Eric Andrew Vera is an experienced theatre arts director, educator, stage manager, performer and is a current Ph.D. candidate in the Performance as Public Practice program. His interests include musical theatre and monies in theatre in education/theatre education programming. Vera previously served as the executive artistic director of the Camille Playhouse in Brownsville, Texas directing over thirty mainstage productions. He attended The University of Texas at Austin's Department of Theatre and Dance, where he also received his B.F.A. in theatre studies. There, he became a certified Texas educator specializing in theatre education for young adults. While in Austin, Texas, Vera was honored as a 2007-2008 B. Iden Payne Award nominee by The Austin Circle of Theatres for Outstanding Actor in a Youth Play for his portrayal of "Horton the Elephant" in ZACH Theatre's production of Seussical the Musical. Among various other accolades, Vera obtained his master's in theatre education from The University of Northern Colorado, focusing his thesis around mounting a production of Gypsy: A Musical Fable, looking at the power of revivals and the ghosts of past performances. Vera received a First Class Teacher Award for having experienced outstanding achievement in teaching. Vera is also a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, as well as Texas Theatre Adjudicators and Officials and The Texas Educational Theatre Association.