Her Story
About Lisa
Lisa Byrne is an accomplished arts educator, theater director, and educational leader with more than two decades of experience in education and nearly 20 years dedicated to arts education. She serves as the Arts Department Chair and Team Leader at Mayfield Junior School in Pasadena, California, where she leads arts programming and fosters creative learning environments that inspire students to develop confidence, collaboration, and self-expression. In addition to her leadership at Mayfield, Lisa has served for two decades as the Teen Musical Company Ensemble Director at Hartford Stage, where she mentors young performers and helps cultivate the next generation of theater artists.
Lisa earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater, Musical Theater, and Applied Theater from New York University, followed by a Master of Science in Education from Hunter College. She is also pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice at Loyola Marymount University, where her research focuses on arts-based community engagement and the transformative power of storytelling. Her dissertation explores collaborative theater projects with women in South Central Los Angeles, demonstrating her commitment to using the arts as a vehicle for community building, knowledge creation, and social equity.
Throughout her career, Lisa has remained passionate about expanding access to arts education and creating opportunities for historically marginalized communities to share their stories. She believes theater is a powerful tool for strengthening communities, shaping culture, and promoting understanding through creative expression. Guided by collaboration, inclusion, and lifelong learning, Lisa continues to advance arts education through leadership, research, and mentorship while inspiring others to recognize the value of storytelling as a catalyst for meaningful social change.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lisa
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the mentors, colleagues, and communities that have welcomed and supported me throughout my career. I have been fortunate to learn from exceptional mentors and to be invited into spaces where I was initially an outsider, experiences that have broadened my perspective and strengthened my leadership. As someone who grew up in a Jewish family and now teaches in a Catholic school, I have developed a deep appreciation for the generosity, guidance, and sense of sisterhood I have experienced from the nuns who have supported my personal and professional growth. Their encouragement, along with the support of many others, has shaped the educator and leader I am today.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have received came from my parents, who taught me to be resourceful, take risks, and embrace opportunities even when success is uncertain. They encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone, including applying and auditioning for New York University, despite the challenges involved. Their belief in perseverance and taking chances has taught me that growth often comes from being willing to try, because sometimes being in the right place at the right time can open doors to extraordinary opportunities.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage young women to have confidence in sharing their ideas and perspectives while also creating space for others to be heard. Women have too often been marginalized or discouraged from speaking up, so it is important to advocate for your own voice with confidence. At the same time, true leadership means ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to contribute. By fostering inclusive conversations and empowering others to share their experiences, we create stronger communities and more meaningful collaboration.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I believe one of the greatest opportunities in my field is continuing to advance arts-based research and using theater as a powerful tool for education, storytelling, and social change. Community storytelling helps construct knowledge, strengthen relationships, and deepen our understanding of the world around us. At the same time, one of the ongoing challenges is ensuring that qualitative research, narrative inquiry, and artistic ways of knowing receive the same recognition and value as traditional quantitative approaches. By embracing both, education can become a more equitable and transformative force for society.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide my work and personal life center on building strong, inclusive communities where every individual has the opportunity to be heard. I am deeply committed to amplifying the voices of historically marginalized communities, including women and members of the LGBTQ community, while recognizing the importance of storytelling, communication, collaboration, and qualitative ways of understanding the world. I believe education and the arts have the power to strengthen communities, foster empathy, and create a more equitable society by ensuring that diverse perspectives are valued and represented.
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