William (Bill) Overton (Teacher)

I was an English and speech teacher at Bussey Junior High when many in the class of 1970 were there. After I got my masters in theatre, I moved to Abilene, Texas, where I taught theatre arts at Cooper High School and directed high-school theatre for 26 years. I have also taught theatre on the university level.

I have worked as an actor, and have written plays and musicals that have been produced all over the U.S. and in Australia. For twenty summers, I was on the staff of "The Fort Griffin Fandangle," State Play of the State of Texas, for whom I wrote more than 50 songs.

I have traveled a lot, including 26 trips to England, where I also worked as an actor and as a director. I still work occasionally as an actor, and last May performed in "The Fantasticks" in Natchez, Mississippi.

One of the reasons your class was so important to me is that some of them were in the cast of the musical I wrote and directed called "Pecos Bill and the Indians," which was my masters thesis.

In May of 2011, I am to play the Baron in a production of "The Merry Widow" in Natchez, Mississiippi. I have performed there before.