Teaching as a Theatre Artist

I have always enjoyed teaching, and now that I have my MFA I am qualified to teach at the collegiate level. This excites me and opens up some fun opportunities like the one I was able to have teaching a wig workshop in Virginia. 
When I was working towards my masters degree I worked at Virginia Shakespeare Festival for two summers. While there I worked as the cutter/assistant designer and formed a close relationship with my work team and designer. She happens to be the head of the costume department at a Virginia university. Before graduating a design opportunity was offered to me, but unfortunately I was still in classes and the timing was not going to work out. After graduating I was approached again, but this time to come and teach a workshop on one of my other passions, wigs. 
​There was a small class of students learning to style wigs as a semester long class, but my workshop was to be a supplement to their course. I would teach ventilating, which is something I enjoy doing. I spoke with the designer and shop head and we created a weekend workshop to introduce students to theatrical hair ventilating and construction. I had a blast teaching. 

Unlike a regular class where students are required to attend, this workshop was full of students who wanted to be there. They were all very enthusiastic about learning and asked very specific and well thought out questions. The workshop was made up of college students, staff, and professors who wanted to learn the basics of theatrical hair creation. I could not have asked for a better class. 
I hope to continue to teach as I work my way up in my career. I enjoy sharing the information I received while interning, working, etc. ​​

Photo: Some of my students practicing taking a head "mold" on a fellow classmate. Their energy was great and everyone was willing to jump in and try their hands at whatever I threw at them.