The WHS Playmakers perform in "Surge," a production that has qualified them for competition in Baltimore. Photo Cred: Watauga Yearbook
Lillian Anderson, Staff Writer for the WHS Powderhorn
Sarah Miller has taught at Watauga High School for nearly 20 years, putting on numerous productions, including this year's upcoming production of Mean Girls. Show after show, we see her behind the curtains or in the sound booth, but her job is more than just raising curtains or dimming lights. Much of Miller’s career revolves around giving students the inspiration and encouragement they need to follow even their largest dreams.
“When I first began my career, I did my first 10 years at Hendersonville High School, because it was very close to UNC Asheville, where I had gone to school,” said Miller. “I loved that area, so I taught there for 10 years, and really enjoyed it. Afterward, I took a break for about two years. During that time, Ms. Chaney [former theater teacher] announced her retirement, and I applied for her job. I was lucky enough to get it, and that was in 2005. I've been here ever since.”
Miller’s theater career didn’t just begin when she started teaching, her love for theater can be traced back years, all the way to her childhood as a young girl living in Boone.
“When we moved to Boone when I was 6, I saw a performance of The Music Man at the Blue Ridge Community Theater. It was actually the first performance that I saw live,” Miller explained. “My classmate was in it, and she was darling. I thought it looked so fun. Then the next year, they did The Sound Of Music, and my classmate was in it again. I was like, ‘I want to do that.’ So I auditioned the next year, and I think that was really the start of my love for theater.”
Miller's theater debut at Blue Ridge Community continues to play a part in the way she teaches, even years later as she helps run the WHS theater program. Adopting various aspects of the Blue Ridge Community Theater, Miller allows for all interested students to participate and enjoy the art of the theater.
“I love the creative expression of it,” said Miller. "I like the idea of being able to use different material all the time to teach theatrical concepts. Doesn't have to be the same play. Doesn't have to be the same text. It can always be a different performance vehicle to grow the same skills. And I really like that from a creative perspective.”
As theater continues to impact both Miller and her students’ lives, the skills they learn help to launch them forward into a future where anything is possible.
“I really believe that theater is not about being the next great actor or actress,” Miller said. “It's not about being the next great performer. It's about being a good communicator. Theater serves the purpose of encouraging young people to express themselves. It's the perfect thing to explore in high school because it gives you self confidence, forces you to learn how to express yourself improvisationally, and with a problem-solving mentality, to explore your skills and that is what makes it so important, not only to my students but also to myself.”
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