My Other Life: Teresa King, acting teacher

When her father nixed the idea of enrolling in beauty college, then- high school student Teresa King joined the drama club instead. Her love for theater continued throughout college where she earned degrees in both theater production and English literature. “Shortly after I was stage managing off-Broadway shows for many of New York’s most prestigious companies, including Jean Cocteau Repertory, NYC Fringe Festival, City Center, Lincoln Center’s ALF Series, BMI Music, and LAByrinth Theatre Company,” says King.

Several years later, she became a faculty member of a private drama school for children in Brooklyn and Staten Island where she taught acting classes to pupils ages 4 to 14. “Working with children has been the most extraordinary and fulfilling experience of my life,” she says. “My teaching repertoire included classes in acting for stage and film, improvisation, stage combat, puppetry, and pantomime. As my reputation grew, I was offered the opportunity to collaborate with various children’s groups and constructed workshops in clowning and miming for child performers with Down syndrome.”

Two years ago a cut in funding for arts programs caused King to shift gears and return to her first love — the beauty industry. She is now the owner of a home-based salon in Brooklyn, N.Y., called Nailing It and she works at beauty shows, photo shoots, and New York Fashion Week. Despite her success in the nail field, her love for working with children and teaching drama has stayed strong. “In 2009, I founded my own company, Class Act School of Drama, where I continue to teach private acting lessons for children in my spare time,” says King. “Now I have the best of both worlds in my life and I couldn’t be more ecstatic.”