Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA) is known for its extensive training across all art departments, providing students with experience, knowledge, and practice. 

Employing a variety of arts teachers, from experienced professionals to new alumni, students at BSA have the opportunity to learn from the best of the best. Each faculty member shares some of their expertise, inspiring their students and ultimately making BSA an exceptional place to learn.

But, Denise Diggs is special. Diggs has been teaching students for over 40 years, making her one of the longest-serving faculty members at Baltimore School for the Arts. 

Throughout the years, Diggs, a Voice II, III, and IV teacher in the Acting Department, has seen BSA evolve in many ways. 

“I think it’s gotten a lot gentler for a good reason. It was a harsher learning space, but extremely artistic as well. As we learned about people and their needs, we adjusted, but still kept the standard,” stated Diggs. 

Diggs has seen many students enter her class over her years of teaching. She’s taught many notable alumni, like Tupac Shakur and Jada Pinkett Smith. She describes the process of watching her students go on to have expansive careers, much like hers, as watching fruit grow.

“I see them grow, and I see them with a desire that also grows to be able to create. And because, as artists, that is our food, I can relate to them. I see, in them, the creative side of me. And that creativity yearns to grow. You cannot help it. You’ve got to feed it. Seeing them as fruit, you keep nurturing that. As it grows, you feel it yourself. It keeps me through the 40 years,” said Diggs.

Diggs, one of two voice teachers in the Acting Department, is known for her unique teaching style.

“I like to be clear and precise and somewhat demanding,” explained Diggs. “I’m not talking about being mean. I’m talking about setting a standard that I believe you can achieve. That I believe in your strength…no matter what it is. But I have to balance that sternness with fun, with creativity, with play, with mission. It has to be balanced.” 

Much like BSA, Diggs and her teaching style have evolved over the years. She described her earliest teaching methods as very “hippie.” But shortly after, she realized that her system wasn’t helping the students in the way she wanted it to.

“I learned that I had to be very strong in convincing people that this is another way, another tool, that you need to experience, not just practice. You need to feel it,” said Diggs.

A Baltimore native, Diggs always felt particularly drawn to the theater, even at a young age. As a child with three brothers, and later on, one “wonderful” sister, Diggs spent her days climbing trees, digging for worms, and adventuring with her family. 

She attended School #64, or Liberty Elementary, along with Pimlico Elementary/Middle School. As a young child, Diggs was given the opportunity to speak and perform, reciting speeches to her class. She remembered being noted by her teacher as a promising actress.

When she started at Northwestern High School, Diggs became more invested in the arts. Diggs began participating more in theater, acting in shows that went on to compete in and win district-wide competitions. Diggs also participated in other art forms, like singing in the chorus and playing violin in the orchestra. 

“I tried to do a little bit of everything because I was searching for what I could do really well,” said Diggs. “It was very active and busy and great training for the theater.”

Diggs studied Theater Arts at Towson University, where she later worked. After that, Diggs began her career in theater, starting with Maryland Public Television, doing small series as a guest star alongside distinguished actors like Howard Rollins Jr. 

She explored different acting styles, from Renaissance to Restoration to Realism to Modern. She learned acting methods, like Stanislavsky, and studied various vocal methods, like Kristin Linklater and Edith Skinner. Diggs even worked as a mime in a mime troop.

“I had to learn on the job. Learning on the job really taught me a lot, but I did not take my education in school for granted. I utilized it… I never separated or downgraded what I learned,” said Diggs.

Diggs began doing shows shortly after her training. She used her vocal, acting, and movement training to act in shows like The Great White Hope by Howard Sackler, In the Red and Brown Water by Tarell Alvin McCraney, and The Heliotrope Bouquet by Scott Joplin and Louis Chauvin by Eric Overmyer, to name a few. Diggs then made a name for herself on big stages like the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore Center Stage. 

“There were a lot of influences that drew me into acting. They are limitless, and still go on. I am bombarded with images of people and influences. I welcome it,” said Diggs. 

Outside of acting, vocal work, and teaching at BSA, Diggs enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and watching sports. Her love of sports sprouted in her early years, when she played basketball, competitive softball, and ran track. 

“I love sports,” said Diggs, a devoted Orioles and Ravens fan. “I watch almost every sport and follow it with eagerness and love.”

As for her future at BSA, Diggs is choosing to live in the moment. 

“Right now, I love the teaching,” said Diggs. “But if something comes through or comes around, those teeth are still there. I wouldn’t hesitate to do an acting job or something like that. I’ve done little stuff. Enriching my own mind and staying healthy is most important to me.”

When the day finally does come for Diggs to retire, BSA will surely reflect on the important lessons and inspiration Diggs taught and brought to the school and her students. Her acting and vocal journey has been cultivated into stories for current students to marvel at, hoping one day, they too can craft an artistic experience much like Denise Diggs.

To contact this writer, email Muse Newspaper at musebsa@bsfa.org.

Featured photos courtesy of Denise Diggs.