Author Profile:  Wayne Mitchell

Wayne was raised in Alaska and discovered a passion for theatre in Junior High School.  He continued his theatre studies throughout high school and college and earned his BA in Theatre from University of Alaska-Anchorage.  He later went on to earn a Master of Arts in Theatre Communication from Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas.  While at WSU Wayne was the Director of the Theatre and Dance Department's theatre education outreach program and was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student Award for 1994. Following his graduate studies Wayne worked as the tour manager for Wichita Children's Theatre's professional touring company as well as directing WCT's ongoing teen production program, Center Stage.  In 1996 Wayne founded and served as Artistic Director for the Bend Theatre for Young People in Bend, Oregon until he moved back home to Alaska in 1999. Since that time he has worked as a performer and educator for UAA's Theatre in Your Schools in addition to acting, directing and teaching for such companies as Eccentric Theatre Company, Brown Eyed Girls, The Alaska Overnighters, Bright Night's Summer Theatre and Three Baron's Renaissance Festival. In the last few years Wayne has won several awards and honors including two Last Frontier Theatre Conference Patricia Neal Acting Awards, a letter of Commendation from Governor Tony Knowles for his work on the seventh annual State of the Child event, a nomination for the 2002 Anchorage Concert Association Outstanding Arts Education Award and several Certificates of Recognition from the Anchorage School District Gifted Mentorship Program.  Wayne has taught residencies and intensives in grades K-12 throughout Alaska in such varied subjects as physical comedy, variety performance, stage combat, acting Shakespeare and play production.  Currently Wayne is a Mentor for Alaska Pacific University's graduate program in theatre education.