Tyler Martin—Leading Medina County Performers to Success
By Paige Vercuski, BEAT reporter
BRUNSWICK, OH- The daily life of an actor can be draining. Whether in a school play or a Broadway performance, performers must practice singing, acting, dancing, memorizing lines, and much more. Tyler Martin, a Brunswick High School alum, is the one behind the scenes who gets to help actors fulfill their potential.
Martin is a Medina County actor, director, and educator. As a child, he was shy, but after attending a production at Playhouse Square, he immediately became inspired to break barriers and become an intrepid, outgoing actor. Martin began to take voice lessons, performed in various plays and productions, and attended a musical theatre program in Cincinnati where he expanded on his interests and gained a Bachelor of Fine Arts, eventually becoming a professional actor and director in New York City. Martin explained that being a director would combine both his love of theatre and supporting others. “I love watching young artists become confident, bold, and entertaining performers.”
After several years of being a professional actor and director in New York, Martin returned to Medina County. There, he decided to begin pursuing education to help younger performers master theatre with the aid of an experienced actor. “Actors and directors are often naturally drawn to teaching because our art form is a constant game of learning and adapting,” Martin noted. As he began to coach many students, the Baldwin Wallace Community Arts School offered him a job as a theatre teacher, where he now possesses his own private studio. Additionally, Martin teaches at the Cleveland Playhouse as a Teaching Artist in the Compassionate Arts Remaking Education, or CARE program. In this program, he gets to educate students on performing while creating a safe, enjoyable environment for them.
While teaching at Cleveland Playhouse, Martin discovered TRIO. TRIO is a federally funded program at Cuyahoga Community College that aids low-income and first-generation students to enroll in college. He valued the idea and mission the program provided, and is now a teacher there. He loves helping students succeed every day and giving them the support and care they need. “Students need compassion and support, and that comes naturally to me,” Martin remarks.
This past winter, the Buckeye Community Theatre invited Martin to direct several productions, the first of which being Buckeye Community Theatre, or BCT Unplugged. The production was a combination of three musicals written by performers, and he loved partaking in the production as he believed it was a creative gateway for students. Then, Brecksville Community Theatre asked Martin to direct their most recent production—The Wedding Singer, a classic 90’s romantic comedy. He loved working with the team to produce a performance that was both humorous and nostalgic. Martin plans to continue directing and educating, and aims to entertain as many audiences as possible. As he explained, “I love what I get to do every day.”
To learn more about the Brecksville Theatre, visit thebrecksvilletheatre.org.
Paige Vercuski, Brunswick Middle School, is one of over fifty student “backpack journalists” (grades 6-12) in the award-winning BEAT Video Program. The program, celebrating its 25th year, is sponsored by Donut Land, Plum Creek Assisted Living Community, MODA Gifts, Scripps Howard Foundation and the Brunswick Rotary Club. Go to https://www.bcsoh.org/community/new-beat-site to learn more about the Program, or visit https://thebeat.viebit.com/?folder=ALL to view videos produced by the students.
PHOTOS:
Kaylin Joy Photo 1: Dance scene in The Wedding Singer from Kaylin Joy Photography, Kaylin Joy Photo 2: Performer in The Wedding Singer from Kaylin Joy Photography, Brianna Schillero 1: The Wedding Singer rehearsal (Tyler Martin in foreground) from Brianna Schillero Photography, Kaylin Joy Photo 3: The Wedding Singer production from Kaylin Joy Photography, Tyler J. Martin photo (from Buckeye Community Theatre Facebook page)