John Plough has served as Middle and Upper School theater director since 2012, and also teaches Cinema and Broadcast Journalism. He holds a B.A. in Electronic Communication and Multimedia from Assumption College, an M.A. in Theater Education from Emerson College and is currently finishing up his M.F.A. in Dramatic Media from the University of Georgia. He has also attended summer intensives for improv and acting in Chicago and New York. At UGA, he taught Introduction to Acting and served as a teaching assistant for Theater Appreciation.
When you hear the word Darlington, what is the first thing that comes to your mind and why?
When I hear the word Darlington, the first thing that comes to mind is the color purple (the actual color, not the novel/movie/musical). I've never been affiliated with a purple school before. It's a big deal for me.
What has been your favorite memory, having been here for a year now?
Even though I have only been here for a year, I have a lot of wonderful memories already: being in a big circle with the whole cast of "Grease" right before their first show, going on the Chorus/Band trip to Orlando last spring, my first RUMPUS, six or seven really solid high fives with students and faculty, and countless late-night walks with my dog on the trails behind campus. (He has a light on his collar, and I have a headlamp. We share a denim fanny pack.)
What made you choose the "Sound of Music" for this year's school musical and what are your expectations of it?
Darlington is finally contained on a single campus. We wanted to do a production that would reflect the one-school spirit. "The Sound of Music" is a show that is truly family friendly, and at the same time it offers roles for students in all grades. Plus we think it's a great musical.
My expectation (or maybe just hope) is that it will simply be a positive experience for a lot of students. Doing a musical requires a lot of work and sacrifice. Having fun, building relationships, and making memories are the rewards.
What is your proudest Darlington moment?
I went on the Moser House retreat at the beginning of this year. We visited a ropes course. They had a tower that you climbed, and then you were supposed to hook yourself to a safety wire and just walk off the edge at the top. For fun, I guess. THAT'S RIDICULOUS. Anyway, I managed to do it. I was pretty proud of myself. Needless to say, Mom Plough got a phone call from me later that day.
What is one piece of advice that you would give to all Darlington students?
If I were to give one piece of advice to our students, it would be to get involved. Try something you haven't done before. Pick up an instrument, volunteer at the Boys & Girls Club, investigate the Robotics Club. It doesn't matter what it is. Darlington offers so many wonderful opportunities that most students will never take advantage of. Ninety-nine percent of my time in high school was spent studying or playing basketball. But one time, I let myself get talked into performing in a play. For me, that experience literally changed my life. And it's one of my most cherished memories. By taking a risk, you could find out that you love wrestling, or designing video games, or découpage. Imagine, you could be destined to bake amazing cookie cakes for the fine arts faculty every Tuesday. Just try it...
A special thanks to Mr. Plough for an amazing interview and answers that made me laugh for a solid ten minutes!
