By Anna Ross, AUI Executive Director

Audiences Unlimited (AUI) and Life Adult Day Academy (LADA) are blessed beyond measure to experience the directing talents of Gloria Minnich, Discovering Treasure Island director. Gloria loves teaching drama and movement to students of all ages and ability levels. Her students range in age from three years old to senior citizens and who are both neurotypical and neurodiverse.

A natural-born actor herself, Gloria has acted in many productions at Arena Dinner Theatre, Fort Wayne Civic Theater, First Presbyterian Theatre, and PFW and has appeared in several local commercials and a short film. She is the recipient of an Anthony Award and many Arena Awards for acting and directing.

In addition, Gloria has trained in the Hunter Heartbeat Method, which uses Shakespeare to help those on the autism spectrum develop communication skills. In addition to Shakespeare, she has studied dance, puppetry, storytelling, Commedia dell’Arte, and sensory theatre. She loves to travel and has trained internationally with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre of England, Gyre and Gimble, Drama Resource, Little Angel Theatre, and Oily Cart, where she created theatre pieces for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

In 2019, Gloria was awarded the Arts United Margaret Ann Keegan Award for Arts Education.  She is very excited to collaborate with her LADA students this year, exploring theatre in new and unique ways. Please join us in celebrating Gloria and the LADA students in this year’s special performance of Discovering Treasure Island!