MAUDE EISELE | THEATER & PHYSICAL THEATER ARTIST
IMPROV, STORYTELLING & SHAKESPEARE FOR CURIOUS CLASSROOMS
Maude Eisele brings over 25 years of theatre teaching experience into the classroom, blending improv, movement-based storytelling, physical theatre, and Shakespeare to spark curiosity, literacy, and confidence. She specializes in inhabiting the worlds of stories — using gesture, movement, soundscapes, and spatial awareness to bring environments to life. Maude has taught with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Mizel Center for the Arts, Boulder Ensemble Theater Company, and Junior Theatre in Balboa Park, San Diego. Now based just outside Port Townsend, she works with Centrum and is a founding board member of Saltfire Theatre. Her classes are playful, movement-driven, and designed to help students build collaboration, empathy, and joy in performance.
GRADE LEVELS
Elementary, middle, and high school, including after-school theatre clubs.
ART FORMS
Theatre • Physical Theatre • Acting • Improv • Shakespeare
ARTS INTEGRATION & CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Maude’s programs support Washington State Learning Standards by integrating theatre with other core subjects:
- Visual Arts Standards (VA): Students develop skills in creative problem-solving, performance, and stagecraft (VA:Cr1–Cr3).
- English Language Arts (ELA): Supports comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, and oral presentation skills through script work and improvisation (ELA:RL, SL, W).
- Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Encourages collaboration, empathy, adaptability, and confidence-building through ensemble play.
- Social Studies: Brings historical and cultural contexts to life through storytelling and Shakespearean themes.
Pairs well with:
- Literature and creative writing units
- Social studies or history projects on specific eras or cultures
- SEL-focused classroom initiatives
- School theatre productions or performance showcases
- Shakespeare festivals or themed events
WHY TEACHERS CHOOSE MAUDE
- Easy to implement: Adaptable for a wide range of ages, skill levels, and class formats.
- Flexible format: Works as a single session, multi-day residency, or after-school program.
- Engaging outcomes: Builds confidence, literacy, and collaboration skills.
- Cross-curricular connections: Supports multiple subject areas while inspiring creativity and performance.
MAUDE EISELE'S PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
Storydrama
Students bring a favorite classroom story to life through movement, character exploration, and immersive soundscapes. Using physical theatre techniques, they inhabit the environment of the story, embodying characters, settings, and actions. Builds literacy, empathy, and confidence while turning the classroom into a living stage. Minimum: 1–3 sessions.
O, Billy!
A lively introduction to Shakespeare’s language and stories, exploring themes of love, loss, magic, and mischief. Students experience the arc of a play while working with select lines and using movement to deepen their understanding of rhythm, meaning, and tone. Minimum: 3–5 sessions.
Life is Improv!
Fast-paced theatre games and improv exercises that develop listening skills, collaboration, and adaptability (“yes…and”). Incorporates physical theatre to help students express ideas with their whole bodies, build characters, and respond in real time. Minimum: 1 class period.
