We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lauren Garcia a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?
With every opportunity, I studied whoever was leading me and the steps they took toward developing their ethos of the craft.
After my first directing experience, I received feedback from a professor of that I do not have to be “so literal” when envisioning the staging/blocking for a piece. This food for thought allowed me to break free of any expectations of the artist I ‘had’ to be, and led me to think about the kind of artist I want to be. That’s the beauty of the artistic process. Every artist’s approach is unique. Mine is now led by the two questions: 1. Who is this work for? 2. What may be its impact of it?
Allow yourself to make mistakes. I mean, duh. Set the standard, but release yourself of expectations. The standard: know what it is you want to do and why you want to do it. The expectations: Enjoy the process, day by day for what it is. The unorganized, improvisational conversations are some of the best moments of a process.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I first got into theatre in high school and had a passion for acting and the opportunity to embody archetypes of different characters and personalities. The theater was a safe space and place where I felt excited and confident in doing the work. I appreciated the flexibility of the subject. There wasn’t a right or wrong answer. I could analyze, interpret, share, and hear what others had to say.
What led me to a career in Theatre Education was the lack of theatre opportunities within my community. Not only that, but the power that creating art gave me. I’ve been a Theatre Arts teacher in a public school for the last 4 years, and I’ve seen how impactful the arts are on a student’s social and emotional growth. My mission is that students leave our program looking at the bigger picture. I see theatre as a form of education disguised as entertainment. There is always more than what meets the eye. I encourage anyone that goes to see a performance of any local or professional theatre, to enjoy the dancing, laughter, and spectacle of it all but don’t forget to ask ‘why’?
Currently, I am taking a sabbatical to go back to school for my Masters of Arts in Theatre for Young Audiences and will be moving to London in the fall. I am eager to be back in the classroom as a student. This opportunity will allow me to develop my skills and knowledge in this field to better collaborate with young artists and produce stories that provide education through multiple and diverse perspectives.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Seeing my students grow. I’ve told my students that I don’t care if want to be the next big actor but I want them to leave the classroom having the confidence to be it.
Recently one of my former students told me she auditioned for her first high school play and she was so excited. That is what makes this work worth even the toughest of times.
Also, having in-depth conversations with my students about the work. I’ve learned more from them than they have from me, in the way that they approach a process or their thoughts on a subject.
: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Yes, accessibility to theatre for all communities.
As I mentioned, where I grew up there was a lack of opportunities for young aspiring artists. Many students and families can’t participate in camps due to a lack of funding or transportation. My goal is to create a theatre company that creates a pop-up-like theatre camp within those communities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://laurenlgtheatre.wixsite.com/website
- Instagram: laurenleegarcia