Eric Van Baars, Teaching Artist

Eric enjoys life as a multifaceted theatre practitioner and educator. As a director /choreographer, his work focuses on ensemble-based works and spans from regional theatres to international festivals. As a teaching artist, he collaborates with such organizations as the Sarasota Arts Foundation, Van Wezel’s Education Department, Florida Studio Theatre, The Player’s Theatre and Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. He is certified as a Wolf Trap teaching artist and as an instructor of Dance for People with Parkinsons Disease. A recent Florida transplant, Eric is an Emeritus Professor of Kent State University, where he was the Director of the School of Theatre and Dance from 2014-2022, and taught all aspects of performance for over twenty years. He served on the board of Wholehearted Education, Inc and was an advisory board member for the National Association of Schools of Theatre. As a producer of Ohio’s Porthouse Theatre, Eric was involved in over 30 productions, as both an actor and director/ choreographer.   He holds an MFA in Acting from Kent State and is a long-standing member of Actors Equity Association and the Society of Directors and Choreographers.