Brother Ron Travers' passion for drama

Brother Ron Travers, S.C., who has been teaching at Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma for the past three years, has a passion for drama. He has a long history of directing school plays, 63 total throughout his career.

The Brother of the Sacred Heart, who teaches psychology, religion for seniors and dual enrollment college English for seniors, says he came to Houma because he was looking for a change. He spent the first half of his life, up until now, in California and the other half in New York and New Jersey.

The California native taught in his home state for 12 years before joining the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, which brought him to the east coast. He became a brother in 1984 and spent the next 22 years teaching in New York and New Jersey. Brother Ron says he thought about becoming a religious brother on and off since he was 12 years old. He attended college where he had Christian brothers as teachers and says they were fantastic and he wanted to be like them.

“I thought about it for a long time,” he says. “In those days you had to join by a certain age and I wasn’t getting any younger, so I finally applied. When I was accepted, I had to sell my house and pack up everything I owned. After that, I got in my car, drove across the country and never looked back.”

Brother Ron says he was a member of the choir from the fourth grade all the way through college, and was also involved with the drama club while he was in school. When he began teaching, he started helping the teacher who produced the school plays and he never stopped.

“I’ve always felt like theater is very much an extension of teaching. It should make you stop, look, and consider all the things that are going on in the world around you and make connections; and that’s what teaching is all about … making connections.”                                                                                                                                                            Photo by Lawrence Chatagnier

Brother Ron’s latest play was one he directed at Vandebilt this past fall entitled All Kinds of People, which is a narrated musical revue developed especially for schools that addresses the dangers of prejudice, the importance of tolerance and the empowerment of self-esteem, through the lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II. He directed the play 20 years ago when he was teaching in New Jersey; it was very successful there and he says it was very well received here.

“The play is about looking at the various forms of prejudice, which is so timely today. The students here really liked the idea, even though it’s not your traditional type of play,” says Brother Ron. “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s plays are all about dealing with issues that are not usually dealt with on stage.”

There is value in young people participating in the performing arts on so many levels, says Brother Ron. “Theater exposes students to a world view; it helps them understand how to look at situations or circumstances from another point of view; it teaches them good communication skills that they can use throughout their lifetime; it enhances their speaking ability; gives them more confidence and enhances their creativity.”

Brother Ron says he has always looked at theater as a form of teaching.

“My whole idea with drama is that I want to teach and entertain when I put on a play. Theater should not just be entertainment; it’s meant to teach!! Theater has been a great experience for me all these years and that’s why I stay with it.”