enjoyed a twenty year career on the Theater Faculty at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, one of the top co-curricular highschool arts conservatories in the country. She was a versatile, innovative and difference making member of the Theater program, who taught Spolin Theater Games, the Michael Chekhov Technique, Mask Technique, Clown, Advanced Scene Study with Michael Shurtleff’s Twelve Guideposts,  the Meisner technique and Beginning and Intermediate Scene Study. In addition, she also taught Musical Theater/ Acting the Song. She has directed close to thirty full scale theatrical productions.

In addition to her versatility as an artist teacher, she also has broad experience and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. She was a five year participant in SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity)/The National SEED Project trainings at Walnut Hill. In 2018, Walnut Hill funded her participation in SEED’s New Leaders training. She became a co-facilitator of SEED trainings upon completion of this program. She integrated the principles of SEED into her teaching studio and directing projects. In so doing, she brought forward into the Theater curriculum the voices of previously under-represented playwrights.

Naomi’s work is deeply informed by her practice of meditation. She is a trained meditation instructor. She facilitated a weekly community-wide meditation group while at Walnut Hill. She was awarded the E.E. Ford Excellence in Teaching Award in 2009. She was nominated five times for this award during her career at Walnut Hill School of the Arts. Naomi has also taught Acting and Directing at the collegiate level and has directed productions at the collegiate and professional levels. Starting this winter, Naomi will be an Assistant Professor of Physical Theater in the Dance Department at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. 

In October of this year, Naomi launched Naomi Bailis Studios. She offers in-person and online acting/audition coaching to aspiring and established actors, theater workshops, guest directing and meditation classes. As an actor Naomi has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, at regional theaters throughout the country, in two films and many commercials. She was awarded an individual artist’s grant to produce and star in “Sabina’s Splendid Brain” by Carol Sinclair. It was produced at Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati’s Off-Center Onstage Festival and won a City Beat critic’s award.