Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

A: Hopefully here, on this planet. I think I’ll still be here, directing the fall play and a part of the musical. I have been part of the musical since my first year here in 2005 and 2006. In the past 10 years or so I’ve gotten more heavily involved with the fall play, having taken over as director when Mrs. Whitman stepped down. Hopefully I can continue to be part of the Theatre Department.

Q: Describe a time where a student has changed you or changed your perspective on things.

A: I would say that happens on a yearly basis. One of my philosophies, especially within the theatre department and the fall play and the musical, is letting yourself explore your creativity. If you haven’t come up with a bad idea, you’re not being creative enough. I am constantly amazed by the ability of students to say, “Hey! We’re going to try this!” and voila, something works. A few years ago, a big change in how the department saw itself was when one of the student directors did the light plot for one of our shows. That was a huge change because that was something that Mrs. Whitman and I have done together where we had students say that they were going to take that on. Some of the bigger life-altering moments are when students take the realm and say, “Okay. I’ve learned enough from you, I’m going to move on, and I don’t necessarily need you.” I would also say that hearing back from students that have gone on, and them reporting back and saying, “Oh hey! I was able to do XYZ,” and that seed was planted there and started to grow. It serves as a reminder that when you’re in the thick of things, when you’re asking, “Why am I waiting on this to happen,” that you are able to sprout up and see and achieve above the weeds.

Q: What do you think your biggest strengths and weaknesses are?

A: Probably one and the same. One of my biggest strengths is that I have the ability to give students the voice that they deserve. When we’re talking about sets, I want students to be able to feel confident and be able to stand up for themselves and contribute their opinions. Of course, for the blocking, there is my artistic vision for the entire show. However, I want them to be able to say, “I want to try this,” or “How about this instead?” I want to be able to empower the students to speak up. One of my biggest weaknesses is that I may need to help more in starting that guiding picture, a stronger voice to help guide them.

Q: What does a typical day look like for you?

A: Once I come into the high school, I start working on logistics. I answer emails about logistics with the Senior High School administration or at the superintendent’s office since there are rights for the show and make sure that Mr. Henry, the sound technician, is on board, to make sure the technology is working and available. Once I come into the high school, I start working on rehearsal and making notes to the students about their acting and blocking, and talking to the stage and costume crew about what we need and their vision and how it aligns with the artistic views of the show in general.

Q: What attributes have you seen in students that made them stand out to you over the years?

A: I think that talent only goes so far. A work ethic and enjoying the process is key to success in this program. I myself am a huge fan of trusting the process. People who have not succeeded in this program, their major fault is only seeing the end result as their main goal. Even the most professional people that I’ve worked with will slip up. Does that run the entire process and all the work that they’ve done? No. Part of the process is getting to really know yourself as a human being. How am I reacting in this situation? How am I reacting to this character?  It really takes some meditation and some introspective. People who are willing to challenge themselves and challenge who they are usually end up succeeding. Because it can be a really tedious process, you have to be able to trust and enjoy what you’re doing. Even if for some reason something awful happens during the show, you’ve got to stay strong and work your way through it. We’ve had one student performing a dance move incorrectly and unfortunately, she was on crutches for the next couple of weeks and missed the performance. However, that didn’t negate everything she had learned up until then. I really think that having trust in the process and having a work ethic that says, “I’m going to get better every single day.”

Q: How long have you been with the theatre department?

A: This is my 17th year here at Abington. I started out as an Assistant Music Director my first year at Abington; they did West Side Story. Over the course of the next few years, my role expanded until the teacher director, Mr. Kelly, stepped down, and Mr. Auh and I took over. Our first show was Beauty and the Beast. Mrs. Whitman also came on board, and we’ve been doing the show ever since. 17 musicals and around 10 fall plays.

Q: What is your favorite part about working in theatre?

A: The creative energy that I’m surrounded with every day. The thrill of bringing a story to life and presenting it to the audience. The connections people make every day here are truly amazing, It is an opportunity to really open up and be vulnerable. Let’s say you have to go run across the stage and slide. There are many things that could happen to you, but what it does is a ripple effect of this vulnerability you see nowhere else, creating such a human connection. It is very effective in making people say, “This is who I am.” The different backgrounds and the diversity really opens my eyes to worlds that I am not familiar with. Everyone’s experiences are different.

Q: Why did you decide to become a teacher?

A: I was actually going to go into sports journalism. Freshman year of high school, I tried joining the basketball team. After being cut, I decided to join the stage crew for the musical at my school. A couple of people dropped out of the program; however, the director knew that I could sing and that I could move my body. So she said, “Come on, you’re going to be a jet,” and I was a jet in West Side Story. That pushed me along the way to the teaching path as I asked myself, “What can I do?” I was passionate about music and I enjoyed teaching others. Hopefully, I can now encourage others, especially the younger generation now and curate that same love for music that I had.

Q: Describe a troubling student you taught, and how you got through to them.

A: I’ve had some students come into the program very brash and egotistical and say, “Look at my talent! Look at me!” I’ve set an example for them that talent only goes so far, and I’ve used a lot of sayings with my students. Even after his game, Roy Halladay still did his post-game workout. He was perfect! He could not have done it any better, but he continued to work on himself. In order to be successful in the arts, you need to have that drive. I’ve had a few students where we’ve butted heads because they were just settling for what was comfortable and not pushing themselves. They’ve graduated and come back, saying that they didn’t understand at the time, but they now do. I always need to make sure that students are able to come to me, no matter the situation. I’ve had one student who had that work ethic but could not match pitch. We worked every day and eventually, I got through to him. I always try to make sure I see the human side in everybody. Let’s all see each other as humans who make mistakes.

Q: How have your needs changed or stayed the same since the pandemic?

A: The need for rehearsing definitely did not change. This year, we had some kissing scenes, and with masks, we had to work our way around that and really innovate. So often with acting, I’ll talk about facial expressions. We’ve had to focus not just on facial expression but on body language. Nowadays, you have to look at what your eyes are saying, what your inflection and tone are, the way you are saying something. That would be the biggest shift.

Thank you to Mr. Myers who offered some insight into his role in the Theatre Department. We send our best wishes and regards to the parents, students, and staff who continue to support the arts and come out to watch Abington’s talented students perform!