Teaching Philosophy 

Theater training should be a period where students cultivate their unique artistic identities to thoughtfully engage with the world around them. It should also be an environment where educators investigate and model their own artistic and pedagogical values. I am drawn to theatre education that nurtures students’ collaborative spirits and consistently questions traditional methods and hierarchies. I feel rewarded as an educator when my students gain the courage to tell new stories and develop the confidence to re-imagine classics from their own perspectives. I have committed the last 6 years to learning about and implementing inclusive pedagogical practices in performance spaces. The success I have found as an educator affirms my conviction that, in an ever-changing world, compassion, curiosity, and collaboration should drive my work.  

I believe that successful performance education is characterized by the understanding that there are many ways to achieve a “good” performance, and that “talent” can look very different from performer to performer. It is my role as an instructor to offer adaptable methodologies and learning tools to facilitate the identities in the space. My background includes American Theatre classics such as Stanislavski, Hagen, and Meisner, but my coursework often reflects my advanced training in Knight Thompson Speechwork, intimacy direction, Laban Movement Analysis, Lessac Kinesensics, and the Chekhov Approach. I am energized by the malleability, full body listening, and exploration present in these methodologies, but I also understand that more traditional acting approaches may work well for students. Implying that one approach is "more correct" than another—whether in a student’s choice of method or how they speak in their accent—can be very damaging in theatre education. In Stages of Reckoning: Antiracist and Decolonial Actor Training, Alison Nicole Vasquez says it best “For many of my students, intuition is more reliable than congruence of psychological attributes and behavior. For these young actors, storytelling comes from their gut, it is a part of community, survival, passion, and instinct” (131). I endeavor each semester to understand the students I have in my classes and productions and shape our work together to reflect their goals. 

I utilize several resources to create an inclusive learning environment in classes and rehearsals. I gravitate toward stories that illuminate historically underrepresented narratives, and our work that is not student-created often spotlights this value. I model and offer consent-forward practices, ensuring students have the skills to advocate for themselves and engage bravely in their artistic pursuits. Students communicate their learning styles, needs, and requests by completing a questionnaire inspired by the Abolitionist Teaching Network Guide to Racial Justice and Social and Emotional Learning. We follow the National Equity Project’s approach to collaboratively crafting community agreements so students can contribute to their classroom culture. After a continuing education workshop about teaching students experiencing economic hardship, I offered a communally filled snack box in rehearsals for my most recent department production. Inclusivity is an expansive concept and as time passes, and different apparatus become available, I look forward to employing them.  

Mentoring is a vital part of my teaching, whether supporting students using acting skills to enrich their lives and non-theatre careers or guiding those pursuing work in the entertainment industry. As a nonbinary and queer artist-educator, I model how to navigate spaces authentically and create opportunities for trans and queer artists. I have coached students in professional auditions, and many of these students have gone on to audition for the Southeastern Theatre Conference. Interdisciplinary relevance is consistently woven into coursework and has resulted in exciting proposals. For example, one of my mentees, who is pursuing medical school, was inspired to investigate how principles of intimacy direction may improve the bedside manner of healthcare professionals. I have been a faculty advocate for student-driven initiatives to increase reasonable practices in department productions and address covert racism amongst students. Mentoring allows me to support and inspire students to leverage their unique talents, create meaningful change, and contribute to more equitable and innovative spaces both within and beyond the world of theatre. 

My goal as an educator is to nurture students’ confidence and compassion so they can navigate creative spaces with integrity. By creating an inclusive and respectful environment, I aim to inspire them to push boundaries, share diverse stories, and make meaningful contributions to theater and beyond. I strive to nurture resilient individuals who carry their artistry and values into every part of their lives.