Educator, Puppeteer, Designer, Director.
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 styles whether they are a kindergartner or a college student. They are currently employed by Opera Omaha as a Holland Community Opera Fellow, a 2 year fellowship which began in Summer 2025.
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 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 Puppeteer and as a creator of Puppets I pride myself in my ability to bring to life my creations. Whether they are gods, larger than life, and stop the show. Or whether they are tools that actors use in tandem with their own performance. I have created puppets for professional shows, as seen here in a photo from the Rehearsal Process for the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival’s production of As You Like It. Or in communities as I did for “puppet week” during my time as an Americorps with the Robinson Shakespeare Company. Or even building puppets for a full length production as I did for the South Bend Civic Theatre’s production of Finding Nemo Jr. Puppetry to me is universal in its reach, anyone can be a puppeteer, they just need their puppet first, and its a joy to me always to give someone their first puppet.
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.