One of the main goals for our Theatre
Education Community is to help theatre students and professionals from all over
connect and identify with each other in order to build resources and support
the theatre education field. We shine a spotlight on a different member every
other week by conducting a simple interview.
Our latest
Spotlight Member is Debbie MacKinney, Troupe Director of Troupe 7334 at Tanque
Verde High School in Tucson, Arizona. Debbie has experience working with middle
school students to adults and is CTE certified in Technical Theatre. She
frequently offers creative solutions for managing student officers, tricky tech
elements and play selection, to name just a few.
Ginny: Tell us about the
moment that made you decide to get involved in theatre.
Debbie: I got involved with a high
school drama group at my church, even though I knew very little about theatre.
I was a writer, and wanted to try my hand at scripts. One thing led
to another, and over time, our group went from doing sketches during the
service to mounting a full-blown dinner theatre that I wrote, directed,
costumed, etc. As we were preparing for our first audience, and I was
about to have a nervous breakdown, I realized I loved this. I decided
right then that if I was going to be consumed or stressed by something, working
with teens and theatre was it. I went back to college and got my Theatre
Education degree and have been consumed and stressed ever since!
Ginny: What was the first
role you ever played?
Debbie: I believe it was a bouncing
ball in a Christmas production of some kind in first grade. My mom made
me this crazy paper mache costume that hid my arms. I bounced out too
early, realized my mistake, and bounced back off stage. Everyone laughed,
and this is probably why I still get stage fright.
Ginny: Everyone has at least
one good theatre story (a costume mishap, smoke alarms during performances,
malfunctioning set pieces, etc). Tell us yours!
Debbie: We used some projections
during "Little Women" when Jo was in her room writing. One
time, the tech student running the projector took the cover off the lens before
the image (of a sunset or something like that) came up and instead, projected
on the wall, was a giant Superman logo that a student put on the laptop as the
wallpaper. I was mortified at the time, but the students still laugh
about it. And now there is a "no wallpaper" rule if we use
projections!
Ginny: Any tips for new
theatre teachers?
Debbie: Don't spend all your time in
your theatre space! Since our stage is in the MPR
where student lunch is also served, I got in the habit early of going to the
teacher's lounge to eat. We are a gregarious faculty and often do a lot
of collaborating and communicating during that brief 30 minutes. I would
have missed out on some of the greatest friendships I've had if I stayed in my
room/stage with the students. I love spending time with the students, but
in my opinion, you really need some adult interaction throughout the day.
Ginny: Name something on your bucket
list.
Debbie: Definitely Paris. The Eiffel
Tower and the Louvre!
Ginny: If you could have a different
career, what would you choose?
Debbie: If I could go back in time,
I would have gone to Hollywood and gotten involved in art direction. I
love creating the world of a play so I think doing this for film would be
amazing.
Ginny: How do you relax after
a busy day?
Debbie: My husband and I are huge
British TV nerds and love to watch all the Inspector shows (Morse, Lewis,
Lynley, etc), and thanks to my students I became a Whovian (Doctor Who fan).
Debbie constantly
strives to find the perfect balance between managing her work and personal
life, a difficult task for any theatre teacher. With experience in just about
every area of theatre, you can always count on her to provide solid tips and
advice. If you enjoyed Debbie’s interview as much as I did, add her as a contact in the
Community!
Do you know someone who deserves a moment in the Spotlight? Tell me
their name and why at gbutsch@schooltheatre.org. Want to read more Community Spotlights? You can find them here.