Welcome! My name is Miss AL and I am new to Redmond High School acting as the Head of Drama
and a member of our visual arts faculty. I am so excited to get to know you and create art alongside
each of you. The theatre is a home for EVERYONE and everyone can find their place here!
I hope to connect you to all the incredible opportunities in which you can be involved as
a performer, a techie or both! I am serving as our Thespian Society director, which participates in
regional, state and even national festivals throughout the year. We will also be auditioning for our fall
musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in no time (well, September 12, 13, 14th
to be exact)! There will be an audition workshop during this first week of school to help you hit the
ground running and ALL ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO AUDITION! This winter we will
be producing A Midsummer Night's Dream by the one and only Will Shakespeare. If you're involved
beyond the classroom or not, we are going to have a great time performing and harnessing our
acting power.
Well, I'm so excited to talk about all things theatre that I got off track and forgot to tell you about who
I am! I received my MA in teaching just recently and many moons ago I received my BFA in Theatre
(Acting Concentration) and Visual Arts (Drawing and Painting). All of those years in between were
filled with the exciting life of a freelance artist and I am happy to be a resource for students offering
insight into the professional world of both the performing and visual arts. As a full time artist, one has
to become exceptional at business, marketing, promotion and networking, in addition to their craft. I
am still a member of Actor's Equity, AFTRA and SAG unions and have performed in a multitude
of local theatres including ACT, Seattle Repertory Theatre and Village Theatre. I'm represented by
Topo Swope Talent and do voice over and on-camera industrial gigs from time to time. I've also
spent years painting murals and drawing chalkboards in personal residencies, businesses and
restaurants alike. Painting sets in college taught me how to paint large scale and I transferred that
skill right into a personal business. The third plate I spun as an artist was that of a folk musician with
my husband (singer/songwriter) and incredibly talented best friend, performing at many venues,
events and Folk Festivals. All of these artistic endeavors have intertwined and supported me
emotionally, financially and creatively for years.
I slowed down to take a breath when my first child was born and then my second. During that time, I
realized that my deep calling to be a teacher was starting to ring loud and clear. I come from a long
line of teachers (art teachers, specifically) and have done some teaching though out my
freelance life. I've always loved it. Investing in relationships and people will be the most valuable
thing any of you can do, no matter what field you end up in. This is why I love the theatre and I love
teaching. Drawing for publications from my desk at home was a great experience, but I
missed connecting with others and sharing stories. I think we all become wiser, brighter and more
alive when we collaborate. I'm thrilled to dive back in and pour my energy into teaching these
subjects that I love with YOU! Get ready to create together. My mission is to provide a safe
classroom that encourages stepping out on limbs, not being afraid to look silly and stepping into your
best self every day. Let's get to know our new family!
Love.
Miss AL
(aka Anna-Lisa
