Jason Hedden: Professor Spotlight

Photo by Nicolas Arnold on Unsplash

Jason Hedden Associate Professor of Theater and chair of the visual performing arts at Gulf Coast State College

He has been employed since fall 2008, his 9th year. He took over as chair on July 1st 2015. He became a student after graduating moley high school in 1995, from 95- 97 he was on scholarship. Soon after he went to the university of south tampa where he studied theater performance. Afterwards he went to live in Seattle for 3 years and he and his wife loved it there. While there he taught a lot of children’s theater and did some professional work as well. Soon after however he wanted to teach at the college level but he needed a masters degree. So he applied to several schools and ended up being accepted into ohio state. He was there for 3 years and he got his master of fine arts in acting and new works creation. He then went on to teach at a private christian school for two years in California. After those two years a job opened up at Gulf Coast.

Before Jason got involved in theater he really enjoyed school in general. He felt like teaching was one thing he wanted to do one day. One day in middle school the teacher rounded up all the class clowns and put them in a class called “drama” where they ended up recreating old Saturday Night Live sketches. He really enjoyed it and was “bite by the bug” as he says.

Jason has many other skills besides acting. He can ride a unicycle, juggle, walk a tightrope, he can rola bola (its a plank on a cylinder that you balance on). He attended a circus class at University of South Florida in Tampa.

The thing that gets Jason to work is a 98 Toyota Camry… just kidding; he actually enjoys seeing his students “getting” something for the first time or that AH HA moment. He comes to work everyday looking forward to the teaching, rehearsing, and studio work.

According to Jason his family puts up with a lot. He’s away from home a lot more than most people might be. He deals with late nights and teaching all day .His wife is used to it because she was a theater major but Jason feels that he spends too much time away from his eight year old son. During the free time he does have (say during spring break) he and his family will “go off the grid a bit” and spend some quality time together. Speaking of his son Jason doesn’t want to push him into acting unless his son want to. His son enjoys doing math for fun but Jason is fine with that. “Let him take care of his artist parents, that’d be fine with me.” Overall his family is very supportive.

Jason has made some friends at the college while working there. There’s not much social interaction other than working together but everyone is usually so busy and Jason does wish he had more time to get to know people around the college better.

Its fun to be part of the growing arts community around Panama City. There are two professional theater companies within 45 minutes of the campus and this wasn’t true 20 years ago. For example there are more paid jobs here with film and tv type things and its really exciting to see.

For final thoughts Jason feels that studying the arts in general is important especially in theater. It’s important to know how to see something through someone else’s point of view or when you make a documentary to be able to transport the audience to place or time they never really could have seen any other way. Sometimes I have to remind myself though that “yeah my job is fun” because I can get bogged down sometimes and that really the grass is always greener. I really consider myself fortunate to be apart of the arts community here in Panama City and he is really looking forward to the next chapter here.