Dr. Jeff Frame, professor of dramatic arts, will be receiving the Generational Impact Award at Homecoming 2023. The Generational Impact Award is given to a current or former Trevecca employee who has impacted students for more than three decades.
Dr. Jeff Frame began college with hopes of becoming an engineer, but when a professor introduced him to theatre, the trajectory of his whole life changed.
“I loved science but I didn't feel called to it. My sophomore year, I met a theatre professor who got me involved in some productions,” Frame said. “The more I started doing it, the more I realized I really loved it, and I loved it because it went against my nature as an introvert. By my junior year, I felt a calling to do theater.”
In addition to doing professional work after graduation, Frame completed his master’s in theatre education at Emerson University and taught for a couple of years at his alma mater, Eastern Nazarene University. Eventually, he found his way to Trevecca and has now been teaching in the School of Arts and Social Sciences for 33 years. Frame teaches theatre courses, including acting, directing and playwriting, as well as some film courses.
He also leads all of Trevecca’s theatre productions, which give students the ability to put the skills they are learning into practice. In the 2023-2024 school year he will oversee productions of “A Year with Frog and Toad,” “Androcles and the Lion” and Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” along with Mosaic, which showcases original student work.
“Much of what I teach is skills-oriented and performance-based. So we ask that our students don't just sit in a classroom, but that they exercise those muscles and work in rehearsals and behind the scenes,” said Frame.
Throughout his career, he has seen many changes at Trevecca, but one thing has stayed the same: the incredible students he gets to teach and the colleagues he gets to work with.
“The people that I've worked with have been unfailingly graceful and kind. I have great relationships with fellow faculty and administrators and I love working in the spirit of collaboration,” Frame said. “The hard part about teaching is that you get to know students and then every four years, they move on. It's bittersweet because I love our students and I love seeing God's calling on their lives.”
Frame was humbled to learn that he’d be receiving the award in recognition of his accomplishments, and in reflecting on his three decades plus at Trevecca, there are a few things he hopes students have taken away from their time with him.
“On a personal level, I want students to not live for theater, but live for God. It's very easy as an artist to be very passionate about what you do and to make that all you ever think about,” Frame said. “People around you can get lost in the mix. Part of being who God has called you to be is to be both passionate and compassionate. I would want students to take away a sense of responsibility to care for what they do but also care for the people who God places in their path.”
