Dr. Christine Tanner specializes in creating theatre
and dramatic activities for and with young people. Over
the last five years at EMU, she directed a British Panto version
of Pinocchio, The
Bully Show, Real Friends, Who’s Capeable?, and launched
the “Box Theatre Company.” She received
academic fellowships both in academic service learning and with
the Department of Justice through ISCIF. Tanner was also
the recipient of a New Faculty Research award in 2003 and Service
to the University Award in 2006. While director of the
Riverside Arts Project, she created and oversaw a variety of
arts events as part of an economic development program for downtown
Ypsilanti. Prior to coming to EMU, she was both a professional
educator and theatre artist/administrator. As a middle
school drama/English/choir teacher, Tanner developed new programs
for transitioning students from 6th to 7th grade. She also
developed new programming as education director at STAGE ONE:
The Louisville Children’s Theatre and the Seattle Children’s
Theatre (SCT), and the managing director of The California Theatre
Center. Under her leadership, the Education programs at
SCT expanded to include the Dramashop Program, the Deaf Youth
Drama Program, and the classes became The Drama School. Class
enrollment from 1988-1996 grew from approximately 500 students
per year to well over 2000 per year. She has been an artist-in-residence
in a variety of settings and locales from California to Washington.
She holds a Ph.D. from Brigham Young University where she performed
in a West Coast tour of Twelfth Night and received the Most Improved
Actress Award.
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