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November 10, 2020

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍøÖ±²¥ College of Education and Human Development alumna, Lindsay Warfield (B.A.'03, Secondary Education: English and Theatre), has been recognized as this year’s Theatre Educator of the Year by the Florida Association for Theatre Education. Warfield is currently a theatre teacher at George M. Steinbrenner High School in Tampa, Florida.

“I have been fortunate to have a career as a full-time theatre teacher, and have produced over 60 productions with my students, most of which have been award-winning.  In addition to my work as a high school theatre teacher, I am currently serving my 8th year as the Florida Thespians State Director, running the state’s chapter of the International Thespians Honors Society. Through this position, I oversee 26 Districts and two State Festivals hosting over 500 high school and middle school theatre programs. In addition, I organize and run the world’s largest youth theater festival, The Florida State Thespian Festival, which hosts approximately 12,000 attendees annually," says Warfield.

Throughout her tenure at Steinbrenner High School, she and her students have had successes in the yearly theatre festivals achieving awards and recognition including Critic’s Choice Selections, Multiple Best One Act selections, and three State Mainstage Selections, including this past year’s production of The Old Man and the Old Moon.

She has developed a leadership curriculum within her theatre program, that plans and executes the World’s Largest Youth Theatre Festival every year, with over 10,000 attendees.

Her students continue to be accepted in some of the finest Theatre arts programs around the country, including NYU, Boston Conservatory, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Her leadership this year, during the pandemic, has helped theatre students across the state still have an outlet for their theatre expression, by coordinating virtual theatre festivals for both Middle and High School students.