Zac Trotter
Biography
Thank you for visiting my website. I began my time in the theatre in high school when I auditioned for Lehi High School's production of "Les Misérables" under the direction of Jan (Shelton) Hunsaker. In college, and pursuing Stage Management at the time, I was approached to direct the fall production of "Black Comedy." I told them I would do anything rather than direct. They informed me that if I did not take the assignment there would be no show and others would also miss out on opportunity. That first show had sold-out audiences and I have been directing ever since.
In 2012, I was approached by Nate Marble to produce a musical together. Using borrowed money from a shaved ice cart we presented "Who Shot Juanito Bandito." This is where my Artistic Director journey began.
While waiting for my wife, Tatem, to graduate in 2014 I was presented with the Theatre Teacher position at Cedar City High School. A small program with less than 50 students I was charged with building the program to keep it at the school. After 3 years, the program had grown to full time with over 200 students. While there I assisted in the school's mascot rebranding as Student Government Advisor and produced the online graduation commencement ceremony during the 2020 COVID shutdown.
I continued to produce and direct professionally and independently while teaching. We presented shows all over Southern Utah including, Zion National Park, Parowan, and the Center for the Arts at Kayenta before being asked by Iron School District to set up residence at Cedar City High School. This was done to present the school with positive events and activities for the community in addition to the work already being done with the students through the athletics, arts, and academics. I used my Masters Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (emphasis: Arts Administration and Education) to bridge the divide between professional, community, and student performers to create quality productions with professional artists while providing training and mentorship for students and local performers.
I made the transition to Salem Hills High School in 2021 after 7 years at Cedar High to carry on the legacy created by my own high school drama teacher, Jan Hunsaker.
Educator Lesson Plans
Through my years of teaching (including the COVID years) I have found a need for teachers, of all experience levels, to have access to lesson plans and activities free of charge. Regardless if a teacher has a full-time theatre program or they only produce a single musical as an extracurricular activity, we all need help staying current with the industry, knowing all areas of the theatre, and may need to pivot to online teaching without notice. Many of you know how difficult it was/is to teach acting online... With that in mind and with the help of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, I am creating (and continually updating) a variety of lesson plans for all teachers to utilize in their classrooms. Students will gain skills in public speaking, meeting deadlines, leadership, team collaboration, memorization, and creative thinking. These students will be benefitted from their theatre education in every field of study whether they pursue theatre in college or choose a different career path.