About the Author

Bryan Stanton (they/them) is a queer theatre educator, designer, and advocate committed to building more inclusive, accessible, and joyful spaces for creative learning. With over a decade of experience in technical theatre, production management, and culturally responsive pedagogy, Bryan has worked across K–12, higher education, and professional theatre, specializing in demystifying the world of backstage and design for new generations of students.

They currently serve as Musical Theatre Master Teacher at The Equity Project Charter School in New York City and Adjunct Professor of Theatre Education and Design at The City College of New York. Bryan is the founder of Teaching While Queer, a nonprofit and podcast dedicated to uplifting LGBTQ+ educators and expanding strategies for equity in schools.

Bryan earned their MFA in Theatre Pedagogy from the University of Idaho, where they also completed a graduate certificate in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP). Their published work includes contributions to HowlRound Theatre Commons, where they write about inclusive design practices, and to Theatre Design & Technology (TD&T), the journal of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), where they explore the intersections of education, equity, and design.

Their work, including Creating Theatre Magic: An Inclusive Guide to Design and Production, is grounded in the belief that everyone belongs in the theatre—and that design is not just about what we build, but who we build it for.