Teaching
At the heart of Lisa Hori-Garcia’s teaching is the belief that theater belongs to everyone - not just those who’ve had formal training or seen themselves reflected onstage. She’s passionate about creating inclusive, affirming spaces where students of all backgrounds can explore their creativity, take risks, and discover the power of their own stories.
Lisa has taught in a wide range of settings - from college classrooms and international conferences to community centers and K-8 schools. Whether she’s leading workshops in devised theater, acting, multicultural performance, or physical comedy, her approach is grounded in collaboration, curiosity, and care. She encourages students to draw from their lived experiences, ask bold questions, and use theater as a tool for reflection, resistance, and transformation.
She currently serves as the Program Director for the San Francisco Mime Troupe’s Youth Theater Project (YTP), a free after-school program that introduces high school students to the fundamentals of political theater, collaborative creation, and performance. YTP provides a space for young people to explore the issues that matter most to them - and to transform those ideas into original work.
Lisa has led residencies and master classes at institutions including:
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California State University, Fresno
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University of California, Santa Cruz (Art and Revolution)
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University of the Pacific (Arts & Activism)
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Theater for Social Change)
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International Women Playwrights’ Conference, Galway, Ireland
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Los Medanos College (Guest Professor: Theater Appreciation & Multicultural Theater)
She also teaches with Youth Arts in San Francisco, where she has led K–8 residencies since 2004. Through partnerships with schools and organizations like the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Lisa helps design culturally responsive, arts-integrated curriculum that honors heritage and supports creative expression.
She especially loves working with students who are new to theater or haven’t always felt like they belonged in traditional arts spaces. Her teaching isn’t just about technique - it’s about helping people feel seen, heard, and empowered.
Youth Theater Project
The Youth Theater Project (YTP) is the San Francisco Mime Troupe’s free after-school program where high school students collaborate to create original theater rooted in their own experiences. Through writing, performance, and ensemble work, participants explore social justice themes and develop their voices as young artists and changemakers.
SFMT Summer Workshop
The San Francisco Mime Troupe’s Summer Workshop is an intensive training program that dives into the company’s signature style of political theater, physical comedy, and collaborative creation. Participants work with company members to build performance skills while creating original work that speaks to the issues of today.
Residencies & Master Classes
Lisa has taught residencies and master classes at colleges and universities across the U.S. and internationally, focusing on theater as a vehicle for activism, identity, and community building. Her workshops invite students to engage physically, think critically, and create boldly through techniques like devised performance, multicultural storytelling, and political theater.
