Katherine E. Norman, Ph.D.

About Katherine E.

Dr. Katherine E. Norman is an arts educator, practitioner, and researcher. 2024 will be her 10th summer with the Theatre Department at Interlochen, and she is thrilled to be returning!

Recent theatrical and educational work includes: Montana Shakespeare in the Parks (Education Director), the Utah Shakespeare Festival (Education Director), the Children’s Theatre of Madison (teaching artist, board member), Door Shakespeare (actor, teaching artist), Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (playwright), Optimist Theatre (actor), Forward Theatre (playwright, actor), and leading university courses on topics such as drama pedagogy, Shakespeare, educational cognitive neuroscience, and human development at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Southern Utah University.

Norman holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. As a researcher, she focuses primarily on the cognitive and neurodevelopmental impact of pretend play and drama practices throughout the lifespan. She holds an M.S. in Educational Psychology and an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies with a focus in Theatre for Youth from the UW-Madison, and a B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

For more information about her artistic, educational, and scholarly projects, visit her website.

My pedagogy is informed not only by my experience as an actor, but also by my foundations in arts education research, inclusivity and accessibility practices, embodied learning, and cognitive development. I strive to create space for the creative and collaborative construction of learning, where student inquiry leads to artistic discoveries.