Empowering Students to Launch Dynamic Careers in Theater

Pascale Florestal is a Boston-based director, dramaturge, educator, and writer who is dedicated to developing theatrical experiences that shed light on the narratives rarely seen on stage. She is also a Boston Conservatory alum, and she has found great joy both in working with fellow alums and in bringing that same awareness and experience to her students at the Conservatory. One of her most exciting recent projects was directing the widely acclaimed Once on This Island, a Caribbean retelling of the “Little Mermaid” fairytale. “I have never done a show that so uplifted my Haitian culture,” she says. “And to also work with so many Conservatory students and alums made it an incredible experience.” She also served as associate director for the national Broadway tour of Jagged Little Pill, of which she says: “Learning from Diane Paulus and the team was the best learning experience I could ask for.”

Florestal feels very fortunate to have a part-time schedule at the Conservatory because it allows her to continue her own creative work, including her role as education director and associate producer at Front Porch Arts Collective, a Boston-based community theater organization. It’s a juggling act she manages with calendars, lists, reminders, and the Notes iPhone app—professional skills she encourages in her students to help them prepare for a career in the professional world. “I remind my students to be in a versatile mindset,” she says, explaining how she encourages open-mindedness.

“As an artist, I’ve learned you have to constantly be adapting and learning.”

She adds, “The learning never stops, especially as the world continues to evolve and change. The work to be an artist looks different for each person, and there is not a right way to do what we do. As long as you are doing what you love, it will always be worth it.”