We were lucky to catch up with Heather LaForge recently and have shared our conversation below.

Heather , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

The simplest answer to the question how did I learn my craft would be to say that I learned it from my schooling. I hold a Ph.D. in Theatre from UC San Diego and a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Puget Sound. While it’s true I have a formal education in my field, this doesn’t tell the full story.

I am a product of the many teachers and directors I have worked with. When I am in front of a class of artists or a cast of performers, I see the influence of Peggy Painter, Matt Leggett, Dr. Jac Royce, Dr. Geoff Proehl, and countless other mentors and peers that I have worked alongside. I also see hints of my own parents both tangibly (my mother was a youth director) and intangibly (my father was a manager at a chemical engineering company). They both instilled in me a love for storytelling and leadership.

You ask what I would have done to speed up my learning process and the truth is, I wouldn’t. I am a lifelong learner. Every time I work with a director, I learn something new. Every time I watch a production, I am inspired to try a different technique. Every time I coach a student, I grow as an educator. I firmly believe that our job, as humans, is to be constantly learning and growing. If we don’t, we are failing to make our world better. This is particularly true for artists. We must constantly be evolving. We must watch and learn and add tools to our toolkit so we can continue to make art that impacts the world for good.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am the Artistic Director for Groundworks Theatre, a north county San Diego theatre company dedicated to intensive and foundational theatre arts training. Groundworks Theatre trains artists for a solid foundation in theatre by developing core skills, enriching drama education, and encouraging exploration of stories. We believe fervently that stories connect people and promote understanding. It is our goal for our students to use these skills to find their own voice so they may impact their communities in whatever medium they pursue.

Our acting-focused company offers classes, workshops, private coaching, productions, and summer intensives to artists from middle school age to young adult.

San Diego County is full of rich opportunities for students looking for musical theatre. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, I was regularly getting students referred to me for acting training. I spoke with my co-founder, Katrina DeRoche and we decided to start a company focused on acting, rather than on musical theatre. We wanted Groundworks to be a place where students could develop their craft and use their skills to be storytellers in the world. We gathered a team of brilliant artists who believe in what we are doing and Groundworks Theatre was born.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Acting is a vulnerable experience. To be an actor means to stand onstage, all eyes on you, as you inhabit a character outside of yourself. This act requires incredible bravery. Because of that, many actors put up a wall to protect themselves from going too far into a role, risking exposure. The most rewarding thing for me, as a director and an educator, is when an actor breaks through that barrier and commits fully to a moment. There is nothing quite like it.

Just recently I was coaching young adult artists in a workshop that Groundworks Theatre offered. The workshop was full of talented actors and each came with a monologue memorized ready for feedback. Each performer had breakthroughs as they took my notes and stepped into new understanding and portrayal of the character. The actors encouraged one another, responding when they saw transformation and supporting each other with their feedback. One actor in particular made a choice that shattered any wall he had built up in front of him. Before he even said a word of his monologue he gave a look that was so completely his character that I threw my arms up and cheered. Those are the moments that make me come back again and again to the rehearsal space, that reiterate my passion for teaching.

Theatre is transformative for audience and performer. And to have played a small role in that is overwhelmingly rewarding.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The very best thing society can do to support artists and creatives is to show up. Listen to that song they just recorded. Attend a reading of their new script. Go to their art show. Show up. Again and again.

I also believe that one of the most dangerous things for our society is our belief in the binary. We tend to think of the world and creatives and non. But that simply isn’t the case. Every industry requires creativity. And creativity is fueled by creativity. So consume art. Play an instrument. Read a book. Listen to music. Attend and support live theatre.

Our world will be better for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.groundworkstheatrearts.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groundworks_theatre_arts/

Image Credits
Katrina DeRoche Erin Kelly Scotti Taylor