A lifelong passion for Education and Theatre.

My name is Brian Rotrekl, but to my students I'm known as Mr. Rotrekl or (my favorite) Mr. Ro.

I’ve been working as a teacher and director since I graduated from Concordia University in 2007, and received my Masters Degree in Directing from Roosevelt University in 2014.

I have experience teaching and directing at both middle school and high school levels, with outside groups including community theatre, and most recently at the Illinois High School Theatre Festival 2016 as Technical Director.

Teaching and directing is so much more than a job to me, and Theatre has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember.

My earliest memories are those of me performing and telling stories to my family with sock puppets and dressing up my brother with costumes and props from my costume chest (he was thrilled). Little did I know that these early experiences would form the first steps on my path toward being the educator and director I am today.

As a performer, I treaded the boards for the first time in 7th grade with my middle school’s production of The Wiz, and from that moment on my eyes were opened to the magic of Theatre and of performing for a live audience. It didn’t take long, with the guidance and inspiration of some amazing educators along the way, to discover that I knew I wanted to be a teacher too.

The world of Theatre—both onstage and backstage—has been a home to me for as long as I can remember. From the beginning my parents were always there supporting and guiding me to be better, whether through helping me memorize my lines or helping build and paint sets. I know I was blessed to have such such a dedicated family who provided me boundless encouragement along the way, since many students I have met as a teacher are not so lucky. During my years as a high school student my parents and I built sets for a number of community theatre projects we did as a family, and this only further solidified the feeling that Theatre was my home.

Since becoming an educator it has been my goal to help other young people find their home in the Arts. I have seen countless students who walked into my classroom terrified to say hello or raise their hand learn to inhabit wild characters and belt songs on stage, forgetting their problems and growing as people at the same time. I have seen students dealing with personal struggles, family issues, or heading down the wrong path turn their lives around through performance and creation in the Theatre department. These are the moments I cherish most.

I feel confident in both my professional and artistic training that I could walk into almost any educational Theatre setting and get right to work producing quality Theatre from day one, with no on the job training or transitional period. I prefer to hit the ground running, making adjustments and improvements along the way as we roll on.

I love nothing more than new projects to grow and work on, new ideas to experiment with, and more often than not I’m happy to take the initiative and run with proposals myself taking responsibility for their success. I take pride in my clear vision both professionally and artistically, which has served me well over the years, and try my best to keep my eye on the big picture. I measure success in the longterm and am always playing way past the next show and the next school year.

Having worked with students and served in schools with a wide range of both economic and demographic diversity, I don’t believe any school has a lock on talent. There are great students doing great work in all corners of this world, and it is my job as their director to identify it, cultivate it, and make them see themselves as the stars that I do. I don’t believe there’s a single school out there that doesn’t have untapped potential.

My leadership style is to lead by example and earn respect by showing respect, and to challenge myself as much as I ask students to step up to the challenges I’ve laid before them. One of the most common compliments I’ve received over the years from students, and in my reviews from colleagues, is that I manage to create an atmosphere that is extremely welcoming but also vigorous and rewarding. I believe a happy company is a productive company, and I know the things we are usually proudest of weren’t the easy wins, but when we overcame adversity and pushed ourselves to be better.

These lyrics come from one of my favorite Sondheim musicals. They are my guiding mantra about the Arts, education, and the power of Theatre within it. I want to grow as an artist and technician and offer my students a chance to find their own voice and home within this beautiful art form. I believe in the power of Theatre to change lives because it changed mine. Since then, it has been my life’s work to inspire others with the power of quality storytelling and fresh ideas—opening the minds of students and audiences along the way.

My dream would be a school where I could once again provide the vision for its Theatre department and take responsibility for its success, exposing new generations of young minds to the magic of Theatre—the same magic that changed me for the better when I was their age—and bring quality productions we can be proud of to the community I was privileged to serve.