When students walk into the North Point theatre they are greeted by an abundance of creativity, from the students studying lines or performing monologues to Mr. Minor, who is encouraging them and adding to the creativity. Mr. Minor is one of the two theatre teachers here at North Point and he really has a passion for what he does.
When he was younger, Minor wanted to be an actor. “I always dreamed of it,” he said. Mr. Minor has had an appetite for theatre since the 10th grade. He even had lead roles in most of his school plays after his sophomore year. He has put a lot of work into becoming a great actor by attending four different colleges for schooling in theatre. For his undergraduate degree in communication education and theatre, Mr. Minor attended the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He also attended the Clarion University of Pennsylvania to obtain his social studies certification. Mr. Minor attended Master’s classes at the London School of Musical Theatre and received his graduate degree from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts for classical acting.
Mr. Minor enjoys teaching very much. “I like watching people blossom, and seeing them go from being shy to finding their talent,” he says. He also enjoys teaching for the summer break. Many students have enjoyed taking Mr. Minor’s various theatre classes, ranging from introduction to theatre to advanced acting. Shelby Burton (’12) said, “He is creative. He makes sure every lesson has something to keep his students interested. We play games, do physical warm-ups, and a lot of group work. It makes learning theatre all the more fun”.
Mr. Minor has been teaching at North Point since it opened, seven years ago. He says his favorite part of North Point is that “so many people on the staff get along well” and that “so many of teachers are friends.” Over the years Mr. Minor has been the advisor of many activities at North Point such as Destination Imagination and the International Thespian Society. He also assists with yearbook and newspaper photography. If Minor were a student at North Point now, he said that he would join theatre, chorus, the soccer team, and the Student Government Association. “I always loved SGA,” he said.
Many students enjoy taking Minor’s class. “He always makes it fun,” says Julia Keesler (’13). Students grow as actors and actresses. One student, Maddison Stinson (’12), said, “It is a fun working and learning environment, where every day is a bundle of laughs.”
Minor has many favorite playwrights and plays but admits, “I’m a Shakespeare junkie”.
Even though Mr. Minor has an enthusiasm for theatre he also has some hidden talents. “I can play a raisin box,” he said.
He also has many hobbies, such as traveling, hiking, watching sports (baseball and football), playing with his dog, Remy, photography and photo editing. “I love taking naps,” he added. One random, fact about Minor is that his favorite super villain is Darth Vader. In Minor’s words, “He’s really, really cool and dark and scary.”
