ECU alumna receives Arthur Miller Foundation arts education award

An East Carolina University alumna recently received the Excellence in Arts Education Award from the Arthur Miller Foundation.

Lisanne Shaffer, a theater teacher at the Brooklyn High School of the Arts in New York, was honored during a virtual gala Nov. 16.

Originally from North Carolina, Shaffer received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre arts with a concentration in musical theatre from ECU in 2003. She acted, directed and choreographed theater programs and managed touring performances before she became a full-time teacher.

In 2015, she earned a master’s in educational theatre from the City College of New York, where she is an adjunct professor.

At Brooklyn High School of the Arts, she teaches all ninth grade acting classes and leads the acclaimed musical theater program. She also serves as the lead high school theater teacher for an annual summer arts institute at Frank Sinatra High School in Queens, New York.

Lisanne Shaffer (Contributed photo)

“ECU theatre and dance certainly set me on the track to becoming the teacher I am today,” Shaffer said.

The nonprofit Arthur Miller Foundation was founded by Rebecca Miller to honor her father, the American playwright, who was educated in public schools in Harlem and Brooklyn. The foundation works to provide access and equity to quality theater education for public school students.

The gala featured musical performances by cast members from “Hamilton,” “Waitress,” “Ain’t Too Proud,” “In the Heights,” “The Color Purple” and more.

The event raised funds for the AMF theater education program, which provides New York area teachers with resources to build, grow and sustain quality theater programs. AMF also supports a scholarship program with the City College of New York for aspiring public school theater teachers, according to the AMF website.