This year we’ve added a new addition to our theater department. Here’s a Q&A with Mr. Vigil.

Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: I’ve been teaching in a sense for the past 12 years. I started off teaching as a teaching assistant in a life skills class which is working with students with high needs. Then, I went back to school and during that time I was a substitute teacher. But all the while, I’ve been a martial arts instructor. So I’ve been teaching still in the life skills class and martial arts. Then, I got my degree and I’ve been teaching theater since then. Teaching is what I love to do.

Q: Did you always know you wanted to be a teacher?

A: No, I didn’t always know I wanted to be a  teacher. I always knew since high school well, since middle school that I wanted to be a theater person, somebody involved with theater. I didn’t discover that I wanted to be a teacher until I was about 25 or 27, and that’s when I started working as a martial arts instructor. That’s when people said to me ‘Oh you’re really good at teaching, you should think about teaching’.

Q: What do you think about Canyon Vista so far?

A: I’ve never felt so welcomed. I’ve never felt like I was that much part of a team already, it’s overwhelming at times I go home and I tell my wife all these stories about work, and how awesome the people I work with are, how supportive the administration staff is, and how everyone pitches in to carry one another.

Q: When did you become interested in the whole idea of theater?

A: That’s interesting, my mother took me to a movie when I was very young and I was amazed at the people that I saw in the movie. I was about 9 or 10 when I started thinking to myself I would like to act that’s fun to create a character, that’s fun to be somebody else and to say things in different voices. And so, my love for performing and acting came at a very young age. When I got to high school there was an opportunity for me to take theater so I just jumped in and I fell in love with theater then so I’ve been doing it ever since. It’s always entertaining.

Q: Tell me something about your family?

A: I have a 13-year-old son and he lives with his mother in Leander and I’m married to my wife she’s also a teacher. I met her when I was a T.A (teachers assistant) and we’ve been together ever since. She and I have a daughter. My wife’s name’s Michelle, my son’s name is Johnathan, and we have a dog together and her name is Amelia. Amelia is going to be a year old in September, on September 15th.

Q: What’s your favorite part about teaching theater?

A: My favorite thing is when I see a student making progress. For example, my favorite way of making progress is if they’re really shy, I like that after a certain amount of time we’ve broken through that and now they’re talking and they have no problem talking to anyone.

Q: What do you hope your students get out of your class each year?

A: My goal for students is that they can learn to maintain healthy relationships in my class like how they will in real life.

Q: What is your favorite drama that you’ve ever seen?

A: Hmm……That’s a tough one. I like a lot of dramas. Give me a moment.

One Moment Later

If I had to choose it would be the play “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams that I directed one time. I got Mrs. Gonzalez to do a role in the play. I knew she would be good at it. I just didn’t know she would be great at it. It was an amazing show.