Deborah Lynn Armstrong, Director of Education

Deborah Lynn Armstrong was born and raised in Lincoln, IL, and first performed on stage at the age of 5, playing a Munchkin in a production of the Wizard of Oz at the college where her parents taught. She began studying music in kindergarten, and directed her first play in the 3rd grade, continuing to be very active in both theater and music throughout her school years. Before she graduated from High School she had been the Assistant Director for multiple school productions, and the Student Conductor for both Band and Choir. Deborah attended Lincoln Christian University, receiving a double BA in Music (Piano and Composition) with a minor in Voice and Youth Ministry.

Deborah moved to Tacoma in 1995, and began her career in theatre in 1996, working all over the South Sound region as a “Theatre Professional.” She became the Production Manager for Lakewood Institute of Theatre at Lakewood Playhouse in late 2014, was promoted to the Director of Education in late 2017. 

Before her position as LIT’s PM and Ed. Director, she has also been a Stage Manager at both Taproot Theatre (Seattle) and Harlequin Productions (Olympia), a Production Assistant and Child Wrangler at ACT Theatre (Seattle), taught both acting and musical theater at Taproot, Lakewood, and Studio East (Kirkland), was a Puppeteer for Pierce County Library System, and taught music at Highline Community College and Tacoma Community College.

Deborah has been a Musical Director for past productions of Oliver!, Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Pirates of Penzance, Green Day’s American Idiot, and Heathers: The Musical at Lakewood Playhouse. She has also been the Musical Director for Lakewood Institute of Theatre’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Once Upon a Mattress, Into the Woods, and Les Miserables. Her Artistic Director credits include The Velveteen Rabbit, Pippi Longstocking, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Monty Python’s Edukational Show, and Disney’s Newsies, along with numerous youth productions.

She has also been a Music Director at Harlequin and Centerstage Theatre (Federal Way), Assistant Musical Director/Accompanist for Taproot, Vocal Coach for Broadway Center for the Performing Arts (Tacoma), and numerous other theatre companies both past and present, and Accompanist for many productions and choirs in the South Puget Sound.

Awards include:

• South Sound Stage Excellence: Best Theater for Young Audiences Award:
  • Alice In Wonderland (2017) - Winner
  • The Velveteen Rabbit (2018) - Winner
    
  •  Pippi Longstocking (2019) - Winner
    
• 2019 BroadwayWorld Seattle Awards:
  • Best Sound Design: Les Miserables - 3rd PLACE
  • Best Musical: Les Miserables - NOMINATED
  • Best Musical Direction: Les Miserables – NOMINATED
• 2022 BroadwayWorld Seattle Awards:
  • Best Theatre For Young Audiences Production: Disney’s Newsies - 3rd PLACE
  • Best Play: Something Wicked This Way Comes– NOMINATED

Other theatrical positions she has held are Technical Director, Lighting Designer, Sound Designer (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland at Lakewood), Lead Technician, Artistic Director, Producer, and Actor.

Her newest position is becoming the wife of Ed Jacobs in mid-May of 2018. Someday, when Debbie retires from herding students, actors, and musicians, she plans to settle on a small farm and herd cats, because that would be easier.

Debbie's email: darmstrong@lakewoodplayhouse.org