Taylor Valentine, Theatre Artist
Taylor is so pleased to be an Advanced trainee in this year’s TATIP program. He is a near-20 year theatre professional who has worked all over the country under various acting auspices. From outdoor to indoor, Shakespeare to Shepard, traveling children’s theatre to in-your-face fringe, and regional to off-Broadway, Taylor has seen and been seen a lot. The last 3 years has brought significant change for the mustachioed man, as he took on the recurring role-of-a-lifetime: Husband and Father. With this casting came a transition into mostly teaching, directing, and coaching youth, about which he couldn’t be happier. He has been the after-school drama director and high school audition coach at I.S. 171 in Brooklyn since 2013. Taylor is a training member of Blessed Unrest Theatre Company in NYC, holds a BA in Theatre from Catawba College, an MFA in Acting from Case Western Reserve University, and is continually learning as much as he can from his family, his students, his colleagues and those who don’t even know they are teaching him. He’d like to give thanks for all the applause and applaud all those who give thanks…
TATIP Work:
Taylor interned with Scott Lilly and Mary Cinadr at PS 279 with 4th graders. He also interned with Arts For All administratively, blogging for their website and helpeing with grant research, as well as in the classroom as an assistant teaching in their Literacy Through The Arts program with 1st graders at Hamilton Heights Elementary.
Most memorable TATIP moment:
“To be honest, the entire program has been very memorable. I am very fortunate in that I was able to integrate a lot of the education I received through TATIP directly into my already existing work. What a treasure to be able to attend a seminar on scaffolding and lesson planning and then two days later put that knowledge into practice. And I am so thankful for that!”
“There has been so many moments, including the professional development workshops with Wingspan Arts, the National Dance Institute, and Teaching for Social Justice. The twinkle moment that shines and will shine for many years to come was our visit as the first official guests to the Langston Hughes house. What?! Are you serious? Who gets to say that? I was so honored to be there that day, amongst the history, imagining the greats sitting around, eating great food, playing music, laughing. So inspirational. I wrote a poem to say thank you:”
gratitude
is not a big enough
word
(or is it?)
to un-stuff this curious animal…
how to confess
the wonder
how to profess
the fortune
and how i, too, must express
the honor
of invitation for creation
amidst the clickety clack of a corner grand
and the tip tap type of the writer
standing at the helm of history
Mr. Langston Hughes
connecting slews of communities
past present and future…
gratitude
is not a big enough
word…
Thank You.
Find out more about Taylor here:
Check out Taylor’s Lesson Plan he created with his partner Cievel Xicohtencatl.
Interested in TATIP? Find out more about our 2017-18 Program!
See more of our 2016-17 Graduates in the 2017 TATIP Anthology!
