Tom Hegg

Tom Hegg is an American author, teacher and theatrical professional who performed for many seasons as a member of the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Hegg wrote "A Cup of Christmas Tea" in 1981, when his pastor asked him to write something for his church's 125th anniversary. Drawing on childhood memories, he composed a straightforward, sentimental poem that brought tears to his audience's eyes. First published in 1982, it's been a seasonal best-seller ever since.

Hegg's subsequent books have included "Mark of the Maker", which focuses on Joseph, father of Jesus; "Up to the Lake", a collection of poems focused around a family's trip to their vacation home, the "Peef" series of books about the adventures of a teddy bear, and "To Nourish Any Flower: The Request Collection", which is a collection of poems he wrote and presented to family, friends, and students over the course of several yearsThe contributor was a student of Hegg's from 1985-1993 and has direct personal knowledge of these facts] .

Since the mid-1980s, Tom Hegg has taught Drama at Breck School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he has received the honor of being named a Master Teacher [Breck School Faculty Awards and Recognition website. http://www.breckschool.org/faculty/awards_and_recognition/] . Many of his students have gone on to successful careers in the dramatic arts; probably the most famous of them is Marisa Coughlan. Eric Stolhanske, a member of the Broken LIzard Comedy group, was also a student, and starred alongside Coughlan. Charlie Korsmo also was a student of Hegg's, but this was after most of his films. Bobby McFerrin's son was enrolled at Breck and performed in at least one major Breck musical production when Mr. McFerrin served as a Guest Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra.

The extremely high performance values of a Breck production are well-known across the USA. Hegg's Breck performers are sometimes their own greatest competition for admissions at coveted performing arts schools; a fitting testament to his teaching skills, his ability to surround himself with other talented teachers, and to inspire young artists to achieve. = References =