2021 AUGUST 21 ISSUE CIBOLA DRAMA TEACHER JOAN KENT DIES

Long-time Cibola High School drama teacher Joan Kent died August 11 at age 93. The school’s theater bears her name. A memorial event will be held October 9, 6 p.m. at the Cibola theater. Those who wish to participate are urged to email Kathy Wimmer at actorharper @gmail.com.

“One of Joan’s mottos was ‘Life is full of comedy and tragedy,’” her daughter, Connie Friedrichs, recalled. “And Joan experienced it all. She also taught so many how to express the range of those emotions onstage.” Kent taught drama for 23 years, becoming more than a coach and director, but a profound influence on the teen lives she touched. She retired in 1993.

Active in theater in her native Chicago, she began teaching drama at West Mesa High in 1970 after she moved with her family to the Albuquerque area in 1964. She transferred to Cibola High when it opened in 1975. She lived in Rio Rancho.

“She was a very important influence on our lives,” a Cibola drama student, Val Martinez, reflected. “She made us persistent and good. We didn’t understand how good we really were until we performed in national and international events.” Few of her students went on to careers in theater or film, but the training and dedication Kent imparted nevertheless imparted crucial life skills.