Ever feel like you don’t belong? In the theater room, theater teacher Molly Mokler says there’s a place for everyone no matter what they’re good at. With eight years of teaching experience, the new theater teacher is excited to help students express themselves through acting, art and teamwork.
“In third grade I was in a play, and I loved it,” Mokler said. “My mom took us to a lot of shows growing up, and I always was so involved with it to the point where I just wanted to be a part of it.”
Even though she loved theater as a kid, Mokler never thought she would end up teaching it.
“In 2017, I was asked to assistant direct a show at my last high school,” Mokler said. “I wasn’t teaching theater at the time. I had a background in theater, but I had a history of repeatedly saying, ‘I’m done with theater now.’ I graduated high school saying, ‘That’s probably as much theater as I’ll do.’”
But that wasn’t the end.
“Then in college, I auditioned for a show, and I got the lead, and it was a lot of work,” Mokler said. “I thought if I changed my minor, I could get college credit for the show I was in, so I changed my minor. Then I graduated and thought, ‘All right, now I’m done with theater.’ Then I got invited to assistant direct a show, and I loved it. That year, the theater teacher left, and I applied for the position, and I got it.”
Now, Mokler is in her eighth year of teaching after working at Grandview High School, along with teaching in Utah and Colorado. She said she’s excited to bring her experience to help students find their own love for theater.
“What I love about teaching theater is it’s a lot more project-based,” Mokler said. “It’s a lot more, ‘Let me give you some skills, and then you go work on building.’ I really enjoy letting students unleash their creativity in a really unique way.”
Mokler and her students are rehearsing for the fall musical, “Seussical,” based on the stories of Dr. Seuss. But no matter what show they’re working on, Mokler said she wants to make sure every student feels like they belong.
“Theater is super valuable regardless of what you’re interested in and regardless of what skills you bring to the table,” Mokler said. “I’ve got a position for literally everybody. If you want to paint, I’ve got a spot for you. If you want to be in charge of something, I’ve got a spot for you.”
For Mokler, theater is about more than just acting. It’s about preparing for the real world.
“Theater has transferable skills that you do not get in a regular classroom,” Mokler said. “In the real world, you’re very rarely working solely on your own. You have to work with other people. You’re not always given a very clear assignment with a rubric. In the real world, you’re like, ‘Go figure this out.’ Theater mirrors that real-world experience.”
Mokler added that theater teaches students how to collaborate, solve problems and handle deadlines — all important skills they’ll use beyond the stage.
“Collaborative problem-solving, working on a deadline, dealing with other people and personalities you don’t like all the time those are all real-world skills,” Mokler said.
One thing students quickly notice about Mokler is that she fully embraces being herself.
“I don’t dampen my personality because I get to be the theater,” Mokler said. “I can dress weird and act weird and be loud.”
Students say Mokler brings energy to the program.
“She is very different from last year and she has a lot of new ideas coming into theater. You can see how passionate she is as a theater teacher and she has a different way of teaching that makes things fun,” said Olivia Bransfield.
Mokler is excited for what this year will bring and hopes more students will come check out the theater program.
