Teacher Appreciation Week: Meet Steven Calakos

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we are celebrating and thanking our amazing Gulfshore Playhouse Education team!

Today we meet Steven Calakos, Director of Education, who oversees the arts education program and community engagement efforts at Gulfshore Playhouse. His primary mission is to make theatre education more accessible to students of all ages.

Steven is also a professional actor, singer, and model with national credits, a member of Actors Equity Association, and was the recipient of the 2022 Tony Award Honorable Mention for Excellence in Theatre Education.

Q & A with Steven Calakos

What’s the best part of being involved in theatre education at Gulfshore Playhouse? 
The ability to make theatre more accessible for countless teachers, students, and not-for-profit organizations within Collier County is what makes Gulfshore Playhouse so amazing.

Why does Theatre education at Gulfshore Playhouse matter? 
Theatre education at Gulfshore Playhouse provides the opportunity for students to be creative, effectively communicate, both verbally and non-verbally, and build their confidence in a safe environment.

What do students gain from the involvement in theatre at Gulfshore Playhouse? 
Students who come through our programs gain a professional experience through working not only with our award-winning Gulfshore Playhouse Education staff, but also professional teaching artists from around the country. These teaching artists are Broadway, TV, and film actors and musicians that provide deeper insight and experiences from the industry to our students.

Why do you love being an educator at Gulfshore Playhouse? 
As the Director of Education and having taught public school in New Jersey for 11+ years, I love combining both passions of theatre and education and look forward to coming to work every day. Being an educator at Gulfshore Playhouse allows me to collaborate with teachers within the county, as well as work directly with students in our Conservatory programs. It’s the best!

What is the goal of educational theatre at Gulfshore Playhouse? 
The goal of Gulfshore Playhouse Education is to provide unique, world-class educational opportunities that teach life-long skills. Not all students who love theatre will not become Broadway actors. At Gulfshore Playhouse, we believe that theatre arts teaches the skills necessary to be successful in any career.

What makes a good theatre educator? 
An effective theatre educator not only has the ability to instill a passion for theatre arts in their students, but more importantly carry with them an enormous amount of patience, understanding, and empathy. These character traits are important as students grow and mature and it is essential for a theatre educator to model these behaviors.

What does theatre education help to promote in our community? 
Theatre education promotes a sense of universal understanding and respect within our community. Theatre offers the opportunity for actors to think and feel unlike themselves, to actually put themselves in someone else’s shoes. We need to be able to understand others; where they come from, what their motivations are and why, truly exercise empathy. In such a polarized society, we need more of this.