Steve Maurice Jones, Broadway actor and teacher, has been elected as ETSU’s 2026 Wayne G. Basler Chair of Excellence. ETSU bestows a visiting scholar every spring semester the honor of being the Basler chair to support a certain school of study. This year, the Department of Theater and Dance was chosen, where Jones will be creating interdisciplinary relationships with other areas of study on campus.

Jones wants to focus on helping as many students and departments as possible during his time at ETSU. 

Contributed/ETSU

Jones was featured in Broadway shows such as “Julius Caesar,” “Saint Joan,” “The Lifespan of a Fact,” as well as the television show “Godfather of Harlem.” His expertise finds itself exemplary in the topic of the plays and writings of William Shakespeare, as he experienced it himself in his roles.  

This semester, the Basler Chair will work in a class with Dr. Joshua Reid from the Department of Literature and Language. They will collaborate on a Shakespeare-specific class to enhance students’ learning with a taste of theater. 

“I love being an educator and I love the opportunity to bring my skill set and my acumen down here to ETSU; to work with, learn from and grow with these students in this community,” Jones said. 

Additionally, Jones will be directing a production of “Passage,” a production by Christopher Chen this spring, bringing his Broadway experience to the stage here in Appalachia. 

“I want to use the power of language, the power of rhetoric, arts and sciences to allow students to see themselves as more than what they are, what they thought they could be, and that they might, in fact, be bigger than what their body gives them credit for,” Jones said.

The new Basler Chair will be stretching himself into many areas of studies such as criminal kustice, African American studies, storytelling and international affairs and business.

Jones is excited to begin his advocacy here at ETSU and cannot wait to see how much he can help his students.

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