Educator, Puppeteer, Designer, Director, Actor.
Tobias J. Garcia is a theatre educator, puppeteer, director, and props designer who has worked extensively in community, academic, and professional settings. Tobias’ theatre ethos is rooted in a deep sense of community and belonging. Making sure that those who work with him are seen and heard for who they are is an essential part of this ethos. He is passionate about finding the key to students’ learning sstyles whether they are a kindergartner or a college student. He is working as a Teaching Artist for the South Bend Civic Theatre, teaching classes at a variety of sites in South Bend/Mishawaka, and designing puppets for their production of Finding Nemo Jr.
As an educator I strive to find a way to connect with students, make them feel seen, to know that they belong, and that who they are is important. As an educator I have had the opportunity to teach a variety of age groups from Kindergarten, all the way to College students about to graduate, and everyone in between as well! I pride myself in my adaptability in meeting students where they are at, and teaching them in the way that is most conducive to their individual growth! Whether it is drama integration through the bespoke curriculum model in K-12 schools, guiding college students through their first foray into props design, or showing folks new to theatre the ropes at our local community theatre I always teach with kindness and respect at the forefront!
As a designer I take immense pride in my eye for detail and congruency. I find great joy in putting meaning behind every creative decision, every little aspect, all the small parts that enhance a piece. Pictured here is an example of such in a production of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, in which hundreds of custom pieces were made with raccoon mascot stickers, to better fit the temple of basketball that is the Indiana high school gymnasium. As a designer I consciously view things through not only the eyes of the designer making it, but also the actor who has to use it, the director who needs to motivate it, and the audience member who gets to see it.
As a director my inspiration comes primarily from those voices that historically weren’t allowed to tell their stories on the stage. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, as a person of Latine descent, as an autistic person, and as someone who doesn’t come from a wealthy background, I am not someone who would have been able to do theater in the past. As a result, given the positions and opportunities I have been, I want to empower those like me and others from marginalized backgrounds to take their rightfully deserved seats at any and every table. That starts with putting their experiences on the stage, as I did most recently with my senior capstone project Behind the Curtain, an original piece devised by myself and two other autistic students at Goshen College, to tell our experiences as autistic adults in a world not made for us.
As a performer, I take great pride in my ability to embody any role, for any age, in whatever style is called for. In my time as an actor, as a result of my ability to grow facial hair and the young face hiding underneath it, I have played rolls from ages 15-99, with 99 pictured here. I have vast experience in a variety of styles: contemporary, Shakespearean, musicals, opera, puppetry, shadow play, and others. Collaborating with a director on who a character is, studying who they are, where they’re from, how they’ll walk, how they’ll talk, everything about them is a joy filled part of the process for me.