“Kim brings out the very best in her students. I have met her students, and all of them share one thing; They Believe In Themselves. And every one of those students gave me hope. Good teachers are the only miracle left in American life now. They are idealists and beacons. Kim shows her students how to trust themselves, and their voices, and most of all - their potential.”
"Kim's method comes from a hard-earned knowledge of who she is. She is fearless - so her students write fearlessly. Above all, she's accepting and loving - which means her students use their writing as a path to acceptance and love. The readings of her students' work are thrilling because you are watching people grow into themselves before your very eyes."
- Bill Cain, Playwright & Steinberg New Play Award Winner & Terrance McNally New Play Award Winner
"It’s terrifyingly awesome. You learn how to sing, dance, scream, cry and be comfortable in your own skin. You learn the terrible woes of everyone else, and you realize that they are not that much different than your own."
- Jan Lashly, Student
"I don't know what her secret is (I'm not particularly 'good' with kids myself). But I was aware that I was in the presence of that rare person who brings out the best in others by respecting and challenging them. Kim is some kind of Pied Piper and I'm glad there is someone who is still willing to lead young people to thought, insight and deep feeling."
- Terrence McNally, Tony, Obie, Emmy and Drama Desk, Drama Critic Award Winning Playwright & Pulitzer Finalist, Guggenhiem Fellowship & Rockerfeller Grant Recipient
“Okay, so you could say that Kim is teaching theater, but she’s not. She’s really teaching being alive.”
"Kim works with integrity, sensitivity, and intuition to bring out the best in her students, actors, and writers. I grew tremendously as a writer and performer in her classes. In fact, working with Kim helped me reconnect to my own creativity, which I had lost touch with while teaching and raising my children. I will be forever grateful to Kim. She is truly a gifted teacher, coach, and director."
- Stephanie Quinn Westphal, Freelance Editor
"…with passion and humor, she inspired even my most reluctant students to step forward and take risks in public speaking that I never would have expected. The students loved and trusted her, and watching her work with them was genuinely inspirational. Kim Maxwell is a consummate professional. As a teacher of performing arts, she's the best. The more students she reaches (of all ages), the better for Ojai, and beyond."
- Connie Ware, English Teacher, Matilija Junior High School
"First off, Kim Maxwell is an amazeballs teacher! She knows the perfect formula of humor and structure for teens to have an enriching experience. I always feel like I am my true self when I am in her class. Society’s crazy pressures seem to fade away and the laughter that surrounds her program is always contagious and electrifying."
- Emma Thompson, Student
“Kim Maxwell has the unique talent of speaking both ‘drama geek’ and ‘civilian.’ She is the ambassador to all who would like to spend some time on stage but aren’t sure they can presume to try. Her classes are friendly, funny and real, and I’ve seen people from all over town - the bank, the real estate office, the many soccer moms - in them. But her class is also a revelation for professional performers like me who need a creative reboot. Kim’s unique skills truly do make her classes appropriate - no, awesome - for everyone.”