Benji Braswell

Director & Theatre Arts Teacher

​     Benji Braswell (They, them) is the Theatre teacher at Jefferson High School where they offer classes in Theatre Arts 1, 2, Stagecraft, Production, Devised, and Advanced Acting. They are also the Artistic Director of the Jefferson Players, our school’s after school drama club and performing troupe! Their most recent show directed at Jeff was SpongeBob the Musical. They are a 8 year certified public educator who has taught grades k-12 throughout Texas, Colorado, Illinois and now Indiana who also serves as the Director of Education and Outreach at the Civic Theatre of Lafayette and feels so incredibly lucky to be working alongside such passionate artists and educators that care equally about the community.
​     Benji has lived a life centered around theatre. Originally from West Texas, Benji was raised performing in Shakespearean productions at The Globe of the Great Southwest. They earned their undergraduate degree in theatrical directing from Columbia College Chicago while working as an actor in Chicago’s bustling theatre scene. Benji earned their masters degree in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder where they worked as a dramaturg and teaching artist for the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Benji's love for storytelling and the social impact of theatre has led them to teach all age groups throughout their career and direct for multiple non-profit groups such as ArtsUnderground in Colorado and GuideRight in Chicago. Their goal is ultimately to share the joy of theatre making with their students and inspire positive and meaningful social change in their community through storytelling