Melissa Owens

Associate Teacher

Melissa Owens is a professional actor, director, and costumer, and is an Associate Professor of Theatre at Converse University in Spartanburg, SC, where she began teaching in 2012. She serves as the head of Studio Acting, Resident Costume Designer, is a regular leader of international Travel-Study courses, as well as directing annually for Theatre Converse. Recent directing credits include the musicals 1776, Little Women, and Urinetown, as well as Dancing at Lughnasa, Thom Pain (based on nothing), The Tempest, A Part Equal: Women and Mr. Shakespeare, and a self-adapted TYA version of Lady Gregory’s The Dragon.

While working in Kent State University’s Chekhov-based MFA Acting program led by Mark Monday, Melissa took part in the inaugural cohort of the Consortium and received her teacher certification there in 2013. She continues to passionately and regularly teach and study the technique with fellow practitioners around the world, and is honored to be able to share the transformative work of Michael Chekhov, exploring  “...an inner technique (where) you are able to open your hearts and send your flame to the audience...to be masters of our feelings.” M. Chekhov - Archives, January, 1938.