Michael Payne currently instructs Acting I-III, Playwriting, Directing, and leads the Theatre Conservatory. Before SPA, Michael served as theatre chair for the Performing Arts High School in Oklahoma City (Classen School of Advanced Studies.) Regionally, he has directed with the Dallas Theater Center, Soul Repertory Theatre, Dallas Children's Theatre, Shakespeare in the Park's-Young Company, Plano Children's Theatre, Carpenter Square Theatre and The Cynthia Poteet Theatre. He has also held the position of Program Manager of Education at the Dallas Theatre Center. Michael has led workshops in Differentiated Instruction, Fine Arts Assessment and designed curriculum for Oklahoma City Public Schools, The International Schools of Theatre and for the Dallas Independent School District.
He holds a B.A. in Acting/Directing and M.Ed. in Theatre Education. He has also served as a teaching mentor for the National Urban Teacher Preparation Academy at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Central Oklahoma where he also taught as an adjunct theatre instructor. Michael has also served on the Board for The Oklahoma Arts Alliance as lead curriculum supervisor. He is a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT-CTE: EAYA-Arts and Communication) and holds teacher licensures in Utah, Oklahoma and Texas.
Michael Payne was also named Oklahoma City Public Schools, Teacher of the Year and named to the State Teacher of the Year panel. Additional teaching awards includes: Teacher of the Year for the Masonic Fraternity and the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. Michael is also the recipient of the 2012 State Superintendent's (Kennedy Center Partner) Teacher of the Year for Fine Arts.