THED Talks

This week Jimmy talks with 2022 Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre Education winner Roshunda Jones-Koumba.  She talks about her Tony Awards experience, her mentors and inspirations, and her amazing work at her school, G.W. Carver Magnet High School in Houston, TX.

This week Jimmy talks with Texas high school theatre teacher Abe Ramirez. He talks about having the tools to take on any job, expanding the canon, and tending to the inner artist as a theatre teacher. 

This week Jimmy talks with Theatre Education professor, Gillian McNally. She is currently at The University of Northern Colorado. In this episode she talks about theatre for the very young, wellness and burnout, and DEI work in theatre education, specifically with the little ones!

This week jimmy talks with Chicago elementary theatre teacher Sarah Esparza. She talks about the community and belonging that theatre provides students, her work in Chicago Public Schools, and the need for boundaries and self-care.

This week Jimmy talks with Illinois theatre teacher Cody Rogers. He talks about the struggles of a first-year teacher coming out of COVID, working in a charter school, and the challenges and joys of being an out-gay theatre teacher. 

This week Jimmy talks with Arizona teaching artist Brianna Fallon. She talks about her work with Child's Play, her TikTok presence as  @FacilitatorOfJoy with anti-racist theatre practices, and her love for TYA. https://briannafallon.wixsite.com/theatre

This week Jimmy talks with international teacher Madeleine Smith. She talks about her work in international schools, burnout, and using theatre in rural areas to promote literacy.

This week Jimmy talks with Dr. Murali Basa in India. He talks about lighting design and digital media design from an Indian perspective, directing, and his upcoming books! 

This week Jimmy talks with Florida theatre teacher Rachel Davis. She talks about technical theatre, diversity, and running a theatre competition. 

This week Jimmy talks with California theatre educator and entrepreneur Brendan Kelso. He talks about his work with children and Shakespeare, running an elementary Shakespeare festival, and his company that produces adaptations of Shakespeare and other literary classics, Playing with Plays! http://www. PlayingWithPlays.com  

This week Jimmy talks with retired New York theatre teacher Rory Lance Schwartz. He talks about his long career in theatre education, his work as an author, and his work with the NYC Department of Education. https://rorylance.weebly.com/ 

This week Jimmy talks with Texas theatre teacher Rob Taylor. He talks about booster clubs, burnout, and rebuilding programs!

This week Jimmy talks with drama therapist Anna Beck! She talks about working with students with trauma, theatre in institutionalized settings, and the difference in theatre as therapy and theatre that can be therapeutic. http://www. SouthernUtahDramaTherapy.com 

This week Jimmy talks with Dr. Kate Busselle. She talks about consent based practices, intimacy choreography, and her company Heartland Intimacy Design and Training. https://www.heartlandintimacydesign.com/

This week Jimmy talks with teaching and linguist artist and CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center, Richard Blank! He talks about producing speech artists, script writing and role-playing, and calculated risk-taking!

This week Jimmy talks with South Carolina theatre teacher Emily Krull Wendover! She speaks about her training at AMDA,  devised theatre with middle schoolers, and work life balance.

This week Jimmy talks with Donald Robert Fox. He talks about progressive lighting design, curriculum development for stage technology, and USITT!

This week Jimmy talks with California theatre teacher Kelsey Wilk. She talks about devised theatre, her MFA program, and creating curriculum for diverse communities! 

This week Jimmy talks with Florida educator and teaching artist Darrin Person. He talks about preparing your students for the theatre business, running his own 501(C)3 Shakespeare company for young people, and product vs. process.

This week Jimmy talks with California theatre teacher Dr. Desiree Cameron. She talks about her surprise jump into a career in teaching, the value of play and creative problem solving, and devised work with little ones!

This week Jimmy talks with Ohio theatre teacher Mark A. Zimmerman. He talks about his unique program, longevity in educational theatre, and the importance of the representation of diverse voices on our stages and in our classrooms.

This week Jimmy talks with Illinois theatre teacher Jolaine Orlin. She talks about her Emmy-winning career in broadcasting, her love for the resistant student, and teaching theatre in a post-pandemic world.

This week Jimmy kicks off Season 5 with Dana Taylor! Dana is a returning guest from season 2 and brings some great new information about the Backstage Exam, a partnership between USITT and EdTA.  He also talks about life after retirement and his own consulting business Dana W. Taylor Consulting, LLC. https://www.techtheatre4teachers.com/ https://www.usitt.org/education-training/backstage-exam

This week Jimmy talks with his husband Dr. Adam Carter, Clinical Director for the National Alliance for Children's Grief. He talks about the collective trauma and exhaustion we are all experiencing, burnout and compassion fatigue, and self-care practices for better overall wellness for theatre teachers.

This week Jimmy talks with Texas theatre education professor Michael Avila. He talks about his time as an arts administrator, his theatre education program at The University of Texas at Austin, and culturally responsive teaching.