From the Big Screen to Broadway, SCC Theatre Instructor Makes Her Mark

Published: 08/24/2021

Jodi Benson was the voice of Ariel in Disney’s Little Mermaid. Joe Machota starred in Mama Mia on Broadway. Michael Maize has appeared in television shows like Blue Bloods and Hawaii 5-0. All were taught by St. Charles Community College Theatre Professor Lynne Snyder.

She admits that not all of her students end up famous. “Most of my students actually go on to theatre teaching careers rather than just performing,” she explained, “but many of them are doing well, and they truly enjoy what they do.”

Snyder's self-proclaimed “love affair” with performing arts began when she was five years old.

“I began taking dance lessons,” she said. “I was fortunate enough to have a mother that took me to see world famous ballet companies, musicals and concerts at a very early age. I was hooked!”

Going to the theatre still excites Snyder to this day.

“Watching live theatre is one of the most thrilling experiences for me,” she said, “seeing the actors performing right in front of me, lifting me out of my daily existence and transporting me to another world. You get to experience so many different worlds!”

Her passion easily translates into the classroom at SCC. As a teacher, she tries to be as hands-on as possible.

“Acting on stage is a different animal than film and really depends upon creating a connection with the audience.  I like my classes to be fun as well as instructive.”

While many students enter her class with hopes of pursuing performing arts as a career, that’s not always the case

“It’s exciting when one or two students who have never experienced theatre before begin to become interested and start coming out of their shells.  I’ve witnessed many previously insecure students blossom when given opportunities to showcase their talents on stage,” Synder said.

She added that there is more to performing arts than people often realize.

“There is extensive data that supports the fact that involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking and verbal skills,” Snyder explained, “not to mention that performing arts can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence and teamwork.”

She argues that art is at the very core of our identify as human beings. Theatre, in particular, expresses exactly what it’s like to be human in many different ways.

“It’s also a way to encourage diversity and inclusion by introducing us to other cultures or lifestyles,” Synder said. “A show set in another time, place, or culture helps us to understand and accept other ways of living and thinking that go beyond those that we see as familiar.

Synder doesn’t give a sense that she’s slowing down any time soon. She’s directed more than a hundred shows in her lifetime, with more on the way.