When Aaron Dake stepped into the role of North Penn’s new theater director, it felt less like a career move and more like a homecoming. Theater, after all, has always been where he feels most at home.
“Theater’s always been a part of my life,” Dake said. “My dad, since I was three years old, has always been a part of the theater. He’s been an actor, he’s been a stage manager, he’s been a director. So when I was a little kid I was always around the stage. I knew at a young age that this type of space feels comfortable.”
That early comfort with performance eventually led him to Millersville University, where he earned a degree in theater. With more than 15 years of experience since, he says his role isn’t about chasing the spotlight, but helping students find their own.
Before landing at North Penn, Dake spent four years teaching English at a charter school in Exton. While he did some theater work there, it wasn’t his main role. Still, he always told himself that if he moved schools, it would be for a position like this one.
“I didn’t really plan on it, it kind of happened,” Dake explained. “It was one of those weird moments of like, it pops up on your notifications of jobs in your area. And I think a lot of the time that’s the best opportunity. It’s just like things that kind of show up for you.”
The opportunity came together quickly. Over the summer, Dake went through multiple interviews and conversations before officially joining North Penn in August.
For some, the size of North Penn might be overwhelming. But Dake says the community has already made him feel at home. He describes the school as bustling but welcoming, with students and staff eager to collaborate.
“Even though we have a super large school, the conversations that I’ve had with parents, staff, and students have always been very personal. And I think that’s important to have,” Dake explained. “From day one, it has felt like my job, but there’s also a strong support system here.”
He also acknowledged the support he’s received from director Andrea Roney, who led the theater program for decades. Instead of extensive changes, Dake wants to strike a balance, honoring the program’s past while also shaping the future.
“I have met with Mrs. Roney a couple of times,” Dake said. “And she’s been very nice about helping me and showing me a few things about you know, where things are, or who to talk to.”
Rather than arriving with a checklist of long-term goals, Dake is focusing on what happens every day in the rehearsal room. His teaching philosophy centers on creating moments of discovery for his students.
At the heart of this approach is listening. Dake says he values conversations and questions as much as performances. His role, as he sees it, is to encourage students to express themselves and to help guide that process.
This fall, Dake will debut his first production at North Penn: Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. The play, which dramatizes the Salem witch trials of the 1690s, has long been a staple in American literature classes and challenging work for stage.
“The Crucible is something that’s still taught in high schools, and I think that’s important to support,” explained Dake. “I think it’s one thing to read it and see it from that point of view. But then it’s also another to see it firsthand. I think a lot of it is still taught because there’s so much that’s still relevant and what’s going on in 2025.”
North Penn last performed the play in 2007, and Dake sees this year’s production as an opportunity to spark conversation. He says that while the material is familiar, it also feels timely in new ways.
“Certain characters are more problematic than they were, you know, ten years ago,” Dake said. “It’s not Shakespeare but the language can be a little advanced. It’s a good challenge for the audience. And for me, theater does that, theater challenges people who sit there and it’s not just something you can pause and go get a snack. You have to sit there and consciously engage with it. I think the Crucible is something that asks you to do that if you’re willing, as an audience member.”
As rehearsals move forward, Dake is focusing on making The Crucible a production that students, staff, and community members will be proud of. But he also knows his larger mission is about what happens beyond opening night.
“Directing a play is certainly like a big goal,” Dake explained. “I want to make sure that we have an awesome production and that everyone loves it. My goals really are to help everyone express themselves and give them permission to listen to them.”
For Dake, the stage has always been that place of belonging, first as a child watching his father’s work, and now as an educator guiding young actors. At North Penn, he hopes to pass that gift on, creating a theater program where students can perform, but also discover who they are.
