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(Crouch, a college dropout, began teaching drama there in his 20s.)
What was Stanley like as a mentor?
That felt very important, because he was so stunningly smart to me when I first met him.
And seeing how smart and flawed he was was liberating to me.
I directed him in a play in Pomona,The Fabulous Miss Marie.
He was the husband of Miss Marie.
All students and him.
So keep evolving and keep doing as many different things as you want to.
You meet people when youre young and confident who affirm this idea that you have about yourself.
They help you believe it.
It seemed like he took his moving-target advice to heart, considering the changes in his approach to jazz.
A dynamic that can exist in New York is that the cult of personality can overshadow the substance.
Even if you didnt agree with him, there was an incredible thoughtfulness that was going on.
Thats what I connected to.
Did you ever get into an argument with him?
That seems like an interesting experience, considering hiswork history.
I didnt consider this other work to be on the same exact level as mine.
It sort of wounded me, but I got over it very quickly.
That was really fascinating to me.
But I was never on the receiving end of any of his brutality.
As a creator and someone who knew him, how do you interpret some of his more controversial criticism?
Thats one of the things, you go, No, no, youre saying that about Toni Morrison?
Were not interested in that.
Do you know what I mean?
Im sure for him there was a thoughtful basis, but there was a degree of sensationalism to it.
I think you are the time that you were born.
You cant separate who he evolved into from who he was and what he overcame.
I think he was 22 when he began teaching at Pomona thats an astonishing accomplishment.
The details of ones story leads one to their political and cultural beliefs.
Theyre not abstract, theyre incredibly intimate.
His approach became: I did it, I can do it, everybody else should be able to.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
