When Aimee Miron was in second grade, she gathered her cousins on her grandmother’s porch and staged an entire production—written, directed, and performed by her. The audience (a captive group of adults after dinner) applauded politely, unaware they were witnessing the early steps of a lifelong director.
“I think I was always going to be a director,” Aimee laughs. “Even back then, I loved bringing people together to tell a story.”
That love of storytelling carried her to the University of Minnesota, where she earned a degree in Theatre Arts. Her studies gave her a wide-ranging foundation: critical analysis and dramaturgy, but also practical skills like sewing in the costume shop, organizing props, and building sets.“Theater degrees are so diverse,” Aimee says. “Yes, I can analyze Shakespeare, but I can also sew a costume or use a screw gun. Those skills are what keep productions alive.”
After graduation, she worked with a theater company in Portland, Oregon, before life eventually brought her back home to Central Minnesota. It didn’t take long for Aimee to reconnect with her roots. Cast in Les Misérables at GREAT Theatre in 2013, she quickly realized she wanted to do more.
“I told them, ‘I want to direct for you. In fact, I am going to direct for you.’ And one thing led to another.”
Since then, Aimee has directed nearly 20 productions for GREAT, each one deepening her commitment to community, collaboration, and the transformative power of live theatre.
The Joy of Mentorship
At the heart of her work is the Youth Artist Project, an innovative mentorship program at GREAT Theatre. High school students step into leadership roles—directing, choreographing, designing—while being guided by Aimee and other professional mentors.
“It’s not about me handing down wisdom,” Aimee says. “Every time I work with our youth, I grow too. They bring questions and challenges that push me to see things in new ways.”
What excites her most is watching young artists realize their own agency. “The moment I say to a student, ‘You get to decide,’ and they look at me in shock—‘Me?’—that moment fills my heart. Because they make a choice, and then they see the ripple effects of that choice. That’s real leadership.”