With the start to the new school year, CDH is welcoming both new and old teachers. Mr. Cullen Wiley, the new theater director, has taken his new position at CDH in stride. Born and raised in Minnesota, he was a student at Holy Spirit, and later a CDH graduate. Post-college, Wiley began his career working with high schoolers, while still keeping in touch with the acting community, as a theater director in Omaha. He says, “Something I always wanted to do was to work with high school students”.
While being asked why he came back to CDH, Wiley responded that, “Something I always wanted to do was to work with high school students, but I was still performing and acting myself and I was kind of waiting for the right opportunity to get in.”
Wiley had been looking for openings at CDH since March. He took the opportunity of the sudden opening. He said, “It kind of just felt (like) a sign and the right time to do it.”
Wiley is quickly adjusting to the CDH community once again with heavy help of colleagues Ms. Schuster and Mr. Williams. His goal during his time here, “That every student that comes in through these doors feels like they have an opportunity to grow and learn something new.” With fall show of Frozen Jr. opening in December, he’s already started to make his ideas clear. Wiley has ideas on expanding the community both within CDH and outside. With inspiration from his CDH teacher, Ms. Kreitzer, Wiley hopes to restart a CDH theater summer program and keep the community interested in CDH shows alive.
