David Sinkus*
Company Director of Education
david@motherroad.org
David brings over 20 years experience in the theatre and arts education to Mother Road. David served as Master Teacher Artist with ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY in New York City, where he collaborated with classroom teachers in NYC public high schools to develop and implement academically and theatrically integrated curriculum projects, as well as created and presented professional development for classroom teachers. He was the Project Coordinator for the Brooklyn School of Music and Theatre, one of ROUNDABOUT’S high schools, coordinating all aspects of the performance schedule and creating curriculum to parallel that schedule. David also worked on the design and presentation team who received a $400,000 grant from New Visions and The Bill Gates Foundation to create and open Manhattan Theatre Lab, the third of ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY'S academic and theatrically integrated project-based high schools. Also in NYC, David designed and taught residencies for LINCOLN CENTER THEATRE.
During his years in Chicago, David served as a teaching artist and director for FREE STREET PROGRAMS, a community-arts-based organization. There he directed the internationally recognized TeenStreet companies, taking an ensemble of youth through the intense process of creating and then touring an original, boundary-breaking theatre piece. David founded and led THE THEATRE COLLECTIVE, a Chicago off-loop theatre company. Also, he and his company represented the State of Illinois at the American Alliance of Theatre and Education’s national conference with THE FOUR GIFTS, an adaptation of Native American folk tales. During this time he was instrumental in the creation of Chicago’s annual off-loop theatre festival. Other education experience includes THE NEW VICTORY THEATRE, PLAYWRIGHT’S THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY, MAD RIVER THEATRE WORKS, THE NEW YORK and NEW JERSEY YOUNG PLAYWRIGHT’S FESTIVALS, IMAGINATION THEATRE and URBAN GATEWAYS.
As a professional actor, David performed in the original Off-Broadway cast of JOHNNY GUITAR. In addition, he toured Italy, Lebanon and Japan in the LA SCALA OPERA’s production of WEST SIDE STORY. David has performed in regional theatres all over the country. He also has extensive youth theatre experience having toured schools in many states with MAD RIVER THEATREWORKS, URBAN GATEWAYS and AMERICAN EAGLE PRODUCTIONS. David is also an accomplished musician playing the trombone and guitar in many productions and bands.
David is currently teaching as adjunct faculty in the theatre department at The University of New Mexico and will be serving as the Director of Education for Mother Road. Most importantly, David is a proud new dad to his 18-month-old son Owen John.
* Member Actors' Equity Association