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Alan Hawkins Selected as Guest Faculty for the 2026 Tennessee Arts Academy Summer Institute

Seattle based educator, improviser, and author Alan Hawkins has been selected to serve as guest faculty at the Tennessee Arts Academy Summer Institute, held July 11 to 17, 2026, on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Tennessee Arts Academy (TAA) is a nationally recognized professional development program dedicated to inspiring and supporting K–12 arts educators from across the country.

Hawkins, who has been teaching and directing theatre and improvisation for more than twenty years, will lead a weeklong workshop series titled Improvising in the Style of Shakespeare for secondary theatre teachers. His approach blends heightened language, emotional honesty, and theatrical technique to make Shakespearean improvisation accessible, practical, and deeply rewarding for both educators and students.

Hawkins has trained at some of the nation’s top improvisational institutions, including The Second City Conservatory and Musical Conservatory in Los Angeles, iO West, the Chicago ComedySportz Training Center, and The Annoyance Theatre. He has taught high school improv programs, coached numerous student ensembles, and served as a teacher and director with the Chicago Teen Comedy Festival. He currently performs and teaches as an ensemble member at Unexpected Productions, the longest running improv theatre in Seattle.

He is also the author of You Can’t Learn Improv from a Book, a classroom focused resource that helps drama educators introduce improvisation in a structured, accessible way. His teaching emphasizes emotional truth, relationship driven scenes, and the expressive tools that help young actors create meaningful, grounded work.

“I’m honored to be invited to teach at TAA,” Hawkins said. “Drama educators deserve inspiring, practical tools they can take back to their classrooms, and I’m excited to collaborate with teachers who are already doing incredible work with their students.”

The Tennessee Arts Academy celebrates its 40th year in 2026 and continues to be a leading advocate for arts education nationwide.