Alumni Spotlight: Vaughn Pole ’22
The Alumni Spotlight is a place to hear from the School of the Arts alumni community about their journeys as artists and creators.
Vaughn Pole ’22 is an alum of the Acting program. His recent credits include Shakespeare & Company, Royal Court Theatre, Berkshire Theater Group, and Northampton Center for the Arts. He will be playing Laertes in Hamlet for the 25th Season of the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival.
Was there a specific faculty member or peer who especially inspired you while at the School of the Arts? If so, who and how?
It’s far too difficult, and honestly unfair to single out any faculty member. They were all incredibly supportive of the training that I needed as an actor. None of them gave up on me, even after all the headaches I caused them. I would constantly ask them to break down and distill their teachings. I demanded clarity to what it is about a performance that makes a subjective art form almost objective when we all agree on what greatness looks like on stage. I would say I was inspired by Ron Van Lieu, for the mere fact that he was still teaching and doing what he loves at 80 years old. I remember him saying in a joking way, “I can’t die if I have rehearsal tomorrow. You guys can’t direct yourselves with Chekhov. As long as I have rehearsal, I have to keep living.”
How did attending the School of the Arts impact your work and career as an artist?
Attending the School of the Arts gave me the confidence I needed to walk into any room with an unshakable self-belief that my talent is enough. As actors, we have chosen a profession where the majority of the time, the results of an audition will not be in our favor. Hearing a limitless amount of “No’s” week after week, or year after year, has the potential to shake you out of that belief that you have a gift to share with the world. It’s ultimately up to you whether you let it. To work from a place of I have nothing to prove, but a gift to share with you, has definitely changed how I approach my work.
What were the most pressing social/political issues on the minds of the students when you were here?
Without a doubt the Covid-19 pandemic along with the unforgiving amount of Black people who died from police brutality. It’s a blessing I’m here today.
What was your favorite or most memorable class while at the School of the Arts?
I didn’t have a favorite class, but what I appreciated the most was that in every class, no teacher cut me any slack. My professors understood the kind of actor that I wanted to be, and they made sure they provided me with the tools, and did the best they could to get me to the level I needed to be by the time I graduated.
What were the first steps you took after graduating?
Luckily I was able to have secured a job with Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Massachusetts, where I played Claudio in Measure for Measure. My mentor John Douglas Thompson was able to see me play the same role he did at Trinity Rep with Viola Davis back in 1993, so that was a surreal moment for me. James Calleri also came through to support. Shoutout to James!
What advice would you give to recent graduates?
Don’t play the waiting game. Don’t wait for the next audition. Don't wait to hear back from casting. Don’t wait for your agent to call you. It’s your career and you have to take control of it because no one will care about it more than you. Create opportunities for yourself. Write your own scripts, grab your friend who has a camera, and make your own films. Rent out a space or use the park and put on your own show. People will come. Don’t compare your journey to others. Be happy for everyone’s success, because when your time comes, you would want people to be happy for you. You would want people to say, “That role was made for ____” instead of “I could’ve done that better, or my friend would’ve been better cast.” Drink water, exercise, not too much alcohol, safe sex, and pray!