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As an artist and teacher, my primary goal is to illuminate the souls of others through kindness and the empowerment of insightful and applicable knowledge. In doing so, I can guide my students’ transformations of abstract ideas into concrete experiences on stage, and in doing so allow them to elucidate the character’s journey for the audience.   I believe that to be a fantastic actor, you must never lose sight of the fact that you are an artist.  You must be constantly creating and willing to evolve; additionally, it helps to be well-read, well-schooled, business savvy, unafraid to take risks, able to listen to new ideas, and to recognize and nurture the talent and gifts of others around you. Training must be on-going, so that things like the audition process itself can become less stressful and mysterious.  Likewise, I feel that education for artists should be in a welcoming environment in which everyone has similar attitudes about working towards analogous goals with comparable diligence and openness.  I believe that my love of theatre promotes learning by making innovative, complex, and diverse material accessible to everyone, using relatable characters as messengers.  Working in a collaborative atmosphere will allow for the enrichment my heart and mind have long for in my artistic journey, thus making me a better teacher, artist, and human. 

An observation I’ve made in my experience with young actors has been their coming into the space wanting to become someone or something that is completely different from themselves.  Yet by denying the things that make them intrinsically one-of-a-kind, they have fallen into habitual work in their head and have “armored up” against guidance and direction.  My success as an artist has been driven by my diverse background and culture.  Therefore, I fight fiercely to get my undergraduates out of their heads and to begin getting comfortable with who they are, both inside the safe space of the class room and the more revealing spaces of the real world.  For my beginning acting students, the first step is development of ensemble.  A tenet I share on Day One of class is, “Theatre is a team sport.”  Yet, how do you convince a room full of strangers, some of whom aren’t theatre majors (and some who have never taken an acting course in their life) that this level of trust and teamwork is possible in fifteen weeks?  I let them know that simply signing up for this class requires courage; and, in addition to my classroom being a safe space, I also believe it is a daring space.  The theatre is a brave space to try dangerous things.  What is more precarious than revealing your authentic self?  I always approach these potential insecurities with a sense of humor and playfulness.  Furthermore, I utilize techniques of drama-based pedagogy to freely engage students, as well as helping to quickly create an environment of focused inquiry and cross-curricular learning opportunities.  To get the giggles out, I created the “Rock Song” exercise for my beginning actors.  We start by discussing the importance of interpersonal communication in society, and how difficult it is to be an active listener in our culture.  I then compare the level of concentration that is takes to be an actor, and how often our nerves get in the way of that.  Next, I have the pupils select a favorite song of theirs and speak it as a monologue, taking it seriously as possible.  This elicits laughter from their classmates, yet challenges everyone to truly commit to the words of the artist and song that they’ve chosen.  By the end of class, conversations had started with each other over commonalities in music genres, as well as leaving my students saying, “It was challenging to concentrate, but it was hilarious!”  I had enough success with this activity that I shared it with other instructors for use in building ensemble in their classrooms, and they have had similar success with it.  Also, I incorporate habits of self-care into the ensemble.  In my teaching career thus far, I have encountered numerous first-generation students.  Many of these undergrads are dealing with stress or anxiety, which are blocks to creating art.  Therefore, when problem-solving in an activity, I encourage my students work in pairs, and if they get stuck, to stand up and take three deep breaths together, and then perhaps take a brief walk together outside the classroom.  I aim to demonstrate physical activity as a means of rejuvenation, not just to build finer actors, but to build better humans.  During my time at LSU, I’ve received excellent teacher ratings of 4.93 out of 5. One student is quoted on the evaluation as saying, “She really cares about her students and you can tell that she is invested, and she really takes the time to help her students.  She wants them all to do well and succeed.” Another wrote, “I loved this class and learned so much! Ms. Morales is one of the best teachers at LSU!”

When working in upper-level performance classes, my students and I delve into what makes theatre so fascinating: the actors’ investment in each other on stage, their trust in each other, and the bold choices they render as a result.  Success comes ultimately in their ability to work collaboratively toward a common goal. Additionally, I aspire to nurture and help my students celebrate things about them that lend to their individuality. Embracing my uniqueness has made it makes it easier for me to be comfortable onstage.  If I can model relaxation into that comfort, my students will be able to do the same without fear or boundaries. Secondly, I encourage them to entrust that when you reach a point in life where you are becoming more comfortable with whom you are as person and an artist, it is a wise idea to let a mentor guide you to “the next step” where you are best able to fulfill your potential as both actor and individual.  I will provide a strong foundation for my students to hone their craft, thus reaping the limitless possibilities and courageousness that good training will free in them as artists. Furthermore, I truly believe that if you want to be an actor, you must be a well-read actor.  Theatre is not like riding a bicycle.  Without continual study and a commitment to self-improvement, you will wobble, tumble, and eventually crash.  Therefore, in addition to the plays we are studying, I incorporate daily quotes from artists, journal articles, and even social media and tweets that synchronize with the current needs, wants, and desires of these young people at this point in their artistic life.

Successful teaching means embracing who my students are as people, artists, and members of the global community.  I am efficacious in modeling to my students the leadership roles they play as artists.  In sharing my own heart of an activist, I enlighten them of the potential that stepping onto a stage can lead them to as advocators. Through storytelling, we change attitudes, and everyone’s story has a right to be heard.  This awareness will help them succeed in the Arts, but I also want my students to come away with the confidence to use their voices to be heard, to communicate, and to take an active part in how their lives develop and grow.  When students leave my class, they are empowered to be better citizens of the artistic and universal society.   Understanding their instruments’ role in preserving the stories of their surroundings and how performance can influence their overall wellbeing will let them view the world differently than they did before; and, they will possess an appreciation for how their body, voice, and imagination function in and outside of theatrical spaces.