Staff Spotlight: Ann Joseph-Douglas, Director of Education

CTC: What is your role at CTC? 

Ann: I am the director of education.

CTC: What does your job involve? 

Ann: My primary role at the theatre is the overall administration and supervision of all education programming. This includes all Theatre Arts Training classes and summer camps, school partnerships, student matinees, and community programs. We have a large team of the most amazing teaching artists, some of whom your family may have encountered during lobby activities during show performances.  

CTC: What is your favorite thing about your job? 

Ann: Working with young people and my amazing team in the Education Department.

CTC: What do you love most about CTC? 

Ann: I am incredibly lucky and honored to be part of CTC. This is a fantastically special place filled with people who are dedicated to serving the youth and families that walk through the door and beyond every day. I am so proud of the work that we do here, and it has been my greatest pleasure to be part of this amazing institution that feels like home.

CTC: How can someone prepare for a career like yours?  

Ann: There are many pathways to a career like mine. I have an M.F.A. in Theatre and worked as a professional actor in Chicago for 20 years. I gained non-profit administrative skills by starting a theatre company. I’ve worked in higher education and learned to develop a teaching style that is centered around student discovery and creating student-led classrooms. What surprised me was that being in the classroom brought me equal joy as being on stage. I have seen how the arts can transform a young person’s life just like it did for me. My mission has been to ensure that young people, regardless of who they are and where they are from, receive access to quality arts programming.