Spark Spotlight Teacher: Assistant Professor Jessica Kammerud
Jessica Kammerud is an Assistant Professor of Stage Properties in the School of Design and Production at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She previously worked as the Assistant Properties Supervisor at the Goodman Theatre, the Assistant Props Manager for the Glimmerglass Festival, a Properties Coordinator for the Pittsburgh Public Theater, and as a Properties Director and Stage Manager at North Carolina Stage Company in Asheville, NC. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the School of Design and Production at the UNC School of the Arts, and a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from the University of North Carolina Asheville.
1. How long have you been a teacher?
I have given guest lectures and taught various classes over the years. The 2023-24 school year will be my second year teaching full time.
2. What inspired you to want to become a teacher?
I grew up surrounded by teachers — parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, all teachers. I always knew it was something I wanted to do. Having worked in the industry for a number of years, it became increasingly clear, particularly coming out of the pandemic, just how broken and unsustainable the theatre industry had become as a way of life. The best way I know to improve the industry is to start with the next generation.
3. What do you enjoy most about teaching?
My favorite part of teaching is the one-on-one advising and mentoring that our smaller class sizes allow. Some of my favorite teaching moments have actually occurred as a part of the advising process. Having the opportunity to problem-solve through a project one-on-one with a student, or advising them on the nuances of a difficult conversation with a member of their artistic team — those opportunities are a privilege. Students grow and change so much, particularly throughout undergrad, and watching those students become adults, confident and ready to make informed decisions and work through their next big steps is incredibly rewarding.
4. What is your favorite subject to teach?
I teach in the Stage Properties program in the School of Design and Production, so the easy answer is: Props! Though the program is called "Stage Properties", the skills, techniques, and history we teach translate readily to work in Film and Television, Themed Entertainment, Escape Rooms, Theme Parks, and Commercial work as well as Theatre. Specifically, I enjoy teaching historical and cultural context classes in the props department.
5. What is most rewarding about being a teacher?
Seeing students thrive! Growing up, I remember watching incredibly smart and creative friends struggle with a very traditional classroom model – amazingly talented folks who would have thrived had they been students in a program like the one I teach in now. Watching students, who never quite found their niche in high school, come into a hands-on, intensive, program focused on the thing they love, is amazing. They come out of their shells and start to see their own strengths, all the ways they could turn that thing they really geek out over into a lucrative career.