Monica Moody
Published: October 26, 2005
Rodney Whatley is the new director of theatre at PJC and he’s ready to establish PJC as prime training grounds for aspiring theatre students.
Whatley joined the seventh grade chorus because he enjoyed singing in church. His first role came as the ghost of Christmas future in, “A Christmas Carol.”
Whatley attended Jefferson Davis Community College, then pursued theatre studies at Lindenwood University where he received a master’s of fine arts in 1992. He’s currently working on his doctorate from FSU.
“I think the community college is very important in the overall educational system,” Whatley said. “As a student at a two-year college I was able to play lead roles that as an incoming freshman at a four-year university I would have never had the opportunity to perform. So, when I got to a four-year school I had more stage experience. You can’t beat experience.”
Rodney holds the opinion that not all students necessarily need a full four-year theatre education.
“If you have the talent and the drive, I think a two-year degree from PJC in theatre prepares a student to be very marketable,” Whatley said.
Whatley began his tenure at PJC in the spring semester of 2002 teaching one class. He was then offered four classes to instruct that summer.
“He’s very patient and very organized,” said administrative assistant for the theatre department Kelly Ryan. “You can walk down the hallway and hear him teaching- not because he’s loud, but because he’s excited. That’s why students request his classes. He’s a very popular man.”
Being promoted to theatre director has actually lessened his work load. He admits that while he could have accepted a full-time position elsewhere, his high esteem for his fellow faculty members within the PJC theatre department simply would not have allowed for that.
“More than any other department I’ve worked in I really feel like I’m part of a team here,” Whatley said. “I’ve always liked my predecessor, Stan Dean. He’s a very talented, very knowledgeable man. I liked the way he ran the productions.”
Whatley is diving head-first into his new position, with a very busy upcoming semester. He’s working on re-establishing a partnership with the Saenger Theatre by possibly adding an operetta to the season.
He’ll also be taking a group of 13 drama students to the Southeastern Theatre Conference in November, a first time initiative for the department. He’ll still be teaching classes in acting, directing, dramatic literature, and theatre. This month he begins directing rehearsals for the Broadway classic “The King and I.”
This will be Rodney’s first production as Theatre Director.
“Every body loves musical comedy,” Whatley said, “and while I certainly do appreciate a powerful musical comedy with my naturally exuberant sense of humor, there’s a part of me that’s just drawn to the carnage of a well-acted tragedy.”
