Q & A with OSF Education Department's Teaching Artists
OSF’s Education team is devoted to inspiring a lifelong relationship to theater and the works of William Shakespeare by offering educational experiences that support each season’s plays. Teaching Artists facilitate the relationship of student groups to OSF by leading workshops and Prologues that focus on engaging students with the work on our stages. This year OSF received a grant to hire three new Teaching Artists. Get to know them here.
EDDIE RAY JACKSON
This is Eddie Ray’s first season at OSF. He is from San Francisco and received his Bachelors from Sacramento State University and his MFA from Columbia University in New York.
What led you to teach and/or act?
I accidentally became an actor, or maybe it was fate. It’s something that helped me with my speech impediment and gave me confidence. It was also another way to understand and learn about the human spirit. Acting lets me be a kid again, and being a kid will always be my favorite thing to do.
As for teaching, when I was a kid, I went to schools where Science teachers were teaching English and gym coaches were teaching Science. I’m inspired to teach acting because I don’t want any student to experience what I experienced. I want everyone to get the proper training from the most prepared and passionate teachers. And I hope to do that for my students.
What are your interests outside of teaching?
I love cooking and baking. I was a marathon runner. I love music and playing video games when I have the time.
What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
I used to be homeless until I was 10 years old. I had a speech impediment until I was about 15 years old. I’m a ping-pong champion.
What's your favorite dance move?
The Carlton (from Fresh Prince of Bel Air)
What inspires you?
My daughter.
What's your favorite Shakespeare play and/or character?
King Lear. Tempest. The Two Noble Kinsman.
Bottom (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Caliban (from The Tempest)
LAURA MONTES
Laura was an actor for OSF’s School Visit Program in 2012. Originally from New Mexico, she currently lives in New York. Laura received an MFA from Ohio University’s Professional Actor Training Program and a BA in Theatre Arts from New Mexico State University.
What led you to teach and/or act?
I fell into acting and teaching quite unintentionally. In college a friend asked me to take an acting class with her because it was supposed to be fun and an easy A. I’ve been doing it ever since. I was inspired to teach by my long-time mentor and dance teacher who did a good part in raising me from the age of 3. She was fierce and funny and taught me the importance of self-discipline and determination. I started out teaching dance for her when she was diagnosed with cancer and then got into teaching for the theatre in grad school.
What are your interests outside of teaching?
Rocking out, reading, yoga, playing board games, playing with dogs and LAUGHING.
What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m a twin. I have a twin brother named Lawrence. Yes, Lawrence and Laura…it’s that cute.
What's your favorite dance move?
Pique spins.
What inspires you?
Music, language and anything funny.
What's your favorite Shakespeare play and/or character?
My favorite play depends entirely on my mood, but I do love Iago (from Othello).
SANTIAGO SOSA
This is Santiago’s first season at OSF. He is from Austin, Texas and received a BFA in both Acting and Directing from Texas State University as well as an MFA in Acting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
What led you to teach and/or act?
I come from a family of teachers, and I always wanted to be a college professor of theatre. What inspired me to act was bullying. I was a short, nerdy, overweight kid who was bullied a lot, and the only time the bullies stopped being mean to me was when I was on stage doing something crazy or making them laugh. Usually, a week after a show closed I’d be bully free; I was even complimented by the guys who usually spent a lot of their time and energy making fun of me or beating me up. I tried to be onstage as much as I could because of this.
What are your interests outside of teaching?
Writing and recording music, drawing, basketball, playwriting, the Dallas Cowboys and watching the Wisconsin Badgers play football and basketball.
What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
I used to be the tour manager of a major label rock band. I grew up in South America.
What's your favorite dance move?
Tango
What inspires you?
Good music, good people, good food.
What's your favorite Shakespeare play and/or character?
Winter’s Tale.
Don Adriano de Armado (from Loves Labours Lost)