Humans of BASIS: Connection to Happiness

Mr. Hanlon glides through the hallways, laptop and book in hand, striding gracefully but intently. If you pass him, he may give you a slight nod or a brief wave of the hand. These calm and methodical movements follow him into his classroom, where his poised composure delicately guides the class through the nuances of complex topics.

Many may be astounded when informed that Mr. Hanlon is a professional actor, as actors are often associated with being flamboyant and over-expressive. This stereotype is far from accurate — “a lot of the great actors that I know from drama school [...], who I was friends with, are more like me,” describes Mr. Hanlon. “You wouldn't know them as actors.” It’s hard to overstate the significance of acting in his life, with his greatest theatrical accomplishment being a lead role in a comedic play called “The 39 Steps” at Off Square Theater. Acting encompassesa vast spectrum of roles — from dramatic acting that requires the actor to be on the same emotional wavelength as the audience, to comedic acting where one distances their emotions. Mr. Hanlon’s specialty lies in dramatic acting — “ [comedic acting] was a huge learning curve for me,” he reminisces. When he performs, there is a certain resonance with the audience, a connection to something greater. “They are focused on you, and you are sending out something to them. There's this amazing connection that happens,” he explains. “It’s exhilarating. It’s what makes acting so magical.”

This magic manifests itself in other unexpected places. During his high school years, Russia was opening up to the west — something entirely unprecedented. “There was something about the Soviet Union and how different it was from America that made me curious about it,” reminisces Mr. Hanlon. His curiosity led him to start learning Russian in his first year of college, and by his third year, he was proficient. “Russian became my emotional language,” he says. “When I’m in really intense experiences [...] I start processing in Russian.”

This emotional connection initiated a new pursuit: Russian play translations, which synthesized two of his “emotionally wedded” avocations — the Russian language and theater. These translations differ greatly from homework in typical language classes — here, every nuance of every word had to be carefully considered. “I don't know if you realize how much creativity is involved in creating a play translation,” he remarks. “I [have to] consider the weight of every word.” Translating requires such attention to detail that he runs out of creativity after a few hours. His translations originated as a labor of love, but upon reaching the top of the field, he started receiving commissions for his work. “Theater companies and playwrights now come to me and say, ‘Will you translate this play?’ ” laughs Mr. Hanlon. “I say, do you have the money for me to translate this play?”

His dedication to examining literature extends beyond play translation. Literary works, too, require thorough examination to uncover the author’s hidden messages. “So when I read, I annotate very heavily, allowing me to find subtle patterns [...] and make connections. I feel like great works offer these little motifs that add to their significance,” he explains. In Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky, a book he’s meticulously pored over, his careful annotations led him to an unprecedented theory. “I believe that there is a character who is the same person as another character in disguise, but this is never said. It’s a big clue to his vision.” He describes this process as non-cerebral. “It surprises people that it matters so much to me and that my heart is so in it,” he says. Students often remark on the intensity he brings to his classes. “Mr. Hanlon will consistently have the most comprehensive interpretations of the literature we read,” describes Anjali, a student in Mr. Hanlon’s AP English Language class. “I can tell he wants us to engage because he is passionate about the piece itself.”

Innate curiosities drove Mr. Hanlon to undertake a multitude of majors and degrees. “I realized that there were so many questions I had about the meaning of life, and how humans find meaning in the world… there was so much more I wanted to study.” After graduating from Swarthmore College with a double major in Political Science and Russian, he realized his questions remained largely unanswered. “I was still trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life… nothing really panned out.” In an attempt to satisfy his curiosities, he pursued a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, which gave him the freedom to pose his own questions, take courses that helped to answer those questions, and write a thesis consolidating all that he learned. Things started to pan out — his Master of Arts condensed his future into 3 possible paths: professional actor, social worker, or college professor. In interviewing professionals in those fields, he discovered none of these paths quite aligned with his aspirations. Instead, he chose to teach high school — a combination of all his potential careers. A local high school offered Mr. Hanlon an apprenticeship, which inspired him to pursue a path in education. “I got the same sort of high that I get when I perform well on stage,” he says when recalling the first class he taught. “I got to help those students get where they need to be.” Just like literature, teaching is a craft that can never be perfected. After every lecture, he reflects on what he can do better — “there’s a ton to learn,” he states. Online school posed a significant challenge, as the multitude of new technologies presented a steep learning curve. “There was so much to learn, and I failed at it so many times,” he recalls. “Accepting failure after teaching for almost 25 years was hard, but I learned a lot and became one of the most adept at using those technologies.”

Teaching is just one of the areas Mr. Hanlon channels his energy into, with another being building a sustainable future. One of his must-read books — The Battle for Human Nature by Barry Schwartz — helped him realize the possibilities in life. For him, two issues are the most significant: global deforestation and wealth inequality. He regularly donates to Right Sharing of World Resources, an organization that provides microgrants to small women’s collectives in developing regions (resulting in the creation of local businesses and societal projects). This initiative redistributes wealth and “gives power to local people to decide on things that are needed specifically in their environment,” he explains, giving them a stake in their future. “I believe in the power of radical hope. Hope has deep roots in getting us to a livable future.”