Strong Connections Made at Elementary & Middle School Theater Roundtable

June 17, 2026

On June 16th, elementary and middle school theater educators were together for more professional learning at Perpich Center.

Elementary and middle school theater educators met at Perpich Center in June.

The morning was devoted to sharing both their challenges and ideas for teaching and directing elementary and middle school theater. In the afternoon, they collaborated in areas ranging from curriculum mapping and lesson planning to learning new resources. Several teachers visited the Perpich Arts Library and found some great books to check out.

Dr. Wendy Barden, Director of Professional Development and Resource Programs at Perpich Center commented, “It was great to hear all the laughter as teachers experienced several warm-up activities they brought to share. The adults were having fun while they learned, just like students! It was also inspiring to observe small groups collaborating to work through curriculum plans for the coming year. It seemed like everyone had a very good day!”

On their workshop evaluations, there was another take away from the group—literally everyone commented that strengthening collegial relationships with other theater educators/directors was also a big part of the day.

Teachers visited the Perpich Arts Library and found some great resources.

The roundtable day was facilitated by Dr. Stephanie Lein Walseth, Theater Education Specialist in Professional Development and Resource Programs at Perpich Center for Arts Education. Stephanie is here to support theater education statewide.

Stephanie Lein Walseth, Ph.D. is a theater educator, artist, administrator, and scholar with over 25 years experience working with students and artists of all ages. She has served as an affiliate faculty member at Augsburg University since 2011, and as an instructor and curriculum developer at the University of Minnesota and Penumbra Theatre Company. In the professional theater realm, she served decade-long tenures with Full Circle Theater and Penumbra, worked in leadership roles with Theater Mu/Mu Performing Arts and Mixed Blood Theatre, and served in artistic and/or administrative roles with Sod House Theater, Playwrights’ Center, Guthrie Theater, Native Voices at the Autry, Portland Stage Company, and Oakland Theater Project, among many others. Stephanie received her Ph.D. in Theatre Historiography from the University of Minnesota, and her research focuses on African American, Asian American, and Native American theater, and the institutional politics of relationships between theaters of color and predominantly white institutions. Her writing has appeared in HowlRound, Theatre Topics, e-misférica, The Baylor Journal of Theatre and Performance, and the Palgrave anthology Theater, Performance and Change. In her role at Perpich since 2018, Stephanie is pleased to support K-12 and College/University theater educators across the state, as well as all educators interested in using the tools of theater in their pedagogical practice.