As you head to your technical theater class, you step onto the stage in the Coppell High School Ninth Grade Center dome rather than a regular classroom. Creativity stems from technical theatre director Colin Thomas as he dives into presenting the theater world.

Whether it is crafting a costume from recyclable materials, conducting scavenger hunts on safety procedures or leading one-on-one sewing sessions, Thomas goes beyond simply giving lectures. 

Participating in theater from sixth grade in Frisco to Texas Tech University, Thomas quickly realized he preferred working behind the scenes. His combined passion for theater and teaching stemmed from the directors and teachers who served as role models.

“Not only did I learn theater knowledge from them, but also life skills, knowledge of loving one another and learning so much about theater itself which prepares you for life,” Thomas said. “They really pushed me to be who I am today and I wanted to almost return the favor in a sense.”

During Thomas’s first year at CHS9, he taught Technical Theatre, Freshman Productions and Art I. While it was his first time teaching art, he connected the two subjects by their shared design elements. For both artistic mediums, creativity was the backbone in succeeding.

“Something that’s really valuable for every student to learn is to have a foundation of creativity,” Thomas said. “Not only to be able to express yourself in those ways, but also having a way to start from scratch and to start from just expectations or things in which you need to follow and then kind of growing from there.”

New Tech High @ Coppell freshman Paul Hess’s creative energy was bolstered by Thomas’ encouragement throughout the year with multiple projects involving innovative thinking. 

“You have a lot of freedom,” Hess said. “There is a set of requirements that you have to meet, but you can kind of do whatever you want to get there. You’re kind of encouraged to do whatever you want as long as you can reach the goal.”

Rather than traditional lectures and note-taking, Thomas emphasizes project-based learning to eventually transfer to troubleshooting sound, light or costuming concerns in a real production environment.

“In this world of creativity, there are a lot of questions and there are a lot of wonders and things to dissect, peel apart and break barriers,” Thomas said. “I leave things open-ended sometimes, so that way they can push themselves.”

New Tech High @ Coppell freshman Micaela Rodriguez’s tangible experience allowed her to learn the skills necessary as stage manager in productions “The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow” and “Wild Bunch Women.” 

“For me, hands-on really helps me learn a lot more because if I were to just watch a video, I don’t think I’d be able to absorb anything,” Rodriguez said. “He is always trying to figure out a way to make us dig deeper instead of just looking at the bigger picture.”

Not only does Thomas prepare students within their freshman year, he leaves a lasting impact for students continuing their theater journey. Coppell High School sophomore Ashrrita Sathish cites Thomas’s ability to inspire students past the class curriculum. 

“He was able to connect with students in a way that I haven’t seen with other teachers before,” Satish said. “He was one of the main reasons that a lot of us stuck through the theater this year.”

Participating in multiple productions as a stage manager, Sathish learned how to tend to obstacles backstage with Thomas’s encouragement to continue striving towards resolving problems.

“He liked the phrase ‘try again’ since he came up with solutions incredibly fast and he told us step by step how to fix it,” Sathish said. “He was never stressed and since he was never stressed, we were never stressed.”

In addition to technical skills, Thomas hopes to leave his students with a positive impact for their futures.

“It’s important to not only learn theater, but then to take these life skills and be able to apply it into whatever it is that they want to do for a career,” Thomas said. “I want them to know that I love and support them no matter where they go and what they do, but that I also will encourage them to always be creative.”

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