Women of Distinction--Education
By ANNE HASSLER
Published: Monday, November 19, 2007 6:18 PM CST
McPherson Sentinel

When students at McPherson High School put on a play, it is a lesson in collaboration, according to Cindy Marion, McPherson High School drama teacher.

Sewing, carpentry, painting, researching and lighting all play an important part and all require the students to come together and work as a team.

“I remember Mrs. Marion talking about how a play is different from a sporting activity. Football teams aren't required to sew their own uniforms, or build the stadium, put up the lighting or print the tickets and then expected to turn around and tear it all down when they're done. She really challenges us and makes us want to learn,” said senior Mona Hale, who's been involved in plays all through high school.

“To me, it's what education should be. It's education-plus. It incorporates so many different skills and talents to create one piece of art. Students learn problem-solving in a hands-on, team-building experience. It's a melting pot where students discover each other's talents and learn their own undiscovered gifts,” Marion said.

Marion, who is in her eighth year of teaching at MHS, knew she wanted to teach when she became involved in drama, speech and forensics as a student herself at Nickerson High School. She was inspired by her drama teacher Sandy Eddings.

“The ability to communicate, entertain and inform people all through theatre appealed to me,” Marion said.

She went on to graduate from Southwestern College in Winfield, where she says she was able to “learn how to do everything.”

While performing in a melodrama one summer, she met her husband, Mike, pastor of First United Methodist Church. The pair have collaborated on several plays including “Where the Heart Is,” a story of homeless people who meet through an outreach ministry (www.peace inthekingdom.com).

While raising her three children -- Heidi, now 26, Josh, 23 and Kate, 21 -- Marion worked for the Wichita Center for the Arts and started an arts-based preschool there.

“I went from teaching preschool to high school when I came here, so I've run the gamut,” she said.

Today, she appreciates theatre as a means of teaching her students how to speak to people on a level they can identify with and understand.

Under Marion's guidance, the drama class offerings have grown from one semester of acting and one semester of technical classes to four full years of classes.

Her first production, a musical called “Trash,” was in 2003. “My Fair Lady” followed and was awarded Best Show from the Music Theatre of Wichita. In 2006 she directed “Cinderella” which won nine out of the 11 award it was nominated for at the MTW awards including Best Show and Best Director. This year's production of “Peter Pan” saw the actors learning to fly on stage.

“Mrs. Marion really cares about all the actors. She strives for success and is invested in the play,” Jamie Frye, MHS junior, said.

Marion recently was named Teacher of the Year for USD 418, an honor given to her by her fellow teachers.

“It's a humbling kind of honor,” she said.

McPherson Unified School District 418
514 N. Main
McPherson, KS 67460
620-241-9400
It is the policy of McPherson USD 418 not to discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race,
religion, color, age, or national origin in its educational programs and/or activities, nor in its employment practices.

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