Author: Charlotte Flight
A faculty member at Occidental College has reached success on the small screen as producer of the hit NBC show, “The Blacklist.” Dr. Anthony Sparks, adjunct professor for the media arts and culture program in the Art History and Visual Arts department, has worked in the theater and television industry for over a decade and joined Occidental this fall to share his expertise in screenwriting and critical theory. He is teaching the interdisciplinary narrative practices class, in which students write pieces influenced by critical issues facing society.
“The Blacklist” was one of the first shows to premiere this season, garnering critical attention and impressive ratings. In the series, James Spader (“Boston Legal”) plays ex-FBI operative-gone-bad Raymond “Red” Reddington who turns himself in at the beginning of the first episode. Red claims to have intelligence on a number of national security threats but will only share his information with new agent Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone). Red has compiled the threats into what he calls “the blacklist,” and each episode centers around a name on the list, along with the mysterious relationship between Red and Keen.
Sparks’ role on the project is to suggest ideas for the creative direction of the show and quickly produce quality scripts. Although Sparks acknowledges the creative constraints of writing for television, the quality of talent involved in “The Blacklist” has given him freedom to take risks.
“James Spader gives you a lot to work with,” Sparks said. “He is an actor who can hit it out of the park right away. It’s wonderful watching him bring his magic. He only elevates the story.”
Sparks has described television as a collaborative process. Creator/ Executive Producer Jon Bokemkamp and Executive Producer John Eisendrath have put together a team of writers and producers, including Sparks, to be part of the “creative brain” of the series, as Sparks described it. On average a television show produces episodes one to two months in advance of broadcast. Sparks said that the team of writers act as an “ideas machine” to ensure the show never falls behind schedule.
With his work in writing, producing and teaching, Sparks has accumulated a great deal of knowledge about the industry. Throughout his career, Sparks knew he wanted to pass on his expertise to others.
“I have seen so many people with so much experience reach the apex of their career with no outlet through which they can share their expertise,” Sparks said.
During his childhood on the South Side of Chicago, Sparks was heavily involved in community theater. With an initial interest in acting, he attended the University of Southern California (USC) where he was exposed to great dramatic literature. Sparks then took a series of roles in regional theater and thereafter moved to New York with a role in the international percussion show “STOMP,” where performers use their bodies and inanimate objects to create a theater performance. While performing in New York, Sparks began writing plays, and television executives took notice. He won a number of fellowships, which gave him the opportunity to work with big production companies such as Warner Bros. and Disney.
“Now, these achievements did not lead me directly to work, which is important to me, but did allow me to meet the right people,” Sparks said.
Sparks got his first job on crime show “The District” in 2003. Success throughout the next 10 years followed, including work with J.J. Abrams on “Undercovers.” In 2009 Sparks worked on the ABC Family crime drama “Lincoln Heights,” of which he said he is particularly proud.
Despite his success, the television industry is a place with prolonged periods of time off, whether they be from a hiatus or a cancellation. During these breaks Sparks pursued his dream of higher education. He believes artists have an equal voice in critical discussions as academics, but due to the nature of their work, they often lack the opportunity or drive to pursue the qualifications necessary to fully contribute to critical discourse.
“I wanted to be a sharper critical thinker,” he said. “I want to think about critical issues that I might not be able to achieve in television or film. By being a better critical thinker, I became a better scholar and artist.”
Having received his Ph.D from USC in American Studies and Ethnicity, Sparks pursued teaching and is now in his second year at Occidental. Between teaching, writing, producing and family life (during his years studying he had three children, including a set of twins), Sparks is a happy man.
“I am blessed and fortunate with the success I have found, and I am thrilled to be a part of Oxy,” he said.
“The Blacklist” has been picked up for a full season and continues on NBC, Mondays at 10 p.m. PST.
This article has been archived, for more requests please contact us via the support system.
