Ally’s teacher helps her realize her true potential. Tell us about a teacher or person who made a big impact on your life.
My senior year acting teacher noticed I had a tough time speaking up in class, which is not traditionally acceptable in an acting class! She eventually pulled me aside and instead of getting upset, she asked me why I was having a hard time. I told her it typically takes me a while to read the scene and collect my thoughts, and by the time I was ready, the class had moved on. She gave me a notebook and told me to write my thoughts as they come to me and give her them when class was over. This took so much pressure off of me, and as the year went on my confidence grew and I started to speak up more and more. She changed my life because I learned that my thoughts and ideas are valuable even if it takes me a bit longer to formulate them. She gave me the space to grow, and I couldn’t be more grateful!
Miss Tracey Tylicki was my 5th/6th Grade music school teacher. Miss Ty was the person who introduced me to theater arts, celebrating myself, and always extending kindness. Thank you, Miss Ty!!
I had a dance teacher that taught me Jazz for many years and he made me really fall in love with dancing and creating art in general. Because of him, I knew I wanted to become an artist and do this for the rest of my life.
My teacher, Mr. Lawlor, in 7th grade allowed so much class lead processing to really understand history and interrogate how we were being taught about it. It was the first time I thought really critically about how information was framed.
Maggie Lally made such an enormous impact on who I am as a person and an artist. Her classes always taught me about the craft of acting, but what I really took away was how to be a better person for myself and those who I love. She gave me the gift of belief in myself.
I have a couple of teachers that made a big impact in my life. The first was Mr. Hancock, my ninth grade teacher. He realized that I needed a little bit of extra love and care when I was in his class, and would let me play Juliet every time we read from Romeo and Juliet as a class. The second teacher that made a big impact in my life was Adam Houghton, one of my acting professors in college. Adam approaches art with incredible amounts of empathy and deliberate thoughtfulness. From him I learned what it looks like to truly love the characters you have the privilege to play, and in turn, how that translates into loving everyone—regardless of how they differ from you.
There were so many, I loved school. My 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Madla would let me have lunch with her often. She treated me like an equal which I really appreciated and encouraged me to be a leader. I think about it now and how kind it was for her to open space for me on essentially her only break!
My high school teacher Mr. Olson. He really helped me breakout of my shell and taught me that being unapologetically myself was not only good for me but for everyone surrounding me.
Grown-ups
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Tell Us About Your Favorite Teacher!
Fish in a Tree
Adapted by Barbara Zinn Krieger from the best-selling novel by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, this new play with music for young audiences, directed by Sammy Lopez and Melissa Jessel, uses live video technology, dance, and music to explore Ally’s journey with dyslexia.
Fish in a Tree celebrates neurodiversity, friendship, and the power of imagination, and explores the harm bullying causes and the life changing potential of a generous teacher.
