Profession: Education Director at Arizona Broadway Theatre
Age: 35
What do you do for a living?
As a theatre educator, I get to teach young people of all ages about why I love theatre and what goes into putting a live show onstage. This includes everything from acting and dancing, to designing and working backstage, to marketing and promoting.
What type of training do you need to do your job?
Any kind of training in acting, music and dance is helpful. I have two college degrees – one in Musical Theatre and one in Directing and Theatre Pedagogy, which is a fancy way of saying Theatre Education. But you don’t need a degree to do this kind of job as long as you have great training, some hands-on experience and a love of theatre.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Getting to watch young people discover who they are both on and off stage.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I didn’t care as long as it was theatre related. I remember doing a project in 4th grade where I said I wanted to be, “an actor, director, choreographer, costume designer, lighting designer and props designer.” My teacher at the time told me I couldn’t do all of those things. However, all these years later, I’ve proven I CAN, thanks to the many dimensions of my job!
What advice would you give to a kid who wants to have a similar career?
Learn as much as you can about as much as you can! You never know when you might need that knowledge!
One fun fact NOT about your job?
I have two dogs – a Dalmatian named Maggie and a miniature poodle named Teddy.
