By Clodagh Nagle

Susan Goodwillie has been appointed as the new Creative Director of West End House School of Arts. She succeeds Jessica Courtney Leen who recently stepped down after serving in the role for three years.

BACKGROUND

Originally from New Hampshire, which is located an hour north of Boston, Susan brings a diverse background to West End. She has lived in many places including LA, New York and Kenya. She moved to Ireland in 2020 and is now living in Knocknagoshel.

Susan discovered her love for acting at a young age. As a child, she moved frequently due to her father’s military job. When her family returned to New Hampshire, she wasn’t quite sure where she fit in. It was during this time where she found comfort in acting which would continue to influence her life to this very day.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in musical theatre and later moved to Los Angeles where she appeared in two episodes of ER and Medium. She lived there for a year and described it as a very exciting time in her life.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

She decided to move to New York to further her theatrical career.  She spent nine years in the Big Apple. She recalled: “It was exciting, I felt like I was in the middle of something. It can be very buzzy which is fun.”

Susan described it as a great privilege to be part of the New York theatre scene however it came with its challenges. She worked as a bartender while also attending auditions and she found the balance hard. She said: “I got what I assumed would be the acting job of my dreams. It was a beautiful play with a great company. I was working with exciting actors. It was supposed to run for four months. By the time we opened, we got bad reviews and the next day it was closed.”

She said that while sometimes people can put up with the unsteady lifestyle, she found it quite difficult and began to look at other possible avenues.

CAREER CHANGE

Susan and her friend co-founded a non-profit organisation. They launched an artist residency program and retreat on an organic farm located just an hour away from New York City. It was designed to give actors, playwrights and creatives an affordable space to create their work.

“We were making something other people could utilise. It became something that people loved. My friend went on to run it successfully for another ten years. So many people came and made beautiful things there.”

Following that experience, she decided to return to college to pursue a master’s degree in social work. She later worked in a non-profit organisation supporting people who suffered with mental health issues. In her new job, Susan found that her acting background came full circle. The company allowed her to start up an open mic night for their clients to give them a social outlet. She reflected: “I went to social work school because I wanted to be helpful, but I found that my skills as an actor were the most valuable thing I brought from my old life to my new one.”

MOVING TO IRELAND

She moved to Kenya where she worked in women’s advocacy work. She met her now husband Brian, who is from Dublin, while living there. They decided to move to Ireland and settled in Kerry. She worked as a General Manager for Teaċ Daṁsa, Michael Keegan Dolan's acclaimed dance company located in the West Kerry Gaeltacht before she moved to her new role in Killarney.

VISION

Susan said her responsibility as a Creative Director is to fulfil the mission and vision of the school to its highest potential.

She said: “The biggest priority is to give artistic opportunities to people of all ages. Those who want to try out acting and to see if it is something they would like to pursue in the future.”

Susan’s hopes for the future are filling classes, listening to what people want, creating new classes and finding avenues for people to grow in the different interests they have.

“For people who don’t identify with sport, it’s important for them to find something else that interests them. It might not necessarily be acting but it is a great doorway into a creative headspace.”

Susan believes it’s about the mission and the vision of the school and to reach as many young people and adults as possible so that they know the door is always open at West End School of Arts.