Meadows set to lead Thomasville drama
By Carolyn Drinkard
Special to The Watchman
Thomasville’s new drama teacher, Ashley Meadows, says that she loves teaching and working with young people. An Auburn graduate, Meadows has been teaching Language Arts for eight years, six in Alabama and two in North Carolina. She also has a degree in Educational Leadership.
Meadows was hired in June to lead the THS Drama Department. To make the transition a smooth one, Meadows has spent this summer meeting with former drama teacher, Lisa Newton, and senior Thespian members.“Mrs. Newton has been extremely helpful, ” Meadows stated. “She shared a great deal of insight into the program, as well as the expectations of the school and community. She introduced me to the Thespian Society president, who has also been very
helpful. “
As a novice director, Meadows has chosen some challenging pieces for her students. In November, her TMS students will present “Junie B. Jones, Jingle Bells, Batman Smells”. The THS spring show will be “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.” Both are popular productions that “raise the bar” for young thespians.
Meadows recognized the strengths of the THS Program even before she applied for the job.
“We have a lot of senior actors this year who have a number of years experience working with the THS theater department,” she explained. “We also have a lot of community support, as well as parent and booster members. Our new principal, Mr. Alford, seems to be excited about the program and has been extremely supportive.”
Meadows says that her vision and goal for the THS Drama Department is to continue building the program by performing in both community plays, as well as local and state competitions.
“I hope to mold the students to think outside the box and utilize their creativity to shape a performance,” she said.
Meadows is married to Steven Meadows, a Forest Engineer at Georgia Pacific in Pennington, AL. They have two sons, Sawyer and Hudson. The Meadows are active members of Thomasville Baptist Church.
“I am very excited about my new job,” Meadows stated. “I look forward to working with the drama students and putting on shows that will entertain audiences, as well as challenge students to be creative. My ultimate goal is to help students succeed and to be a person who will make a difference in their lives.”