Employee spotlight: Dawson Moore

by Vicki Heisser  |   

We recently caught up with Dawson Moore, who now lives in Anchorage but was in Valdez this weekend to co-host the Advocates for Victims of Violence's (AVV) fundraiser, Women of Distinction, alongside PWSC adjunct instructor Gianna Giusti.

Dawson shared, "It's a fantastic event supporting an organization I was deeply involved with in Valdez, where I served on the AVV board for 14 years. Even though I no longer live here, I still work for the college running the Valdez Theater Conference, so I welcome any opportunity to return."

This year was particularly meaningful for him, as all the nominees are close friends. He mentioned, "Sharon was the mayor while I was on the City Council, and I have immense respect for Teresa and her work for the college. Kyra has acted in my plays, and Bernie is a friend and a coworker. Keriann began attending the theater conference 12 years ago. After volunteering for several years, I hired her as the front desk manager, recognizing her dedication and exceptional customer service, which attendees greatly appreciated. They're all awesome."

This fall, Dawson is teaching PWSC's Contemporary Theater class. The class focuses on current plays while discussing theater history for context. Most of his students are dual-credit high schoolers looking to satisfy general education requirements. They explore theater from its beginnings, examining various styles and plays.

"My goal is to help them appreciate theater as a part of human history. Ideally, I want them to think, 'Let's go see a play' on a free weekend. I want them to understand this art form."

The class engages in extensive play reading and analysis. They read plays and incorporate some light performance elements. For example, today, Dawson is introducing them to playwriting. While this isn't a dedicated playwriting course, he wants them to experience crafting a piece and exploring self-expression.

Dawson wants to broaden young minds, encouraging critical and creative thought rather than rote memorization about theater. With 40 years in theater, Dawson reflects that he hasn't needed most of what he learned in similar classes as a kid. Instead, these classes should be about learning how to learn and discovering their place in the world. He has truly enjoyed this class; it's one of his favorites after nearly a decade of teaching.

When asked about the Valdez Theatre Conference 2025, Dawson shared, "It's a bit early for specifics, but we have at least two evening performances planned, with the possibility of a total of three or four. A long-time conference friend, Kevin Armento, has been part of our community for about 12 years. The first play he presented at our conference was *Killers*; the play was recently made into a great film starring Daisy Ridley, *Sometimes I Think About Dying*.

We plan to screen the film in an evening at this year's Conference, with a particular twist for us. The play contains long monologues in which the main character discusses her state of mind. In the film, those monologues are transformed into silent montages. We'll watch the movie together with the actors from the original reading we did in 2013. Additionally, actress Jules Sowerwein will have a microphone to read the monologues under the film, showing how these parts were transitioned from stage to screen."

Dawson continued, "We'll also offer some classes related to writing for the stage, which can easily be applied to screenwriting. We'll cover the business side of things as well. Not everyone gets the chance to make movies with stars from *Star Wars*.

We'll also present an Anchorage production of *Blanche Stewart Scott* by Kristen Ritter, who is among the leading young playwrights in the state. This production, performed in Los Angeles as part of the SheNYC Arts Festival, along with a brief run in Anchorage, is set in 1910 and tells the story of the first woman to drive across America in 1910. The cast includes four of Alaska's best actors and will be wonderful.

I have other shows to discuss later, but these two are finalized. I typically limit myself to two or three shows at a time. In the past, we had a performance every night, back-to-back. The COVID pandemic forced us to stop because we couldn't fit everyone into the theater, which made me realize that doing a play every night was excessive."

When asked about his plans, Dawson shared that he spent the last two and a half years caring for his elderly parents. With both now gone, Dawson plans to stay in Anchorage, where he began his theatre career in high school. He hopes to engage with the local theater scene and help revive the UAA Theatre and Dance program.

"I'm not sure I see myself as part of that department, but our theater community would greatly benefit from the program's return. We also need better training for 16 to 18-year-olds and more interaction between high school and community theater," he explained.

Dawson recalled his immersive theater experience in the eighties, emphasizing its ability to connect generations. "There's so much we can learn from each other—I want to encourage this interaction."

Furthermore, he plans to work on personal projects. At this year's Theatre Conference, he met writer Christopher Soucy, who was presenting his adaption of the 1895 short story collection *The King in Yellow*, about a play with tragic consequences if produced. Dawson directed the reading and joined the cast when an actor dropped out. They began collaborating on a new play, adapting H.P. Lovecraft's *The Shadow Over Innsmouth*. They are having story meetings and hope to have a full-length reading by December.
 
Dawson plans to get involved in many aspects of Anchorage theatre. "Right now, I'm in the dreaming and planning phase. In a year or so, I'll get onto enacting those dreams." He wants to focus on the overall health of the theatre scene, which has faced challenges due to factors like the closure of the university program, COVID-19, and other issues. "Many of the longest, most meaningful relationships of my career are with Anchorage artists, and I am very excited to work with them again."