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Affectionately known simply as “Marty,” Marty Hancock is a legendary figure in Florida theatre education and the theatre education community in South Florida in particular. For 31 years, from 1964 to 1995, she was the drama teacher and Thespian director at Miami Senior High School. Prior to that, from 1960 to 1964, she held those positions at Miami Palmetto Senior High.

Her students won countless district, regional and state awards. They also competed nationally, representing Florida, in International Thespian Association-sponsored contests.

A master teacher, she inspired decades of students to pursue careers in the arts, and many continue her legacy by teaching in the arts, inspiring future generations.

Her students have attended some of the finest universities in the state and nation. They have appeared on Broadway; national tours; major regional stages across the country and abroad; in numerous films and television shows, etc. They have won or been nominated for prestigious awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, Tonys, Emmys, Tellys, Carbonells and more. They have become actors, writers, directors, producers and educators. And Marty taught them all to give back, not only to their communities, but to the next generations. Her commitment is well into its seventh decade, as she continues to mentor and inspires former and current students alike.

She served as Florida Thespian District Chair in the 1970s and Florida State Thespian Director from 1977 to 1980. She is a founding member of the Florida Association for Theatre Education; and has been named FATE Educator of the Year and Dade Association for Theatre Education Educator of the Year. She was also recognized for her outstanding service by the Florida State Thespians and was inducted into the Educational Theatre Association’s National Hall of Fame.
She has recently been the recipient of a Royal Palm tree plaque in the front of the school and was inducted into the first-ever class of the school-wide Miami High Hall of Fame.

Her other multiple honors include a Commendation by the Miami-Dade County Office of the Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, which said: “It is fitting and proper that official acknowledgement be given to Mrs. Hancock, for her vast and significant contributions have made a lasting difference in the lives of countless people.”

Marty has also served on several influential committees for Miami-Dade County and Florida; including the advisory committee for state drama certification and the drama, speech and journalism textbook adoption committee for Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Even after officially retiring, she continues to adjudicate individual events and one-act plays for the Florida Theatre Conference, Florida State Thespian Festival, Southeastern Theatre Conference and International Thespian Festival. She has been a guest lecturer at the University of Miami and worked with non-theatre majors there. She has also conducted workshops and was a member of the Florida Theatre Conference main stage screening committee.

The Educational Theatre Association has called Marty: “one of the pillars of Miami’s theatre education community.” But she is, and always has been, so much more.