Jean Scharfenberg | |
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| Born | August 19, 1922  |
| Died | August 2, 1998 (aged 75) |
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| Occupation | Academic, researcher, university teacher, theatre director |
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Jean Scharfenberg (August 19, 1922 - August 2 1998) was a professor of theatre at Illinois State University. Her students included Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, [1] Rondi Reed, Laurie Metcalf, Tom Irwin, [2] and John Malkovich. [3]
Scharfenberg was born in Davenport, Iowa, and earned her undergraduate degree at University of Central Missouri University. [4] She then earned her masters degree and doctoral degree in theater from the University of Wisconsin. [5] [4] While at the University of Wisconsin, she earned a federal grant to work with Lee Strasberg. [4]
Scharfenberg joined the ISU faculty in 1966. [6] She was known among students for her class, "Acting: Exploring Characterization Through Animal Exercises" in which students developed the persona of an animal and then enacted a violent death scene at the end of the semester. [7] [8] She directed Illinois State University's mainstage plays during the school year and Shakespeare Festival in the summer. [4] Under the direction of Scharfenberg and her colleagues Ralph Lane, John Kirk, and Cal Pritner ISU Theatre became a distinct department, instead of a sub-division of the speech department. [9] In the 1990-1991 school year, Scharfenberg won two awards, the Outstanding Teacher in the College of Fine Arts and the Outstanding University Teacher. [4] She believed that acting could be used to spark creativity in the community, which would create better leaders, lovers, and followers. [4] Scharfenberg also held numerous acting roles in the Westhoff and Allen theater stages. [4] She retired in 1993. [10]
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