SHERMAN, TEXAS—Austin College will host the premiere of the one-man show I Am A Teacher III on Thursday, September 13, at 7 p.m. in Ida Green Theatre of Ida Green Communication Center. The event, which offers an inside look at the world of public education today from the perspective of a caring teacher, is free and open to the public.

The play, relevant not just to educators and parents, but to business, community, and political leaders, is an update to the highly acclaimed I Am A Teacher, which premiered in 1977, with rave reviews from educators and leaders around the country and praise from national media.

THE BACK STORY

A young, passionate teacher takes his first job, eager to inspire his students with a love of learning and help shape their lives. And, then, one of those students is shot and killed.

Austin College graduate David Marquis of Dallas was that young teacher. His enthusiasm was not diminished by the daily politics of the school system; he continued his creative approach to teaching and his involvement with his students. But when one of his students was killed, where was he to turn in the face of that tragedy?

Marquis focused on writing and theatre. He wrote a play about what it means to be a teacher who cares deeply about his students and their futures. The play took the audience through a day in the life of a classroom teacher, with all types of students from gifted to those labeled at risk—and those lost in between. Social problems, like teenage pregnancy, came to light in the production that demonstrated the challenges American teachers faced every day.

David Marquis

That one-man show, I Am A Teacher, premiered at Austin College in 1977 and Marquis performing the play throughout the country in 1980, playing in 40 states, and venues from schools to theatres, corporate boardrooms to college campuses, as well as the Kennedy Center and a Congressional hearing room. The play was presented regularly for 16 years, teacher Ben James also portrayed by actor Bruce Elliott, another 1973 graduate of Austin College.

The play received rave reviews from teachers and critics and in 1990, Simon and Schuster published the book I Am A Teacher: A Tribute to America’s Teachers, featuring photographs and interviews with teachers from all 50 states, co-written by Marquis and photographer Robin Sachs. A Critic’s Choice in Time magazine, the book received a five-page spread in Newsweek. Additionally, the book provided the basis for a national Ad Council public service campaign in the early 1990s, “Be a Teacher. Be a Hero.”

Later, Marquis updated the production and presented I Am A Teacher II, in which Ben James is a middle-aged teacher trying to decide whether to remain in the classroom. He would make more money in the family business. Meanwhile, he faces an ethical dilemma as he is pressured by the vice principal to give a passing grade to a capable student from an abusive home who has not completed the work. This version of the play, Marquis said, challenged audiences by bringing to life the reality that teachers are under pressure because of standardized testing without getting the support they need to deal with the most difficult of circumstances. The second version toured until 1997.

I AM A TEACHER III

Marquis will premiere his 2012 update, I Am A Teacher III on September 13 at Austin College. Teacher Ben James, now in his 60s, is considering retiring from teaching and is given a rookie teacher to mentor. He wonders if he has “one good fight” left in him to inspire the young teacher. He shares wisdom from 40 years of experience though he remains unfulfilled because he feels American education should provide so much more to students.

This new version explores decades of American education as well as the potential for new schools and new ways of educating students.

THE AUTHOR

Teaching is not the only theatrical inspiration for Marquis, now of Dallas, who earned a B.A. from Austin College in 1973 and an M.A. in 1974. He has written six one-person plays in addition to I Am A Teacher, all having been produced throughout the country, and has written three other books. His interests have taken him to El Salvador where he was an election observer, to refugee camps along the border of Pakistan to spend time with Afghan freedom fighters at war with the Soviet Union, to South Africa during the apartheid movement, and to Nicaragua and the Philippines for grassroots economic development work. He also is an environmental and education activist. Marquis, named an Austin College Distinguished Alumnus in 1992, dedicates his work as an author and an activist to his grandchildren, “that he might leave the world a better place for them.”

Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives.