PRODUCER
Performing Arts serve as the outlet for my deep passion for telling stories, tales that reflect who we are and who we can be.I have staged performances in a variety of settings, including historic opera houses, city streets, open-air venues, churches, educational institutions, correctional facilities, museums, and grand Victorian residences. My mission is to unite performers and audiences in meaningful explorations of the human experience.
TEACHER
My teaching is grounded in a deep belief in the transformative power of theatre. My approach is shaped by the idea that learning to perform is also learning how to communicate, collaborate, and lead. Through acting, students develop skills that extend far beyond the stage—confidence, adaptability, and the ability to listen and respond with intention.
Voice training builds courage, presence, empathy and emotional intelligence. The discipline of rehearsal teaches patience and accountability. Together, these practices prepare students not only to be stronger artists, but more engaged and thoughtful humans.
Creating live performance is, at its core, a collaborative act—one that asks individuals to work toward a shared goal with trust and generosity. In that process, students experience how collective effort can produce meaningful, positive outcomes. Teaching the performing arts, therefore, is not simply about making theatre; it is about equipping students with the tools to live well, work well with others, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. Theatre teaches us not only how to tell stories, but how to thrive together.
DIRECTOR
As a Director and theatre professor, my highest calling is to foster an environment where others have the opportunity to excel, while investing myself completely in the power of performing arts.
PERFORMER
Like so many theatrical professionals, Lisa began her journey in theatre as an actor. She is a third generation student of Sanford Meisner and believes, as he did, that “Acting is behaving truthfully in imaginary circumstances.” She has appeared in countless productions and her experience informs her teaching, directing, and production.
Lisa believes that acting is a form of service: to the truth, to one’s fellow actors, and to the audience. Her most recent roles are“Mrs. Lovett” in Sweeney Todd, “Aunt March” Little Women: The Musical and Jack’s Mother in Into the Woods. Lisa studies voice with Maestro Dallas Bono in Bishop, GA and previously with Dr. Debbie Anderson in Columbus, GA.
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND CERTIFICATES
ABOUT LISA
Lisa Cesnik Ferguson is a theatre artist, educator, and arts leader whose career bridges professional practice, higher education, and community-centered theatre making. With decades of experience as a producer, director, performer, and teacher, her work is grounded in the belief that theatre is both a rigorous professional discipline and a powerful civic tool.
Ferguson’s directing and producing work spans the United States, with sustained artistic roots in Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois, and Virginia. She has led productions ranging from classical and musical theatre to contemporary and devised work, frequently collaborating with both emerging and established artists. In addition to her professional production work, she has founded and led theatre organizations in Athens, Georgia, and Indianapolis, Indiana, building sustainable companies that emphasized education, inclusion, and community engagement.
She is a tenured Associate Professor and Director of Theatre at Gordon State College, where she oversees a pre-professional training program that integrates classroom instruction with extensive production experience, guest artists, and industry partnerships. Her teaching and directing portfolio includes work at multiple institutions, and her pedagogy emphasizes experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and direct pathways from training to employment. Under her leadership, students regularly connect with professional theatres and touring companies and gain early career experience in performance, education, and arts administration.
Ferguson holds a Bachelor of Science in Theatre from Ball State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Georgia. She continues to expand her professional scope through ongoing certification work with the Georgia Film Academy and advanced study in fundraising and nonprofit leadership through the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Her current interests lie at the intersection of classical theatre, contemporary storytelling, and sustainable arts leadership—work that prepares students not only to enter the field, but to shape its future.
AUTHENTIC LIFE - COLLABORATOR
What is the actual role of an actor/director/producer/teacher in, say, a small town where there’s never been a professional theatre community? How does one build an audience? How do you ignite in people a love of live theatre? It’s my belief that there’s tremendous opportunity and work to be done offstage as much as on.
CONTACT LISA
