Lisanne Shaffer-Dickerson

Email: lisanneshaffer@gmail.com
Phone: 917-574-6653
Location: Norwalk, CT

Summary

Educational leader with extensive experience across K–12 and higher education, specializing in theatre education, curriculum development, and community engagement. Proven ability to foster collaboration, advocate for equity and access, and lead innovative programs that expand student participation in the arts. Deeply committed to mentoring future theatre educators and enhancing learning experiences through inclusive, research-informed practice.

Research Interests

Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) and its role in shaping empathy, identity, and social responsibility

Culturally responsive and anti-racist theatre pedagogy in K–12 and higher education

Theatre curriculum design centering diverse voices in American theatre history

Digital innovation, accessibility, and arts education

Inclusive, collaborative directing methodologies for student actors

Professional Appointments

Educational Theatre Association

Executive Vice President of Learning and Innovation | October 2024 – Present

• Direct strategic initiatives enhancing national educational programs and resources
• Collaborate with curriculum writers and designers to modernize learning on a new LMS platform
• Establish curriculum standards and best practices with key stakeholders
• Oversee budgets and resource allocation to support sustainable growth
• Build partnerships with educational institutions to expand access to theatre education
• Champion professional development for educators and theatre administrators
• Lead advocacy efforts promoting the importance of arts education
• Manage outreach initiatives engaging diverse communities

East Carolina University

Assistant Professor, Theatre Education & Theatre for Young Audiences | January 2022 – January 2024
Greenville, NC

• Courses taught: Intro to Acting I & II; Teaching Theatre Arts (K–12); Theatre for Young Audiences; Internship Seminar; Creative Dramatics
• Supervised student teachers and supported edTPA preparation
• Directed departmental and Theatre for Young Audiences productions
• Coordinated Youth Arts Festival with community and cross-disciplinary partners
• Academic Advisor, Blackmakers Theatre Guild
• Head of Theatre Education Program; led recruitment and curriculum revisions
• Committee service: DEIA, Production Selection, edTPA, Curriculum

Summer Arts Institute (NYC Department of Education)

Lead Theatre Teacher | January 2018 – January 2023

• Designed and facilitated intensive theatre curriculum for high school students
• Collaborated with master teaching artists in acting, voice, and movement
• Directed and coached students in scene work culminating in a public showcase

Apollo Theater

Apollo Stories Fellow | January 2021 – December 2022
Harlem, NY

• Collaborated with national educators on curriculum centering Black artistry and social justice
• Authored and co-authored original lessons for major national initiatives
• Contributed to fellowship vision shaping long-term program impact

City College of New York

Adjunct Professor, Speech and Communications | January 2021 – January 2022

• Designed curriculum to strengthen public speaking and student confidence
• Supported dialect speakers and multilingual students at the Center for Worker Education
• Adjunct Professor, Educational Theatre | January 2018 – January 2021
• Taught Seminar in Educational Theatre and Curriculum Development
• Supervised student teachers with emphasis on differentiation, culturally responsive practice, and ELL strategies

Broadway for All

Director of Education and Training | January 2020 – January 2022

• Recruited, hired, and trained teaching artists and staff
• Designed equity-centered curriculum for underrepresented students
• Developed assessment systems to track student growth
• Expanded partnerships with schools and arts organizations
• Led professional development focused on inclusive classroom strategies

Brooklyn High School of the Arts (NYC DOE)

Theatre Teacher & Director of Musical Theatre | January 2014 – January 2022

• Taught Theatre History, Acting (Intro & Advanced), Playwriting, and Musical Theatre
• Directed major productions, several selected for the Shubert High School Theatre Festival on Broadway
• Designed culturally responsive curricula
• Selected as inaugural Arthur Miller Fellow (2016)

Creative Activity

Directing — East Carolina University

Once on This Island (2023)

Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical (2023)

The Last Stop on Market Street (2023)

School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play (2024)

Directing — Brooklyn High School of the Arts

Rent (2022)

Fame (2020)

Bring It On: The Musical (2019)

Into the Woods (2018)

Almost, Maine (2017)

A Raisin in the Sun (2016)

Curriculum Development

• Apollo Theater (2022–2023): Between the World and Me Project; Soul Science Lab: The Renaissance Mixtape Project
• NYC Department of Education (2018): American Voices Curriculum — Co-authored section on Children of a Lesser God

Scholarly Writing

• Shaffer, L. (2024). Grappling with History: Why Students (and Teachers) Should Confront the Roots of Musical Theatre. New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
• Katona et al. (2022). How Can Digitizing Theatre Support School-Based Theatre Programs? Broadway On Demand
• Shaffer, L. (2019). The Last Five Years. CCNY Educational Theatre Program Blog

Professional Panels & Presentations

• BroadwayCon (2022): Careers in Educational Theatre — Panelist
• Educational Theatre Association Webinar (2024): Behind the Curtain: Strategies for First-Year Theatre Teachers
• International Thespian Festival (2024): Diversifying Your Theatre Program
• Theatre Education Conference, EdTA (2023): Research Roundtables Coordinator & Moderator

Awards

• Excellence in Arts Education Award, Arthur Miller Foundation (2020)
• Apollo Stories Fellowship, Apollo Theater (2021–Present)
• Arthur Miller Fellowship (Inaugural Class), Theatre Education Innovation (2016)

Professional Memberships

Educational Theatre Association (EdTA)

American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE)

Skills

Curriculum Development

Educational Leadership

Theatre Production

Community Engagement

Diversity & Equity Advocacy

Public Speaking

Creative Collaboration

Student Mentorship

Team Building

Relationship Management

Education

M.F.A., Theatre (Directing & Playwriting) — Expected June 2026
Randolph College, Lynchburg, VA

M.S.Ed., Educational Theatre — January 2015
The City College of New York, New York, NY

B.F.A., Musical Theatre — January 2003
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC