Kanea MacDonald (they/she) is a theatre maker and educator currently working toward their MFA in Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities at the University of Texas at Austin. Most excited about performance and pedagogy that engages young people and their families, Kanea is currently working to establish the first professional theatre for young audiences in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) in South Texas, Valley Sunrise Theatre. As an educator, they are passionate about using theatre and art to promote literacy in the RGV, along with confidence and wellbeing within both teachers and students. As a theatre maker, Kanea is particularly excited about immersive and healing arts-based experiences for all ages, with special focuses on theatre for the very young and theatre for the inner child. Themes of hope, joy, everyday magic and connection thread throughout their work.
As a former Student Career Advisor at UTRGV as an undergrad, Kanea is so excited to return to this kind of work with the Graduate Office of Career and Life Design at UT Austin. She looks forward to bringing her experiences in education, facilitation, and marketing, as well as her overall lens as an artist, to her role as a Graduate Career Education Consultant.