TACA Arts Insider with Rachel Harrah
As a lifelong theater maker and lover, what first inspired your passion for revitalizing performance spaces, especially in schools, and how has that evolved now that you’re working at a larger scale?
It started in Room 168 at Thomas Jefferson High School — a space that was never meant to be a theater. Originally a band hall, split in two with a non-acoustically rated wall and a drop ceiling, it was far from ideal. But we made it work. We brought in a set, moved instruments around to make room for rehearsal, taped off backstage areas, and built out monologue showcases. The fluorescent lights buzzed above us constantly, and there was no real backstage, but that didn’t matter. That room held our voices, our risks, our growth. It wasn’t perfect, but it was real. And it was ours.
The moment that shifted everything for me was taking my students to a UIL One Act Play contest. I watched them walk into other schools’ performance spaces — real theaters with dressing rooms, lighting grids, wings, and a silence that made every performance feel significant. My students were in awe. Yet behind their wonder, I saw a quiet pattern of a question emerge: Why don’t we have this? That question never left me.
I carried that question with me as I moved into district arts leadership. And just before launching my consulting firm, I had the chance to return to Thomas Jefferson High School as part of my last design team work with Dallas ISD — helping lead the rebuild and renovation of spaces like Room 168 after the tornado. That full-circle project demonstrated that our efforts could transform a former band hall into a black box rivaling professional companies. What does that tell our kids? It tells them they matter. It tells them their work matters. It shows that their voices deserve to be heard on a stage built with care and intention.
Now, as Vice President of Client Solutions at WJHW, I support fine arts directors, districts, and architects with the visioning, programming, and advocacy to align the space to the needs of students and communities. The heart of the work hasn’t changed: ensuring every young artist walks into a space that tells them they belong and deserve a high-quality learning environment. This work is even more critical when you consider that, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, school buildings are often left unchanged for up to 40 years after design. Every generation that walks into that environment deserves the same level of opportunity and access as the first, and I’m dedicated to closing that gap.
Q2: Why do you think having functional, well-designed theater facilities is so critical to the development of young artists and art supporters?
Because even the learning environment teaches. It teaches students whether they and their stories matter. In Room 168, my students learned to adapt — tuning out the constant hum of the AC, making entrances through the shop storage, and rehearsing around stacked chairs and makeshift sets. That kind of resilience is admirable, but the environment shouldn’t be a barrier to learning or creativity.
If we want students to take themselves seriously, we have to show them we take their work of learning seriously. The space has to say it before we ever do — because when a young artist walks into a theater that feels professional, their mindset shifts. They stop wondering if they belong and start imagining what they can create.
When students are given access to tools and spaces that mirror the professional world, it’s not just about exposure — it’s about opportunity. Working on a real lighting board or audio system isn’t just fun; it can lead to scholarships, union apprenticeships, and six-figure careers in fields that are rapidly expanding. It’s about giving them more than a Fine Arts credit. It’s giving them a future.
Q3: What is it about TACA that makes it so important to the arts ecosystem, and why is supporting TACA so meaningful to you?
TACA understands that the arts are more about than just the act of creating — they are about people and possibilities. One of my proudest moments has been watching Luz Vazquez, a former student from Thomas Jefferson High School, step into a leadership role as the Managing Director of Harrah LLC. Luz has always been a natural leader, but what changed was discovering a career that combined access, inclusion, and her passions — something she never would have known existed without exposure to the right opportunities. Now, Luz is helping other young people in the arts realize they can break barriers and find careers that align with their passions and values.
This is exactly what TACA does: it opens doors to new possibilities, creates mentorship, and fosters an ecosystem where artists can thrive. When you support TACA, you’re not just supporting the arts — you’re making it possible for more people to see themselves in the arts, break barriers, and lead.
Rachel Harrah is a leader in fine arts educational visioning and space advocacy, dedicated to creating environments that empower students to reach their fullest potential. As Vice President of Client Solutions at WJHW, Rachel supports fine arts directors, districts, and architects in ensuring that educational spaces center the needs of students and communities. In 2021, she founded Harrah LLC, focused on advocating for impactful educational spaces across school districts nationwide.
Rachel is passionate about mentoring and supporting future leaders in education, arts, and advocacy, helping others develop the skills and vision to drive positive change. She holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Stephen F. Austin State University. Her accolades include Dallas ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year (2015), Texas Thespians Outstanding School Administrator (2017), and Texas Educational Theatre Association’s Theatre Administrator of the Year (2020). Rachel also serves on several boards, including the North Texas Chapter of the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), DG Fine Arts, Texas Association for Dance and Culture (TADC), and Act Your Stage (AYS), where she advocates for the intersection of education, arts, and community.