About Me
My Background
- Chase Waites, from Ft. Worth, Texas, has been acting, directing, and teaching since the seventh grade. With over 20 years of experience, he has taught from third grade to the college level. Chase graduated high school from Cairo American College in Cairo, Egypt, has his BA in Theatre and Teacher Certification from Centenary College of Louisiana and his MFA in Directing from the University of New Orleans.
Teaching Philosophy
No Risk, No Reward: Failing Gloriously
Every student who walks into my classroom brings something different. Some arrive excited and ready to learn. Others are skeptical, unsure, or convinced they already know everything they need to know. Students are amazing. Some will let you know it; others do not have an inkling. It is my job to help them discover what they are capable of.
Students need to know that failure is always an option—encouraged, even. It is through glorious failure and calculated risks that some of the greatest rewards can be reaped. A student who is afraid to fail is also afraid to discover.
Successful teaching begins with observing and listening. Students are similar; students are vastly different. Each student indicates, in one way or another, how they learn best and what they need from me. Through coaxing, coaching, and taking what the student offers, I lead them toward growth while encouraging the risks that make that growth possible.
I believe in practical application—putting the learning goal into a tangible context that the student can grasp and then encouraging them to move beyond what is comfortable and predictable. This is where the stakes are raised and excitement takes over. The student begins to discover possibilities that were not apparent before.
When risks become paths to rewards, and glorious failure becomes an option worth exploring, students begin to push beyond the barriers they have built for themselves. My job is not to eliminate failure. It is to create an environment where students are willing to risk it, learn from it, and discover just how much they are capable of achieving.
The Kennedy Center Medallion
Chase was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Medallion in 2018 for KCACTF Region 6. Each year, the eight KCACTF regions honor individuals or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to the teaching and producing of theatre and who have significantly dedicated their time, artistry and enthusiasm to the development of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Most importantly, recipients have demonstrated a strong commitment to the values and goals of KCACTF and to excellence in educational theatre. It is the most prestigious regional award given by KCACTF and is considered one of the great honors in theatre education.