Musical theater composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz described high school musical teachers as "unsung heroes." This year, the award bearing Schwartz's name has been given to Olivia Bellido of North Carolina's C.E. Jordan High School.
Bellido is committed to expanding the school's theater program, and making it accessible to an economically-diverse student body through participation, or by providing low- or no-cost tickets to performances. She has been leading the school's Thespian Troupe 5478 for eighteen years.
"Mrs. Bellido recognizes that this hands-on experience hones students' skills and instills in them a sense of responsibility and pride," said current student Mia Pieraccini. "Performance students often come to the program with no prior experience. With Mrs. Bellido's encouragement and mentorship, they frequently discover untapped talents and new aspirations, introducing possibilities for creative endeavors and career paths they had not previously considered."
One of her former students, Faith Jones, has now found a career on Broadway. "I called [Mrs. Bellido] crying one night and she reminded me of everything I was capable of, how proud she was of me, and how proud our community was," Jones recalled. "That was one of many times Mrs. Bellido was someone I could lean on in times of trouble. Her theatre room was a safe space for me to be myself. To cry, to be goofy, to say the wrong thing, to learn, to discover myself, to be myself, to just be. Her constant grace and belief has uplifted me so many times in high school and beyond."
The Stephen Schwartz Musical Theatre Teacher of the Year Award was established in 2020 to recognize the achievements of outstanding middle or high school musical theatre teachers. It is presented by the ASCAP Foundation and the Educational Theatre Association. The latter's Executive Directorl Dr. Jennifer Katona, praised Bellido for "her dedication to her students and efforts to foster a supportive, inclusive environment showcase a commitment to theatre education that parallels our own-to use an education in theatre to deliver equitable, transformative learning experiences for all."
Bellido will receive $5,000 and will be recognized at EdTA's Theatre Education Conference this September.
