Thomas Simonetti directs his actors with passion and energy, captivating their attention as he speaks. Using hand gestures and theatrical movement to give instruction, he is able to create a well thought out scene.
Simonetti-the new Woodland theater teacher-who has professional experience in New York City and around the globe, is enthusiastic about starting his career. He started working at Woodland for the 2021-2022 school year. Before finishing his application to apply for the job, Principal Kurt Ogren of Woodland called him for an interview.
“Woodland ‘hit a homerun’ hiring Mr. Simonetti,” Ogren said. “He has real world experiences that he can bring directly to Woodland students.”
Simonetti’s resume includes his own professional theater company in New York City, Valley Shakespeare Festival, which he has owned for almost ten years. The company presents free Shakespeare in different areas every summer as an equity theater company.
“We tour schools, farms, libraries, homeless shelters, prisons and bars throughout the year, too,” Simonetti explained.
Simonetti has traveled the world performing in China, Japan, and Europe. He professionally directed and acted for fifteen years in New York City additionally gaining his degree in theater and teaching.
“I still work as an actor, but my time teaching, directing and producing has taken over,” Simonetti said, “and I am super happy about that.”
Directing his first play at Woodland, “The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong,” Simonetti has seen ambition in his students as it’s a physically demanding play with surprises and mess ups written in. When teaching, the students find him to be bold and outgoing.
“He tries to make learning more fun,” Tiana Preston, acting student, said, “He tends to teach in a way where we are all included.”
To Simonetti, teaching students is just as challenging, but rewarding, as directing his own plays or productions.
“Controlling a theater of 2,500 people, or a class of 10 wise-guys, is about the same thing,” Simonetti said.
Originally posted by Republican American
