Faculty

Joseph Gentzler has been in the Southeast Polk Community School District since 2021, serving as a 7th Grade ELA teacher at SEP Junior High School and the SEP High School Drama Director.

Mr. Gentzler graduated from Indianola High School in Indianola, Iowa, in 2002 and attended Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. While attending Augustana, Mr. Gentzler taught children's theatre for the Children's Theatre Company of Sioux Falls for four years. After graduating from Augustana, Mr. Gentzler worked for the Children's Theatre Company of South Dakota, an outreach program of the Black Hills Playhouse, directing ten youth productions across South Dakota and Wyoming.

For the last 16 years, Mr. Gentzler has worked with Class Act Productions Community Theatre (CAP) in Altoona, Iowa. While at CAP Theatre, Mr. Gentzler served six years on the Board of Directors (three years as President of the Board), directed multiple mainstage productions (30+ students), co-originated and produced a classical theatre summer program, and originated an educational improvisation program (MadCAP) aimed at helping students develop confidence in the power of their voice and imagination.

Ever excited to expand his student's theatrical opportunities, Mr. Gentzler plans to grow SEP Drama to include audition and monologue workshops, technical theatre training, and of course, improvisation.