Laura Beck-Ard (Miz B) has acted and directed professionally in California, Oregon, Missouri, Kentucky, Arizona and Japan. Additionally she has taught at the Center for Shakespeare Studies at Southern Oregon University, University of Louisville, Western Oregon University, Pima Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Yokota High School, North Salem High School and has been a guest artist and lecturer at numerous colleges and universities. 

Her acting accomplishments include Mama Rose in "Gypsy," Judy Turner in "A Chorus Line," Queen Aggravaine in "Once Upon a Mattress," Miss Hannigan in "Annie,"  Amanda in "The Glass Menagerie," Miss Casewell in "The Mousetrap," Eliza in "Look Homeward Angel," Alma in "Summer and Smoke," Ursula in "Much Ado About Nothing," Die Alte in "A Bright Room Called Day," Julia in "The Rivals," Arry Gibbs in "Mornings at Seven," Miss Hannigan in "Annie", Joan in "Love Song" and roles in television commercials, music videos and industrial films, to name a few.

She has directed throughout the country and in Japan and won awards from the Far East Drama Association for her productions of "Tom Jones" and "I Never Saw Another Butterfly." Her other directing credits include "Noises Off", "The Three Musketeers," "Mary Poppins," "The Crucible," "Oliver," "Annie", "Fiddler on the Roof," "A Christmas Carol," "The Chronicals of Narnia," "Antigone," "The Wizard of Oz," "The Miracle Worker," "Oklahoma," "Bye Bye Birdie," "Once Upon a Mattress," "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940’s," "Happy Daze,"  "The Wiz,." and many more.

Laura received a BA in theatre from Southern Oregon University (1994), an MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) in acting from the University of Louisville (1998) and an MAT (Masters of Arts in Teaching) with endorsements in theatre and language arts from Western Oregon University (2008). She is currently the theatre program director for both Corvallis High School and Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, Oregon. She also teaches drama pedagogy in the graduate school of education at Western Oregon University. She is currently authoring a textbook, Greeks to Geeks, on theatre that is designed to be used in high school and lower division college classrooms.

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Quick Facts:

-Miz B started teaching at Corvallis High School in 2008.

-She has three children, two girls and a boy

-She was in the Navy from 1985-1989 and served aboard the USS Lexington (AVT-16) which was the first aircraft carrier to have women aboard.

-While in the service she earned the Navy Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal and a Joint Services Commendation.

-She was the Sailor of the Year for 1988

-She is a disabled veteran due to a broken neck suffered while on active duty.

-She has traveled extensively and loves to see new parts of the world and meet new people... but she's not crazy about trying strange, new food

-In 2009 she started STAGES theater camp because her friend Elizabeth Wyatt said  "I need a camp or something for my daughter to do this summer."

-She has taught at several theater camps including Corban University's theatre camp and VIVACE Performing Arts Camp at Yokota, Japan

-In undergraduate school she focused on directing because there weren't enough acting roles to go around.  The focus has served her well