Monday, November 22, 1999
Teaching Life’s Dramas
Actor turns educator at local school
By ANNA VOELKER
Staff Writer
Stacy Latham went from performing Broadway reviews on cruise
ships to teaching drama and communication at an Abilene elementary
school.
The Jasper, Ala., native ended up at St. John’s Episcopal
School all in the name of love.
Latham, who has a bachelor of arts and theater degree from
the University of Southern California, planned to return to Los
Angeles to pursue a dancing-singing-acting career when she was
finished performing on cruise ships.
That was until she met Rob Alley, a McMurry University student,
in June 1998. Alley, a musician, played in the orchestra during
Latham’s performances.
“Our dates were in Rome and Monte Carlo,” Latham
said. “How could we not fall in love?”
Alley returned to Abilene after two months on the ship, while
Latham stayed until October of 1998.
Latham, 25, returned to Los Angeles, started auditioning and
tried to get through the long-distance relationship. She finally
decided to move to Abilene to be closer to Alley.
She didn’t plan to teach drama while she waited for her
fiancé to finish his undergraduate work, but her extensive
experience made her a good candidate to start a drama and communication
program at the elementary school.
That experience ranged from performing in Christmas productions
at Radio City Music Hall to doing national commercials and being
a cheerleader at USC
It also didn’t hurt that Latham’s soon-to-be mother-in-law
knew Jeanie Stark, St. John’s headmaster.
Stark had wanted to start a drama and communication program
at the elementary school for some time.
“It’s just amazing. When I got her resume, I saw
it’s from the Screen Actors Guild. All these commercials
were listed,” Stark said.
Latham took the part-time job, admitting that after her wedding
in June 2000, she and her new husband would be attending graduate
school. Latham plans to get her masters in fine arts.
“We are lucky to have her for this one year,” Stark
said. “Her having the experience she has, she has been able
to develop the program that someone else can step in with their
own ideas next year.”
So Latham got to work, emphasizing communications skills in
her classroom. She works with each grade once a week.
For the younger students, Latham concentrates on teaching them
communication skills and the importance of getting along with
each other. For the older grades, Latham relies on games she learned
from in her childhood.
One game is called “Freeze.” Two students begin a
scene, conversing back and forth, until Latham tells them to freeze.
Other students then mimic their classmates’ frozen position
and continue the scene.
The only catch is, the new person in the scene has to come
up with a different action for the position the previous student
was in. This leads to many different story lines and is done until
everyone in class has contributed to the scene.
“They don’t realize they’re learning because
they are having fun,” Latham said. “This is their release.
They come into this class a little louder and have fun.”
Latham said watching the students’ express themselves
makes her realize how important her job is.
“This was my creative outlet,” Latham said. “I
came here to be close to Rob, and it’s nice to have this
and do something creative. I love these kids.”
Students are encouraged to express themselves in skits that
they make up on the spot. Latham said her class also sparks creativity.
Stark has seen a big difference in the students’ attitudes
since the class started this fall.
“The enthusiasm is amazing. For some kids, it’s intimidating
at first to let it all hang out, so to speak,” Stark said.
“To express themselves even in front of friends they have
grown up with … it is still hard to be center of attention.
It is so funny to watch them stand tall, thrust their chests out
and show such confidence in being up there. I think that’s
just wonderful. It’s neat to see. If nothing else, it’s
instilling them with confidence with what they say and how they
say it.”
Stark said another purpose of the class is to give students
confidence to speak up in other classes.
“It’s one of those skills as educators we need to
be able to give our students to prepare them for public speaking,
for being in front of a group and for confidence in their communication
skills,” she said. “When you say we are going to have
a speech class, everyone turns nose up. But when you say speech
and drama, a class that will help you speak in front of groups,
it’s exactly what they need. Every child is in a program
here. We found we could never hear them. They need to be trained
to use their voice properly, and that’s what we want to accomplish.”
By the end of this school year, Latham hopes the students will
be ready to put together a show for their parents.
Latham’s experiences add to her classes. She started with
dance lessons when she was 3 years old. She was singing by the
time she entered kindergarten.
She got her break when she was 10. She was doing a play in
Birmingham, Ala., that was written by a New York agent. The agent
persuaded Latham’s mom to bring her daughter and son to New
York to try out for “Christmas at Radio City Music Hall.”
Both Latham and her brother got parts in the annual show. Her
mother moved her two children to New York for a month. While they
were in New York, Latham did national commercials.
“It’s very uncommon that we would just move there,
and we would get the first thing we auditioned for,” Latham
said. “There are lots and lots of kids who try out for that.”
Every year, Latham went back for the Christmas show, and she
still receives residuals every time the taped program airs.
“Stacy is just amazing, and we hate to lose her,”
Stark said. “Not being from Texas and not being from Abilene,
she brings a different sense to our school. The students are enjoying
Ms. Latham not only as a teacher, but as a person. She is giving
them a taste of something they have never seen or may never see,
which is fun. Hollywood is a long way away.”
Anna Voelker may be reached at 676-6738 or voelkera@abinews.com.
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Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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