Lindsey Hoel-Neds (She/Her/Hers) grew up on the east side of Madison where she found her love of theatre performing impromptu shows in her living room and when she joined Lancer Cast & Company at LaFollette High School. She attended Ripon College where she was able to hone her craft and develop her love for acting, design, and directing work. In 2012, she completed her graduate studies in Theatre Research with a concentration in Theatre for Youth at UW-Madison. Her graduate studies allowed her to focus on her passion for using theatre as a tool for social change and exploring gender issues through Theatre for Youth.
Throughout Lindsey’s professional career, she has had the pleasure of working with arts organizations throughout Southern Wisconsin including Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Overture Center for the Arts, Children’s Theater of Madison, First Act Children’s Theater, Wisconsin Center for Academically Talented Youth, Badger Pre-college Programs, and many public and private schools as both a classroom teacher and a guest artist. Her areas of specialty include creative writing, interdisciplinary arts exploration, devised theatre, costume and scenic design, and theatre for social justice. Lindsey has been privileged to work with students from ages 2-95 during her teaching career. Lindsey is honored to serve as Artistic Director for Proud Theater-Madison, a non-profit theatre organization for LGBTQIA+ youth and their allies.
Lindsey’s homegrown experiences of the arts and artistic opportunities in Madison’s public schools led to her belief in the importance of inclusivity and accessibility for all students. This belief only solidified as she taught students from many different backgrounds during her years working in urban, suburban, and rural Wisconsin schools. The arts are powerful tools for building self-esteem, empathy, and creativity. In every program she teaches, she hopes that students are able to find new things about themselves and the world around them, while also growing as creative artists and performers. Theatre skills are life skills. Outside of her teaching life, Lindsey is an avid reader, animal lover, collector of vintage clothing and decor, and crafter.