Megan Gogerty is director of undergraduate studies and associate professor of instruction in the Theatre Arts department, College of Liberal Arts and Instruction. She is a playwright and comedian.

Tell us about your hometown; how did it shape you?

I’m a sixth generation Iowan, born on the east side of Des Moines. Raised by a single mother, we never had a lot of money, but I never noticed, because all my friends were in the same boat. Des Moines had one of the finest public school systems in America when I was a kid, and I was lucky enough to get a first-rate education. I remember going to the Art Center when I was a teenager, feeling so sophisticated and yet so small. From Des Moines, I could see the whole wide world. It was a beautiful launching pad.

Tell us about your hobbies/outside interests.

As a theatre artist, it’s hard to develop hobbies outside my art, because I practically live at the theatre. But since the pandemic, I’ve tried to cultivate a more balanced life. I’ve become an avid, if cautious, roller skater. I also have an embarrassingly long DuoLingo streak - embarrassing, because how could I rack up 1350 days’ worth of Italian lessons and still only be able to say words like “pizza” and “linguini”?

If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

I love questions like this, and I’ve given this one serious thought: I would be a Palomino race horse named Thunder. My evidence: in my heart, I long to gallop through the meadow with the wind in my blonde mane. Also, I have mighty thighs, so my hooves would rock the ground. You didn’t ask me what geological formation I would be, but the answer is: I would be a mountain, also named Thunder. 

Can you share a recent book/movie/performance that you found compelling and why?

Emily St. John Mandel has three interlocking books, each more breathtaking than the last: Station Eleven (which is also a miniseries on MAX), The Glass Hotel, and Sea of Tranquility. That’s the order I read them in, so that’s the order I recommend. First, watch the MAX miniseries, then devour all three books, then light a candle in gratitude that there are such gorgeous novels and such a compelling writer. 

What attracted you to the University of Iowa?

I knew I wanted to be a writer as soon as I learned to write, but despite my love of theatre, it never occurred to me to become a playwright; I figured all the playwrights were already dead. Then, in high school, I attended an Iowa Theatre Arts outreach event. It was a playwriting class. I was the only student who showed up. It changed my life. I went to Iowa for college, majored in Theatre, and thrived. When I got the opportunity to give back as faculty, it was my honor to accept. 

What surprised you the most about the university?

I am constantly impressed by the humanity and strength of character among the faculty and staff across the university. I knew we were peopled with brilliant geniuses, but the level of care, goodwill, and shared purpose among my colleagues inspires me every day. 

How would you explain to a child what you do?

Oscar Brownstein said, “Art is the creation of experience.” That’s what I do: I create experiences. Theatre doesn’t happen on the stage or on the page, it happens in the minds of the audience. The audience plays a collective game of Let’s Pretend, and at the end, we’re all transformed. 

Tell us about a project or achievement of which you are particularly proud.

In the early terrifying weeks of the pandemic, when we were all learning the phrase, “social distancing”, I created a theatre piece called The Tether. It was a play for an audience of one household, performed on their lawn or sidewalk. My “set” was a 25-foot rope. The audience member would hold one end of the rope, and I would hold the other. I performed it at 30 households around Iowa City, and it transformed me every time. The power of live theatre, of connection, is unparalleled.

What changes are on the horizon for your work or your discipline?

The theatre industry was rocked by the pandemic. Institutions we thought would stand forever have been shutting their doors or radically downsizing. It’s a destabilized environment, but it’s also a once-in-a-generation opportunity for reinvention. The old models are crumbling? Time to imagine new models. Despite reports to the contrary, theatre will never die. Arts organizations might shrivel up, but the art form itself is irrepressible. 

What piece of advice would you give to today's students?

Look for ways to be of service to your community. Service to others is our highest calling. Service requires humility, curiosity, compassion, and creativity. Creativity is the wellspring of joy. 

In closing, what words of wisdom would you like to share, what quotation or person inspires you, what does the next chapter look like? Give us your "off the top of your head" responses to these or other summary thoughts.

We live in uncertain times. What I love about my work in the classroom and on the stage is how it connects me to others. My job is to create opportunities for people to step away from the noise of our plugged-in, distracted lives, and find laughter, solace, and truth in community with others. I want to keep learning. I want to bring joy. I want to help. I want to grow. I am proud to be a member of the UI faculty.