Professor excels as playwright

David Muschell is not only an instructor of creative writing at GC&SU, but also a modestly successful playwright.

Muschell, an associate professor in the department of English, Speech and Journalism, read from his play, “Burning Bright: Selected Monologues,” Jan. 27 during a reception co-sponsored by the Flannery O’ Connor Review and the Flannery O’ Connor-Andalusia Foundation.

The reading represented a collection of monologues and interactions from Muschell’s previous works, particularly a yet to be published play, “Burning Bright.”

“This play is about a high school teacher caught in a certain situation where he’s uncertain of whether or not he wants to continue teaching and how tough it really is for teachers today,” Muschell said.

Muschell, no stranger to such subject matter, has had a career that reveals a history of two passions – writing and teaching.

He graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. in English before receiving an MFA in playwriting at Goddard College; he taught high school throughout the 1970s before taking a break in 1981 to pursue his writing, while “paying the bills” by working in radio. Muschell arrived at GC&SU in 1990.

“I taught high school for seven years, but I’ve been here for 16,” Muschell said. “(GC&SU) has been my main teaching place. After nine years in radio, I really missed teaching and was fortunate enough to be hired here.”

Muschell is currently teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in English, and yoga.

Robert Wentworth, a senior currently enrolled in Muschell’s Senior Capstone class, said he is particularly beloved among creative writing students and many consider him their favorite instructor.

“He has quite a reputation around here, and I’ve been looking forward to taking one of his classes for a while now,” Wentworth said. “You can’t say that about many professors.”

Muschell’s career as a playwright began in 1984 when he published his first play, “Can’t You See What I’m Saying.” Since then, he has written a total of 13 plays, including “Searching,” also featured in Friday’s reading, and tackles the subject of mental illness.

Muschell said he rarely utilizes his own work in his classrooms.

“Sometimes students ask for it, but I don’t like to make people read my stuff,” he said. “Once in a while, in an intermediate class, I’ll anonymously bring a play of mine in and have students do an analysis just to see what they say, because I have some that lend to interesting class discussion, but I don’t do it that often. It seems egotistical.”

Though Muschell has found success in other genres of creative writing, playwriting remains his greatest passion.

“So much can be done on a stage, so much can be done through dialogue and there’s so much of the human condition there,” Muschell said. “I’ve been involved in acting and directing for a long time, so it’s something I fell in love with. That little box up there-anything can happen on the stage.”

Muschell said the thrill of writing and seeing one of his plays produced on stage is incomparable.

“It’s different from any other writing because you actually get the real feedback from an audience,” he said. “You hear them laugh or get quiet when they’re supposed to, and if it works, it’s the greatest feeling sitting in the back watching the audience go through the reactions of your work.”

Senior Eric Lockaby, a student who was enrolled in Muschell’s undergraduate Script Writing class last fall, said his time spent learning from Muschell stands as one of his most rewarding experiences at GC&SU.

“[Muschell] is patient, sincere in his teaching and incredibly knowledgeable in the field of playwriting- as his incredible new play proves,” Lockaby said. “He makes sure all of his students find pride in their work, and that means a lot. Now, with his new endeavors, we are all proud of him.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 3 2006. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry