Meet the Educators: David P.
David, center, gets ready for some seriously sexy consent education at Harvard.
Since graduating from Salem State University last May with a BFA in theater, David has hit the ground running with his acting career. And Speak About It is a huge part of that.
While at SSU, he performed with the on-campus group, Human Action Theater, using theater and improv to help acquaint new students to college life and campus culture. One of his proudest moments as an actor was the opportunity to play Noah Joad in The Grapes of Wrath. “He taught me so much about life, love, and family. He forced me to see the world from a different point of view.” That experience of learning how to empathize with someone’s life so different than one’s own was an invaluable skill to learn, and David’s brings this empathy to his work on stage and with students at Speak About It.
Theater, music, TV, and movies are a huge part of how David relates to the world. He loves that Speak About It both educates and entertains, and builds connections between students in the same way. “Theater makes you think. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you feel things you never knew you were capable of feeling, and makes you think about things in a new light,” says David.
David also shared that he too learned a lot from Speak About It; as an actor, as an educator, and as a person. “As an actor, I have become more aware of the audience and honed my ability to connect with at least one person in the room. As an educator, I really learned a lot about the material, and was excited to share the information about consent with others. As a person on tour, I got to experience living with others and seeing places I never thought I’d be able to see. All three taught me to take life by the horns and hang on for the ride. The students are going to make you smarter, more educated, and force you to look at the world from a different point of view.”
What keeps David motivated after long travel days? The students and the work of course. But also, good self-care, like getting to escape into a favorite song, show, or movie. (And, he says, the occasional hot-tub float!) Most of all, he loves having a strong leader to lean on, “I love the fearless leadership team. Shane’s dedication to the work and excitement about sharing this message is what made two sweaty weeks in the middle of summer in Portland, ME so life-changing.”
And here at Speak About It HQ, we love what David brings to the team too! He'll be closing out our touring season with shows at a number of high schools this spring, and a free show for Portland's PRIDE festival.