shape.
While that's true, "I can say we're planning some exciting curricular updates and expansions within our School, in response to current industry trends and needs," he goes on. "We're also talking about the possibility of blending more with other Schools in the Academy, and we have some very exciting cross collaboration projects in the works."
Another initiative that Professor Laine would like to push is a concentration on the development of "green" practices that stress the reuse of materials and the lowering of the carbon footprint for productions. "We fully intend to be the industry influencers and leaders in sustainable practice in the area," he says.
A Practical Role
Professor Laine began his theatre career in 1997 at first as a stagehand, carpenter and rigger, then moving into set design and rising to the role of technical director. He went on to secure his Master of Fine Arts degree, with a concentration in technical direction, at the University of Texas at Austin in 2002.
Even as he entered the sphere of fine-arts education, he continued to hone those stagecraft skills while in his academic posts. While at Temple, he also served as resident designer for the Mauckingbird Theatre Company in Philadelphia, and continued to take other freelance roles as a set designer, technical director and technical consultant.
His work at Mauckingbird drew critical praise for his sets for productions such as The Pirates of Penzance, The Importance of Being Earnest, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. It is "critically important" to maintain a direct role in the theatre industry itself even while serving at an academic institution, he feels.
"Not only is it important for networking and creating opportunities for your students, but it keeps you current and engaged with what's going on in the professional world," he points out. "It's important to always be bringing those experiences back to the classroom."
How much, though, does that hands-on, "maker's mindset" shape his philosophy as a Dean?
"Essentially and in many ways the jobs are quite similar," he asserts. "Problem-solving, negotiation, and collaboration are key skills. Managing time, budget, resources, talent, and space are fundamental. Saving a hard 'No' for when you really need it, and even then, always having an alternative solution ready to go. Always be willing to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty when you're up against the deadline."
Arts on the Up in Asia
This is, however, the first time he has worked in Asia. His time on the ground so far indicates, he feels, that theatre and the arts are in a good place. As is he.
"I'm impressed at how much growth there is in the arts sector here," he says. "Everyone in the United States is cutting arts funding, but here new facilities are popping up all over and smaller companies seem to be expanding."
To be an academic leader at such a time and in such a place, he feels, should be rewarding. He hopes to set students on a career path where they leave the School and the Academy to move into growing, innovative organisations.
"I am excited to be in a position where I can really make a difference," he says. He is also excited to find that faculty members at the Academy are regularly working at venues in Hong Kong, Macau, Chinese Mainland, and beyond, he adds.
"Professional work outside the Academy can be very energising for an artist and it also provides visibility for the Academy," he stresses.
Yet there is also room for improvement. He says it is "probably too early to talk about" any specific initiatives or pedagogical approaches that he believes he can transplant from Temple to Hong Kong and the Academy. But having served on all sides of the academic theatre in terms of production, he feels he can draw on that very practical background both to lead in terms of programming and to administrate.
"I recognise the challenges that are common to many institutions that do what we do," he hints. "I'm not saying we solved them all at Temple, but we made good progress, and I can bring that experience to HKAPA."
Riding the Winds of Change
While the worlds of both the theatre and academia are faced with rapid technological change, Professor Laine believes it is important to embrace that challenge.
"I believe that AI has a place in our industry," he insists. "If it can simplify our processes, democratise design through smart interfaces, and ease our workload, I'm in support of embracing new technologies."
Still, human beings must always play a vital role in the process. "The moment when the AI makes a design decision is when I will resist," he states. "I firmly believe that there must be a human being ultimately making the decisions. Virtual productions and projection mapping are great tools to enhance our productions, though I do feel that in our hearts what we will always crave is the communal experience of human connection through storytelling, and that can happen around a campfire."
As a professor and teacher, it's also imperative to understand and work with these changes, if any arts institution is to fulfil its remit to the students under its charge.
"It is important to remain current in the latest technologies, because ultimately our job is to create employable artists," Professor Laine notes. "Our faculty are always looking ahead to the next thing, and we do well at staying on the leading edge."
Some of this preparation will always be experimentation or even imaginings, since it's nigh on impossible to predict the state of technological change over the course of time. And arts educators must also stress the underpinnings of the craft.
"Because technology moves so quickly, it is even more important that we teach the fundamentals of design and the 'Why' behind our choices, because the 'How' might be very different in five years," he says. "Artists will always adapt to new tools, but the foundation is the critical teaching."
The former stagehand also doesn't believe the stage or the players that strut and fret their hours upon it are ever going to disappear. Tech instruments are still tools to communicate, to depict and translate plot, to paint the 心icture of the stories of our lives.
Sights Set on Xiao Long Bao in Shanghai
Outside the theatre world, and off-campus, Professor Laine plans to hit Hong Kong's hiking trails, now the weather is cooler than his July arrival. He is looking forward to exploring the territory as well as heading to Chinese Mainland, with Beijing topping a long list of travel ideas that he has in mind.
"I want to have xiao long bao in Shanghai, and I crave spicy food so I look forward to eating in Sichuan," he explains. "I love to travel, and being placed so central near Southeast Asia is amazing. I adore Vietnam, and the fact that Hanoi is a two-hour flight away is a big perk."
As for his time on campus, he insists his door is open for a reason.
"Ask questions! Go to office hours! Ask questions! Make sure you understand 'Why', not simply 'What' you're doing," he asserts, paraphrasing suggestions he made during TEA orientation.
Learn from your colleagues and classmates, and lean on the best resource of the Academy, its people. "Ask questions! That's why we're all here." "Find my office and come see me," he concludes.