Meet Matthew Peters | Theater Teacher and Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew Peters and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, why did you pursue a creative career?
I had worked a couple of summer camps with kids in high school and loved to interact with them and help faciliate their growth, so I knew I wanted to teach in some aspect. Since elementary school I had done theatre and found I had a real passion and love for it, but when I graduated high school I wanted to be a History teacher. Through some luck and one of my amazing former teachers, I found myself assisting with the theatre dpeartment at Alief Elsik High School. I realized quickly how much I loved being in theatre space and seeing the students shine, I realized I needed to teach theatre full time.

The reason I am so passionate about theatre is that there is something about theatre, and the arts in general, that can have such an impact on others. Theatre in particular teaches students so much when they participate. Theatre teaches us empathy by putting us in someone elses shoes and really understanding their hardships. Theatre teaches us that teamwork and working toward a common goal, like putting on show, is bigger than ourselves and our own egos. And finally theatre is truly a universal language that can affect each person regardless of language, socioeconomic status, etc. in different ways. In my mind theatre takes all of the arts and combines it into one amazing art form!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think at The Woodlands HS Theater Department we truly are student driven in all that we do. We as directors (Tim Jackubek, Heather Collins, Bonnie Dupuis, and myself) believe that the best way for students to learn is to be hands on and we as directors need to create a safe space for failure. We as students and adults, are told and strive to be the best at everything we do, but what we dont realize sometimes is that our failures are the biggest teaching tools along the way. We truly let the students design, build, and troubleshoot in all aspects in our department. Of course we are there to help when needed but we find that not only are we creating well rounded thespians, but also well rounded young adults. We strive to to be as professional a department as we can, but also understanding that this is educational and our job is to teach these students to work hard and be the best they can be.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I may be biased but if you can catch a show at TWHS Theater you would be in for a treat. I can’t tell you how many times I hear that our productions rival that of the professional productions people have seen. If you cant make it to one of our shows I would say catch one at The Alley Theatre, Hobby Center, Houston Grand Opera, and all the many professional houses we have in town. If you do make it downtown you have to stop at Biraporrettis, one of my favorite pre or post restaurants to go to. If coming to The Woodlands you cant go wrong with any of the places at Market Street or Hughes Landing for food and drinks.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not be who I am without my amazing family, friends, and teachers who invested so much time in me and helped me follow my passions. I also would be remiss not to thank The Woodlands HS and The Woodlands community for investing in our students and being so passionate about the arts.

Website: www.twhstheater.com

Instagram: @TWHSTheater

Twitter: @TWHSTheater

Facebook: @TWHSTheater

Image Credits
James Watkins