Adrienne Knight came to Bryn Mawr in 2017 after teaching drama workshops and camps all over Maryland and realizing that inspiring creativity in young people is something she is  passionate about. Before Bryn Mawr, Knight also toured with an educational theatre company that traveled to schools in the Midwest performing socially conscious pieces of theatre. After discovering the impact she could make on students through her passion for acting, she realized that teaching was a part of her purpose. At Bryn Mawr, Knight brings her passion for theater and social justice to the classroom, and encourages her students to dream big and always shine wherever they are.
What’s the best part of your job?
The Bryn Mawr community. From day one, I was welcomed so warmly. My colleagues have become my friends and offer so much support to me, both professionally and personally. My students bring me so much happiness that it is hard to put into words. On tough days, Bryn Mawr feels like a safe place to be human. There is always someone around to offer a kind word that encourages me to keep going. I also really LOVE directing the Middle School musicals and plays. It is so rewarding to see my vision come to life over the course of a few rehearsal months. The students grow in their craft, the arts faculty grow in ours, and by the end, we really are a family.

What is your favorite part of teaching Middle and Upper School Drama?

My favorite part is how fearless the students are. It takes so much courage to create truthful work and share parts of yourself with an audience. Theatre can be a very vulnerable art form, and I am constantly amazed by how willing my students are to take risks and share their innermost creativity with their peers. Not to mention, they are just so fun and hilarious, they make every day a joy!
How do you encourage ideas and creativity in your students?

As a teacher, I try to reach and cater to as many different learning styles as possible. I inspire creativity through improv games where you have to think on your feet, small group warm-ups for those that feel more comfortable sharing with only one or two other people, and large group activities for students who are inspired through the energy of their whole class. My favorite way to inspire ideas is through writing. All of my classes include a project in which you must write a monologue, scene, or short play. This gives students the opportunity to use their voices to tell their stories. It’s important to expose students to a wide variety of writers, but in my opinion, it’s even more important to empower them to write the stories they want to see on stage. It is imperative that people from all backgrounds see themselves reflected in plays, television, movies, music, etc. I feel that it is my job as an educator to remind them not to wait on the world to showcase them. They have to the power to showcase themselves.
Why should every student take drama at some point in their academic careers?

Drama breeds camaraderie. It is so rewarding and so full of necessary life skills. Some of my best friends have come from theatre experiences. It teaches empathy, challenges you out of your comfort zone, and encourages you to dig deep within yourself to create from a true and genuine place. Finally, drama is art, and art is a necessary form of human expression. It heals, it motivates, and it is cathartic.
 
Favorite show or play you've seen?
My favorite play of all-time is A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. It is such a beautifully told story of a black family in the 1950’s wrestling with love, legacy, segregation, money, and so much more. It was such an important piece for its time period, as it was rare to see black stories and characters showcased in authentic, human ways. It remains a classic to me. I also love Hamilton. It was almost like a concert, and I was the groupie in the second row scream-singing all the lyrics.
It is imperative that people from all backgrounds see themselves reflected in plays, television, movies, music, etc. I feel that it is my job as an educator to remind students not to wait on the world to showcase them, because they have to the power to showcase themselves.
You were recently in the show Stick Fly, tell me about that.

Stick Fly by Lydia Diamond is definitely my favorite show that I have been in to date. It chronicles a wealthy African-American family vacationing at their summer home in Martha’s Vineyard. It grapples with socioeconomic disparities in the black community, racial tensions in the affluent community of the Vineyard, and family rivalries. It was a pure joy to sink my teeth into such rich material. I tend to gravitate towards roles and projects that challenge the status quo and make the audience dissect society and their mindsets.

If someone walks into your office, what will they see on your desk?

There is always coffee or tea on my desk. There are also handmade cards and postcards from very kind students for my birthday, or simply to “shout the love.” Finally, there’s a wooden hanging right above my desk, from my mom, that reads “Dream Big.” It’s so simple, but a beautiful reminder to me that my possibilities are limitless and I can create the life I see in my dreams.


What is one thing your students don't know about you?

I used to think I was going to be a broadcast journalist or documentary filmmaker. In high school and college, I studied broadcast journalism, and even won an award from C-SPAN for a film I made about the struggles of homelessness in Baltimore City. Theatre and acting, however, never left my heart, and I eventually chose to take that route. But who knows? I may still become a journalist or filmmaker! It’s never too late to reinvent yourself.
 
Located in Baltimore, Maryland, The Bryn Mawr School is a private all-girls pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school with a coed preschool for ages 2 months through 5 years. Bryn Mawr provides students with exceptional educational opportunities on a beautiful 26-acre campus within the city limits. Inquisitive girls, excellent teaching, strong student-teacher relationships and a clear mission sustain our vibrant school community where girls always come first.