20 Answers: President of S.C. Governor's School, Bruce R. Halverson

Hometown: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Education: B.A., Augustana College, Sioux Falls; Ph.D., Theatre History, University of Washington, Seattle
Role Model: "My mother - a kind, intelligent and generous woman."

(1) My life has been somewhat nomadic. I have lived in large cities, including Seattle, Los Angeles, and Rochester, New York ... If we put Greenville aside, I probably liked upstate New York the best. I lived outside of Ithaca for many years and found the diversity of people, terrain, and activities fascinating.

(2) My speech teacher in college was directing a play, and he needed someone to play a minor character. He told me I could improve my grade if I would be in the play. He hit me in my weak spot—my grade needed some serious help.

(3) Our society must understand that artists help shape everything we see and do—and the quality of these surroundings is dependent upon supporting education and opportunities for artists.

(4) My greatest challenge is clearly the funding issues. We are a public high school and our district is the entire state. In the past eighteen months, our budget has been reduced by 25 percent. We have maintained our excellence in academics and arts, but all of the support areas have been significantly impacted.

(5) Each day I am thrilled to see young artists blossom. It’s a gift to be able to spend my time with talented students who now have the time and training to become exceptional artists and knowledgeable citizens.

(6) For many years, I worked with deaf theatre and dance artists, and this work helped me understand that young artists, no matter their background or supposed limitations, should have the opportunity to develop their gifts.

(7) I continue to admire Tom Hanks as an actor and as an individual. I worked with him in his first full season as a professional, and it was immediately clear to me that he was an enormous talent.

(8) My work with deaf artists made me look at my work in a fresh and innovative manner—I had to ensure that both deaf and hearing audiences simultaneously could enjoy and understand performances at an equal level.

(9) I paid for college playing rock and roll with The Fabulous Jadesmen and we are still playing today—it’s great fun. Our music is drawn from the first decade of rock and roll, so I like James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and other troublesome characters of that period.

(10) My most memorable encounter was when I met my wife. I saw her. I was immediately attracted. The best thing that ever happened to me.

(11) Since I have lived most of my life in areas with cold weather, I think the weather in Greenville is wonderful—and, of course, Greenville has the best residential arts high school in the country.

(12) With my roots in theatre directing, I’m most comfortable creating opportunities for other artists and students to do their best work. My goal as a director, producer, educator, and administrator is to create environments where people can fully explore and develop their talents.

(13) For the most part, I spend my life backstage. As a playwright, director, and producer, my joy is found in seeing others perform.

(14) Over the years I have seen hundreds and hundreds of plays. I love good theatre—it doesn’t matter if a play is classic or contemporary, it has to be well written and well performed. If it is, I’m grateful to be in the audience.

(15) As an artist and a producer for artists, I believe art offers tremendous insight into how people make decisions and relate to each other, as well as providing audiences a positive emotional experience.

(16) My primary art form is the theatre, but I am also a minimally talented rock-and-roll musician.

(17) Southern foods fit right into my eating habits—except for green things and grits. I like fried food, barbecue, and desserts, especially pecan pie, causing my wife great despair.

(18) Our society must understand that artists help shape everything we see and do—and the quality of these surroundings is dependent upon supporting education and opportunities for artists.

(19) When I graduated from high school, I was determined to become an attorney—obviously, I lost my way.

(20) Several years ago my wife, Nancy, and I attended an international children’s theatre festival in a Norwegian fishing village above the Arctic Circle—of course, it was in the summer. It was the largest collection of imaginative and inspiring productions that I had ever seen.