Dr. Stephanie Lein Walseth Highlights Minnesota Theater Education Practices on National Stage

July 27, 2026

Dr. Stephanie Lein Walseth, Perpich Center for Arts Education’s Theater Education Specialist, represented Minnesota’s theater education community at the Educational Theatre Association’s Theatre Education Conference (TEC) in New York City, held July 21–25, 2026. As a presenter at the conference, Stephanie joined theater education leaders Peter Avery from New York City Public Schools and Christopher Cause from Orange County Public Schools in Florida for the session “Much Ado About Standards: Translating Policy into Practice Across Three States”.

Dr. Stephanie Lein Walseth presents at the Educational Theatre Association’s Theatre Education Conference (TEC) in New York City in July, 2026

During their session, Stephanie and her co-presenters explored how theater standards can move beyond abstract requirements to become practical tools that strengthen instruction, clarify student learning outcomes, and advocate for theater education in K–12 schools. The presentation highlighted approaches from three distinct educational settings, including Minnesota’s version of the National Core Arts Standards, which uniquely incorporates the artistic contributions of Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities.

TEC is one of the leading professional development conferences for theater educators, bringing together the professional theater community and educational theater through interactive workshops, inspiring keynotes, industry-led research, and opportunities for collaboration and mentorship. The three-day event featured more than 30 workshops, curriculum resources, networking opportunities, and specialized learning tracks for educators, teaching artists, researchers, and school administrators.

Stephanie’s participation showcased her leadership in advancing theater education and highlighted the importance of sharing Minnesota’s innovative approaches with educators across the country. Through national collaboration and knowledge-sharing, Stephanie (and Perpich Center) continues to support educators in creating meaningful, standards-aligned arts learning experiences for students.

The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) is an international nonprofit that serves as the professional association for theater educators. EdTA is the parent organization of the International Thespian Society, a student honor society that has inducted more than 2.5 million Thespians since 1929. Additionally, EdTA operates the Educational Theatre Foundation, the organization’s philanthropic arm dedicated to increasing opportunity and access to school theatre.

Stephanie Lein Walseth, Ph.D. is a theater educator, artist, administrator, and scholar with over 25 years experience working with students and artists of all ages. She has served as an affiliate faculty member at Augsburg University since 2011, and as an instructor and curriculum developer at the University of Minnesota and Penumbra Theatre Company. In the professional theater realm, she served decade-long tenures with Full Circle Theater and Penumbra, worked in leadership roles with Theater Mu/Mu Performing Arts and Mixed Blood Theatre, and served in artistic and/or administrative roles with Sod House Theater, Playwrights’ Center, Guthrie Theater, Native Voices at the Autry, Portland Stage Company, and Oakland Theater Project, among many others. Stephanie received her Ph.D. in Theatre Historiography from the University of Minnesota, and her research focuses on African American, Asian American, and Native American theater, and the institutional politics of relationships between theaters of color and predominantly white institutions. Her writing has appeared in HowlRound, Theatre Topics, e-misférica, The Baylor Journal of Theatre and Performance, and the Palgrave anthology Theater, Performance and Change. In her role at Perpich since 2018, Stephanie is pleased to support K-12 and College/University theater educators across the state, as well as all educators interested in using the tools of theater in their pedagogical practice. Stephanie received the Theater Educator of the Year Award in 2022 from the Minnesota Educational Theater Association. She is currently serving on the Executive Council of the Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota.