Name:
Missy (Milissa) Thibodeaux-Thompson (formerly Missy Thibodeaux)
Year Graduated:
1989
Degree:
B.F.A. - Drama Education
Favorite Memory of T&D:
Candace Sorensen directing THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES… getting somewhat frustrated with some of us in the cast when we were not responding to being on a new planet. "So many to choose from... the camaraderie in classes, working on shows..." Oh…and the great Halloween parties at the "Drama" house near campus!
Influential Professors or Classes:
Having Lee Abraham for Acting my first semester, freshman year was a somewhat intimidating experience. It was an excellent class, and I learned much (many things I teach in my Acting classes!)…but rather daunting for a freshman! Ruth Denney was a phenomenal teacher and mentor. And while I have absolutely no talent or aptitude for lighting, I simply adored David Nancarrow's lighting class-who wouldn't?
Current Hometown:
Springfield, Illinois. Home of Abraham Lincoln, of course, and now getting ready to make the claim that we ARE the "Springfield" of The Simpsons (move over, Abe).
Current Profession:
Assistant Professor of Theatre in the Communication Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield. What a dream…I not only get to act sometimes, teach, and direct (& get paid for it!), but I also work alongside my husband. We're two theatre professionals who not only have jobs in theatre and higher ed in the same city, but we work in the same program! Pinch me again.
Biography:
Taught high school theatre in Georgetown, Texas for 2 years, then went north to Lincoln, Nebraska to get my M.F.A. in Acting at UNL. Headed to NYC with my husband, Eric, in 1994, and did the 'NYC-thing.' Did some acting & directing in NYC Off-Off Broadway theatres, and managed to luck out and land a great gig acting and teaching at Cornell University for a year. I then found my way to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for three years, teaching Acting and Intro to Theatre courses, and directed A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Baltimore Waltz. In the midst of all of that, my husband & I hit a couple of Shakespeare Festivals (me riding on his coat-tails), and snagged various acting gigs when we could. Some favorite roles include: Jane in See Jane Run at The Theatre Studio Inc., in NYC, Paulina in Death and the Maiden with Bare Bones Theatre, and Rosalind in As You Like It with Chickspeare, both in Charlotte. Ended up in the Atlanta, GA area for a couple of years, had a baby (she's now 6!), and we've been in Springfield, IL for almost 5 years now. We've just started rehearsals playing the husband & wife in Lee Blessing's Two Rooms in our first-ever "Student/Faculty Showcase," alongside two UIS Theatre students-an exciting learning experience for all of us.
