For Grand Canyon University alumnus Sam Brown, it’s hard to remember a time he wasn’t doing theatre.
His parents enrolled him in different sports as a child to see what would stick. But the moment they saw Brown’s face light up after they stumbled upon a pop-up performance by Christian Youth Theatre at a mall, they knew he had found his path.
From local community theatre to high school drama club and GCU’s theatre program, Brown has dedicated his life to theatre since that moment. Now, he is spreading his art and passion internationally, recently stepping into a new role as a middle school drama teacher in Japan.
“I was obsessed. It quickly became my thing,” Brown said. “It is just what I have done my whole life, doing shows constantly, and I know nothing else.”
Brown joined community theatre when he was 6 years old. When he wasn’t acting on stage, he was creating impromptu performances at home, dressing up in costumes with his brother.
Some of his earliest memories involve long days at the theatre, getting ready in dressing rooms and memorizing lines.
The art fulfilled Brown and gave him a safe space to find his footing and discover who he wants to be.
With his new role, he hopes to provide that same space for students.
“I love performing, creating productions and characters, and ultimately, it is the space created for me to be myself,” Brown said. “That is my goal with my students, to create a space where they feel safe, they can be creative, figure out what they like, who they are. I love getting a chance to pour into students.”
When Brown started as a theatre major at GCU, he didn’t waste any time making Ethington Theatre his second home. From acting to stage crew, he wore many hats. He appeared in such productions as “Peter and the Starcatcher,” “The Tempest,” “The Addams Family” and “Comedy of Errors."
He also was an avid member of GCU vocal ensemble Critical Mass for three years.
When he earned his degree in 2022, Brown took his college education back to his high school as a theatre teacher to give back to the program that helped raise him in the performing arts.
“The wonderful thing about the theatre program (at GCU) is that it encompasses all areas of theatre,” Brown said. “I came into it only being an actor. But through all the classes, design, acting and directing, I got to have a full-rounded understanding and experience of theatre.
“The classes at GCU really do set you up to create a production. As a theatre teacher, you are doing everything. You are the director, the costume designer, set designer, etc. I had a course in each of those things, so I had that foundation.”
When Brown received a call from a military-based middle school in Japan that was interested in hiring him to start and develop a theatre program, he knew it was a call from God wanting to use him in a new community that would benefit from his craft, Brown shared.
He first visited Japan on a mission trip with his church. A parent told him about the Department of War Education Activity program that operates across Japan and serves children from military families.
When an application is submitted, it remains active in the system until there is a need for a teacher and a school initiates contact.
Brown was an active applicant for three years until he received a call in June that a drama teacher was needed at a middle school in Yokosuka, Japan.
“When I got the email that my application was looked at, which doesn’t even guarantee an interview, just that people are looking at you, I immediately cried and was so excited.
“It was a big trusting-the-Lord moment. It was a huge decision, but I really prayed on it and felt like it is where the Lord was leading me.”
Since September, Brown has been developing a drama program for fifth through eighth graders who have never been exposed to theatre. He has introduced them to the basics of the craft and what it takes to put on a production on and off stage.
Brown regularly meets with teachers in the DOWEA program across Japan to develop the most proactive and effective drama programs and create production opportunities for the art to be practiced.
Outside the classroom, he leads a drama club, giving students a chance to pursue theatre as an extracurricular activity.
Earning a degree from a program like GCU’s that is all encompassing, equipped Brown with the right tools and versatile knowledge to take on the grand role and further his career.
“When Sam became a teacher, he always brought his students to GCU matinees, wanting to share with them what he had experienced,” Assistant Dean of Theatre and Dance William Symington said. “We are incredibly proud of Sam and the dedication he brings to the craft. He is a wonderful example of how GCU theatre graduates are making an impact in the industry and around the world.”
GCU staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be reached at [email protected].
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