Drama, English

In 1991 I graduated from The University of Michigan’s alternate honors English program.  My course work emphasized dramatic literature and creative writing.  I spent two years as a guest student at The University of Bern in Switzerland, while also teaching in a private language school and acting with an English-language theatre company.  I moved to Berkeley in 1993 and have taught drama and English now for over 15 years in independent schools in the Bay Area.

My first impressions of TMS still resonate with me today. Barbara took me on that first tour of the school and I remember being very impressed with the artwork on the walls and the vibe in the main building—it felt very creative and exciting, and yet remarkably quiet and focused too.  And then out of nowhere the latest-greatest music of the day came blasting through the speakers.  I looked at Barbara for some explanation.  Without missing a beat, she said, “Oh, that’s the school bell.”  I thought that was pretty cool.

We have some really unique programs at TMS, and everyone that works here is very committed to the school and excited about the opportunity to work in such a creative and dynamic environment.  I really like our theatre space too.  It’s very intimate and versatile.  We’ve done everything from Beckett to Shepard to Wilder; we’re just about to perform an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.

I’m starting a Master’s in Education program at Dominican in the fall.  I’m looking forward to that--and I’m also looking to integrate more of the talents of the fine arts students into the drama program.  There are some very talented teachers and students producing art around here.  Presenting more of the students’ writing in readings and publications is a goal of mine too.

In my free time, I both play and coach soccer: the playing I do on an over-30 East Bay men’s team; the coaching piece is for my 12-year-old’s soccer team, The Jackals.  I can hardly wait until my two-year-old daughter starts it up; we’ve already got them a team name, The Jack Rabbits.

Drama/English core classes and Drama elective classes