Southeast Center for Education in the Arts

Laurie is the Director of Theatre Education at the Southeast Center for Education in the Arts. She has a BA in English with an Emphasis in Dramatic Studies and a Minor in Speech Communication Studies from Webster University, St. Louis; an MFA in Theatre with a Concentration in Theatre for Young Audiences from the University of Central Florida; and is a MPA Nonprofit Management Candidate at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Constantly looking through a process-centered lens, her specialized training in methodologies of teaching drama, theatre for social change, and collaboration remain foundational aspects of her work. As a Community Arts Training fellow at the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission, she investigated ways the arts can meaningfully partner with social service providers to forward community arts programs. Laurie is an active member of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education where she serves as the Professional Development Network Co-Chair. She was recently recognized by AATE as the winning nomination for the Lin Wright Professional Teaching Grant where she worked with a secondary drama specialist on devising an original play with their students. Laurie’s work focuses on concept-based drama instruction for the purpose of both personal and professional development across multiple fields and disciplines.