After long years of school, English teacher Dr. Julian Lazarus took his love of theater with him to teach English. While guiding and supporting fresh students through their first year of high school, he leads the accomplished theater program following his passion.
Dr. Lazarus did not begin his career as a teacher or even anything in theater. He was set in college for pre-med. “I was all set up to go to the University of Florida for their veterinary program,” Dr. Julian Lazuras said Despite taking the required biology and chemistry classes, he knew veterinary school was not for him.
Although Dr. Lazarus was set to be a vet, his love for theater started young. He started performing in plays as young as third grade. “I did theater all the way through,” Dr. Lazarus said.
Performing in plays was only some of what Dr. Lazarus could do. He was even a part of the band. According to Dr. Lazarus, his middle school did not have a theater program, so he was a percussionist.
After veterinary school was a bust, New York City called his name. He decided to go there to get further education in theater. He completed a master’s in education theater for colleges and communities at NYU. Despite some negative family reactions, he was one of the only people in his family who pursued a career related to what he went to college for.
After continuing his education in theater, he worked on Broadway and taught kids theater classes.
Dr. Lazurus had a teaching experience at Saint George’s Isle of the Dogs school outside of London. “It was a very different experience than what you get at an American school,” Dr. Lazarus said.
To Dr. Lazarus, getting a bachelor’s and master’s degree was not enough. He knew he could do more. He completed his Educational Doctorate in curriculum writing and educational leadership where he focuses on a different way of learning, arts integration and teacher evaluation. As an arts integration specialist he “designed the entire arts integration program for Frederick County Public Schools and completed several trainings and consulting on that around the state,” Dr. Lazurus said.
He needed a summer program to get his doctorate as a teacher with a family. According to Dr. Lazarus, he got into the Harvard School for Arts Education, which is two years in Boston. However, he could not attend due to the lack of a summer program.
Today, outside of school, Dr. Lazarus is the president of the Maryland Theater Education Association where he creates arts education opportunities for students all over the state.
With his love of theater, Dr. Lazarus helps to prepare and guide new freshmen through high school. “He’s really fun and he teaches really well,” freshman Arousha Dolatabadi said.
According to freshman Tavishi Ghosh Dastidar, Dr. Lazarus is a great teacher because of how entertaining he is and due to his great lengths of being a helpful teacher.
