Theatre teacher Heather Creech was recently named the Thespian Teacher of the Month. According to Creech, it is truly humbling to be recognized by colleagues and students in Austin. She received this award after being nominated by one of her current students.
This is Creech’s second year at LCM as the theatre director, and she has enjoyed getting to bring her passion for theatre to the students of LCM.
Growing up, Creech said her grandmother would take her to see plays at the Lutcher Theatre and that is when she fell in love with attending live theatre performances. Her Lake Travis High School theatre Director, Mrs. Lisa Molina, was fresh out of UT, and passionate about theatre education.
“She made theatre a collaborative experience, highlighting all our strengths as a company,” Creech said. “She created a community that made her a part of an industry invested in showing what makes us human.”
Creech was the stage manager for the musical, “Little Shop of Horrors,” and that’s when she fell in love with directing.
“Theatre is the one place where you can make the impossible possible,” Creech said.
Creech has been teaching since 1997 and even though she was a stay-at-home for 15 years, the theatre classroom is where she has been thriving.
“I began teaching at Santa Fe Junior High in Santa Fe, Texas,” Creech said. “I later taught at Kingwood Middle School, Riverwood Middle School and Kingwood High School, before coming to LCM last year.”
This year, Creech’s theatre students will be presenting “The Insanity of Mary Girard,” which highlights the lack of women’s rights and mental health treatment from 1790-1805. Additionally, they will employ a philanthropic outreach to go along with the fall production. Their goal is to host a food drive and donate the items to a local women’s shelter.
Creech said she is very proud of her accomplishments and knows that is a result of surrounding herself with people who push her to be the very best version of herself.
“My previous mentor told me ‘people influence your path; surround yourself with those who uplift and challenge you,'” Creech said. “I have been with many supportive mentors in my life. My commitment to making meaningful connections helped fuel and inspire student to grow through our exceptional theatre program.”
