Originally from Maine, Mr. Brian Hinds (Theatre) began working with theatre at a young age while in kindergarden. “There’s a book called Swimmy by the great children’s author Leo Lionni about this little fish who didn’t fit in, and I played the sea anemone,” Hinds said. He also remembers the first play he wrote, which was about Dracula, in the third grade.

Before moving to Louisville, Hinds taught at the Children’s Theater of Maine for about 10 years, and more recently worked with local theatre companies such as Savage Rose, Shakespeare Behind Bars, Stage One, and Kentucky Shakespeare. He worked with Ms. Kleier, a fellow YPAS teacher, in a production of Richard III where he played the title role. He has also worked alongside some YPAS students in local performances.

Hinds plans to continue working as an actor as he teaches at YPAS. “Savage Rose is doing some great stuff right now, and I’m currently working on a production of MacBeth. I play Banquo in that,” he said.

Hinds now teaches Theatre 1, Exploring Theatre, and a Playwriting class in Room 21 of the YPAS Annex. He said that he was impressed by the dedication and maturity of the students at duPont Manual High School. “You can tell that students want to be here and want to experience everything the teachers have to offer,” he said. “I hope they learn I have a real passion about what I teach. I get excited about it, and I hope that comes out.”

Accompanying the new school year were 11 new teachers in a range of magnets and academic departments. This story is part of a series about each of them.