How long have you been teaching?

This is my 14th year teaching. It’s my seventh year at TWHS.

Where were you teaching before coming to TWHS?

So, I was a TA for intro level acting classes in my last few years of College. I also worked a little as a Teaching Artist and Acting Coach before coming into the classroom. Basically I would get hired to teach specialized master courses at acting studios. In the traditional education system I taught at Tomball Memorial High School and Creekside Park Junior High before I came here.

Did you teach anything prior to Theatre Arts?

I have always taught Theater. My degree is in Theater. I did teach Yearbook in addition to theater when I opened Creekside Park for a few years. Since it was a brand new school when I started there I had to wear many hats but other than that it has always been theater. 

What types of Theater have you taught?

All the usual courses of theater in 7-12. I have taught Theatre I Acting , Theatre II Acting , Theatre III Acting, Theatre IV Acting, Musical Theater, Tech I, Tech II, Tech III, Tech IV as well as Theater Productions I-IV. However, at TWHS I only teach Theater I and it is a combination course instead of splitting performance and tech like I have done in the past. But prior, I taught all of the things.

What did you do before teaching?

I was an actor. I also had other jobs as well. Acting is gig work so you have to find ways to have steady income. So if I wasn’t acting- or while acting, depending- I either did restaurant work or banking.

Do you have any favorite acting experiences prior to teaching?

Prior to teaching, I had a company for a little bit, with some friends, and that was a lot of fun because we got to do the shows we wanted to do. We specialized in found spaces. We did not have a set theater that every show performed in. Instead we would find a place that matched the vibe of the show and turn it into a theater for the duration of each production. I also enjoyed being a part of a traveling company. I was in a number of  traditional plays but I also did improv, like I traveled with a troupe with improv. That was just different all the time… You just never knew what was going to happen. It was an adrenaline rush. 

Do you have any favorite teaching experiences?

I took a group to Scotland a couple years ago, and that was amazing. For me, it was amazing on a couple different levels. Selfishly, it was amazing because as a performer, I had always wanted to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It’s the largest international festival where there’s usually somewhere between 3,000 to 4,000 performances in the month of August that takes over the whole town. It was like a bucket list thing to do. I didn’t realize that they had a high school circuit. And so then, when I found out, I wanted to take my students. At that point it was no longer about me. To get to experience it through my students eyes – was amazing! It is hard to put into words. Performing  to sold out audiences full of strangers and working side by side with professionals unlocked a level of artistry in them that was magical. It will always be a treasured experience.