Dr. Margo Hickman
Visiting Assistant Professor, Theatre Education
Dr. Margo Hickman is an award-winning theatre educator and director. She is an advocate for arts education and uses her platform to fight for arts programs in public schools across the state of Texas. She is a member of the Texas Educational Theatre Association, former chair for equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, member of the Black Educators Theatre Caucus, American Alliance for Theatre & Education, Theatre for Young Audiences, and the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America.
Dr. Margo is a proud public education student, she attended schools in the Houston Independent School District from elementary to high school and taught theatre at her former high school. She has a B.S. in Biblical Counseling, M.A. in Theatre Education, and an Ed.D. Education in Organizational Leadership.
Dr. Margo’s teaching career has presented awards and acknowledgements:
2013 Jack Yates High School Teacher of the year
2017 Humanities Texas Teacher of the Year
2022 Children's Theatre Foundation of America Reba R. Robertson Award recipient
2022 Arts Connect Houston Champion in Arts Education
Dr. Margo has led her theatre students to numerous University Interscholastic League awards; advancing to regionals in 2013 and 2023 in One Act Play competition. She also coached students for several years in UIL Prose and Poetry Interpretation. Her love for UIL manifested from her own experience as a high school theatre student after winning numerous best actress awards and advancing to state in 1983 in Prose Interpretation.
Before Dr. Margo became an educator, she performed in plays across the city of Houston and began a successful stand-up comedy career in the early nineties opening for several notable artist and musicians, the Isley Brothers, Shelia E., Phyllis Hyman, and Rev. Al Green. She has produced three Christian comedy DVD’s.
Dr. Margo is also passionate regarding equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in arts education. She has spoken in numerous settings regarding arts equity in low-income communities to educate stake holders on the benefits of all students being exposed to music, acting, dance and art.
Dr. Margo believes earning her master’s degree from the University of Houston’s Summer MA Program for Theatre Educators transformed her teaching career and helped to inspire her advocacy work. In 2016, The University of Houston Theatre and Dance Program hosted her student’s original play “Gun Violence: A New Normal” which ignited a tour and her continued support for encouraging student creativity and original works.