Imagine being a rookie teacher directing a theatre class of 70 Grade 11 and 12 students putting on a production of the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast.
That’s exactly what Amy Clausen is doing — and she’s right in her comfort zone as Gleneagle secondary’s performing arts and musical theatre teacher.
Clausen returned to university last year to get her teaching certificate and she figured she’d get a teaching job in French immersion, which is what she’d specialized because she didn’t think there’d be a huge demand for high school theatre teachers.
Clausen comes from a professional theatre background, as both an actor and director with a focus on young people’s theatre.
So when the theatre teaching job came up at the Coquitlam high school, she was thrilled. “Here I was a brand-new teacher. I couldn’t believe my luck. This dream job. I was very excited, thrilled, it’s a great match for my prior experience,” she said.
Clausen said she’s equally lucky to have inherited such a “well-established culture of performance excellence” at Gleneagle. “This has a been a growing program every year. The kids are amazing. It’s a fantastic school and the kids are super committed.”
Now, the cast and crew are fine-tuning their production with opening night just around the corner.
“We’re going to be great. There’s a few last-minute details coming together. Every time they go on stage I’m so proud of the work they do,” Clausen said.
• Gleneagle’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast runs for two weeks (May 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20) at Gleneagle secondary school at 7 pm. Tickets are $15 and $8 (there is no cost for kids under five) and are available from students or at the front office during school hours.
