Affiliated Departments & Programs
Jonathan Tazewell is an award winning writer and director of the feature film "Gotta Get Down To It" and other short films, including his award winning film, "Breezewood." He has been a theater actor and director for over 40 years, and his credits include a one-man production of "Paul Robeson" at the Red Herring Theater (Columbus, OH), work with the Kenyon Playwrights Festival, being a member of the Arden Theater Company (Philadelphia), Walnut Street Theater (Philadelphia) and Contemporary American Theatre Company (Columbus).
Tazewell has been teaching at Kenyon since 1997. He won the Trustees' Excellence in Teaching Award from the college in 2004 and was named The Thomas S. Turgeon Professor of Drama and Film in 2008. Tazewell won the Distinguished Service Award from the college in 2018. He is a 1984 graduate of the College, having majored in chemistry.
Tazewell earned his master of fine arts degree from California Institute of the Arts in directing for theater, video and cinema where he studied with the renowned director Alexander Mackendrick. After Tazewell returned to join the Kenyon faculty, he developed and established the Kenyon film major.
Areas of Expertise
Theater directing, filmmaking, acting
Education
1995 — Master of Fine Arts from California Institute Arts
1984 — Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College
Courses Recently Taught
The Honors Program in American studies entails a two-semester sequence of independent work integral to the elective-study program in the major, taken during the senior year. Students enrolled in this course will be automatically added to AMST 498Y for the spring semester. Permission of instructor and department chair required. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement.
The Honors Program in American studies entails a two-semester sequence of independent work integral to the elective-study program in the major, taken during the senior year. Permission of instructor and department chair required. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement.
The work of this course involves the realization in the theater of the efforts of an important playwright, as expressed in the text for a particular play. Problems in textual analysis, historical research and the creation of a production lead, by way of independent and cooperative activity involving acting, design and special problems, to public performance before an audience. Note: Students who, in the judgment of the instructional and directorial staff, have made significant creative contributions to the effectiveness of the production will have an audit indicated on their academic record.
This course examines how theater differs from other arts and how various theatrical artists bring a play to life. Through a series of creative assignments, we explore what a play is and how it's structured. Assignments consist of a series of playwriting projects and one acting project, which students perform while collaborating with their classmates. Students read at least five plays and a series of essays about the theory and practice of he theater. Each student writes, directs and presents a final short play and takes a final exam. Any student with an interest in the theater will find this a challenging course, regardless of previous experience. Because this course is an introduction to the vocabulary of the theater, it is a prerequisite to most other courses in the department. This counts toward the drama and film majors. No prerequisite. Offered every year.
In this course, we consider the collaborative nature of filmmaking and how its various crafts combine to tell stories with perhaps the greatest mass appeal of any artistic medium. We explore dramatic narrative structure, mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing and film genres as they have been used and advanced in the history of cinema. In addition to regular class meetings, attendance at weekly film showings is required. This course includes an introduction to film production in which students are expected to write, direct and film short projects in collaboration with their classmates. This course is ideal for first-year students and is required for the major. No prerequisite. Generally offered once a year.
This course considers how we use dramatic narrative theory based on the ideas presented in "The Poetics" by Aristotle and Joseph Campbell's explanation of the Monomyth theory in film. The course is designed for students to learn to write short screenplays and present staged versions of them with their classmates as actors. These screenplays are not filmed. The focus of the course is on pre-production in film and on understanding structure and cinematic writing. Students develop strategies on how to work with actors to develop a performance. Eliminating the challenges of learning the use of film cameras or sound equipment allows students to develop the skills of planning shots, staging action and crafting a performance. Students read selected screenplays to analyze how structural models work. This course can substitute the requirement of DRAM 111 for film majors. No prerequisite.
This course explores cinematography as an art of visual storytelling. The cinematographer plays a critical role in shaping the light and composition of an image and capturing that image for the screen. Students investigate the theory and practice of this unique visual language and its power as a narrative element in cinema. Students study films by accomplished cinematographers and engage in the work of the cinematographer through a series of projects. This course is taught at the Wright Center in Mount Vernon. This counts toward a course requirement for the major. Prerequisite: FILM 111. Generally offered every year.
Because the director has, perhaps, the most comprehensive impact on a film, this course considers films directed by African American people. The representation of African Americans throughout history has been perverted using visual imagery, and modern images in film and television are not exempt. However, African Americans have been contributing since the beginning of film history to the imaging or re-imaging of the culture and its people. This course looks at these contributions and the images of African Americans they help to create, as well as how these representations have changed over time. This counts toward the film genre course requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Generally offered every third year.
This course focuses on the understanding of cinema through the practical application of pre-production and post-production techniques. Students learn the art of telling a story on screen by taking on the roles of the major positions in a film production, including producer, director, actor, cinematographer and editor. This course is taught at the Wright Center in Mount Vernon. This counts toward the production course requirement for the major. Prerequisite: FILM 111. Generally offered every year.
This is a course in screen acting. Students explore the unique and peculiar nature of acting in front of a camera. What demands does screen acting have that are different from performances on stage? How do screen actors tell a coherent story given the disruptive process of filming a narrative? Students explore the nature and technique of acting on camera by performing scenes from existing screenplays with classmates, and the scenes are recorded. We watch these recordings in class and critique students' work. Students are graded on their preparation and performance. Students engage with several visiting artists who work in the film and television industry. This counts toward the production course requirement for the major. Prerequisite: DRAM 111. Generally offered every third year.
This course is designed primarily for students majoring in film, though it is not limited to senior majors. It is also open to non-majors with a significant interest in film directing who have taken many film courses offered in the department. Students make a series of very short films and develop a film project of approximately 10–15 minutes in length. This process involves a deeper understanding of writing, budgeting, producing, cinematography and editing of short films through class exercises. This course will be taught at the Wright Center in Mount Vernon. This counts toward the production course requirement for the major. Prerequisite: FILM 261. Generally offered every year.
This seminar is for senior majors in film. Through this course, senior majors prepare for the completion of their Senior Capstone. Students present their project proposals, develop these projects through collaboration with peers, critique one another's work and utilize feedback to improve their individual projects. Students are expected to provide project schedules and weekly status updates and to meet regular guideposts for project completion. This course culminates in public presentations of the senior projects and oral examinations by faculty in the department. One semester of this course is required for the major, but it may be taken twice for credit.
Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly; a feature-length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, that qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.
Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly; a feature-length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, that qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.
Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly; a feature-length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, that qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.
Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly; a feature-length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, that qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.
Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly; a feature-length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, that qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.
Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly; a feature-length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, that qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.
Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly; a feature-length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, that qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.
Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly; a feature-length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, that qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.
Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly; a feature-length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, that qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.