Amy Acchione Myers is no stranger to the stage. Before becoming a teacher at Howell High School in 2004, Mrs. Myers was a full-time actor. As a Drama and English teacher, Mrs. Myers has continued to perform as her schedule allows. She most recently tread the boards for her alma mater, Villanova University, in its production of the musical comedy Curtains. Villanova University’s Graduate School Theatre program is where Ms. Myers received a Master of Arts in Theatre and she was thrilled to be welcomed back home for this production.

As a teacher in the Fine and Performing Arts Magnet Program (FPAC), Mrs. Myers spends her days teaching students about acting, directing, sets, costumes, lighting, stage management, and everything theater-related. 

“In the course of those classes, I often utilize the skills I have picked up being an actor for the past 30 years. However, this experience [of Curtains] was different. The theatre world is undergoing tremendous changes as a result of the pandemic. Since this was my first performance since 2020, I was seeing and experiencing how the process of creating theatre has changed as a result,” Mrs. Myers said.

This first-hand experience proved to be beneficial to Mrs. Myers's students as she was able to provide them with professional insights into how the world of theatre operates post-pandemic. 

“In FPAC we are training students to become professional actors.  They may not choose to do so after their four years with us, but if they do, they are ready to take the next step. The more experience I can gather as an actor, the more knowledge I have to impart to my students.  Each example from the real world I can give to my class reinforces the importance of ‘why’ we do what we do in my classroom,” Mrs. Myers said. 

There is no doubt that Mrs. Myers’s time on the stage continues to further the education of her FPAC students, and so we are excited to shine a spotlight on Mrs. Myers!