Midtown teacher setting the stage for change, opening doors for theater students

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A teacher in midtown is making a difference for college students looking to break a leg on a big stage.

Zach Wetzel is a teacher at Basis Primary School and always looks to set the stage for change inside and outside of the classroom.

Wetzel is the founder of Stage Foundation Community Theater (SFCT), a small non-profit all about inclusion. “I think theater can be self serving sometimes or it can be community oriented and community serving," he said. "Anytime people can go in and be uplifted and leave feeling hopeful, I feel like I've done my job.”

For the first time, Stage Foundation Community Theater has planned an upcoming show called “The Cherry Orchard” alongside theater students at Pima Community College. This new collaboration gives PCC students a foot in the door in the theater world and allows them to have the opportunity to perform on a stage here at home.

Wetzel tells KGUN9 being a school teacher and running a theater company go hand in hand. “When you're an actor, you're sharing stories which is what I do as a teacher. I try to share stories with my students and make them better artists but also just better humans," said Wetzel.

For students interested in the arts, it can take awhile to land an opportunity or even a role in the industry. Wetzel says this new collaborative effort is allowing PCC students the chance to showcase their work with the help of a small theater company.

For more information on Stage Foundation Community Theater, visit their website.