Teaching

Theatre is an education in living. It teaches clear speaking and active listening. It demands collaboration and celebrates risk. As an educator of theatre history, theory, and practice, I emphasize the intersection of critical inquiry and creative expression to help students become curious learners and independent artists.

I began my journey as an educator teaching puppetry workshops when working with the Vermont PuppeTree. After college, I taught English as a Foreign Language at the elementary and high school level in the city of Sarcelles, France. In these classes, I found myself using theatre exercises and games constantly. These experiences also made me appreciate the training required to be an effective teacher, which is what inspired me to pursue graduate training in theatre education.

Courses at Cornell University

Page to Stage to Kick-Ball-Change: Adapting Musical Theatre

Compares musical adaptations with their original source material (e.g., Sondheim’s Into the Woods with the fairytales of the Brothers Grimm) to explore the dramaturgical and compositional strategies. As a final project, students propose an original musical theatre adaptation.

Backcountry Onstage: Theatre in and of Rural America

Explores how rural communities are making theatre and how rural America is represented on the dramatic stage.

The American Musical (co-designed with Dr. J. Ellen Gainor)

Traces the cultural history of musical theatre from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day, showing how it interfaces with American politics, identity, and aesthetics.

Pedagogical Studies

For my graduate minor in Acting & Directing Pedagogy, I assisted professors in semester-long pedagogical studies to learn the art of teaching: shadowing instructors, leading technique workshops, devising class exercises, and mentoring students.

Directing I & II with Dr. David Feldshuh

Provides students with the tools to create engaging and effective onstage action for an audience. Trains students to analyze dramatic texts and transform them into embodied action.

Introduction to Acting with Theo Black

Introduces the foundations of acting and performance technique, including stage presence, concentration, and imagination. Develops students physical awareness, vocal variety, and collaborative play in both scripted and devised theatre.

Playwriting II with Dr. Aoise Stratford

Supports students in develop one-act plays through writing exercises in character, dialogue, plot structure, world-building, and revision strategies.