2019 THESCON CLINICIANS

Danielle Bayliss is a professional aerial dancer and acrobat, and owner of High Expectations Aerial ​ Arts Studio in Memphis, TN. She teaches and performs aerial arts and partner acrobatics locally and regionally. A former competitive gymnast and gymnastics coach, Danielle has over 12 years of experience performing in the air, and has completed over 50 hours of teacher-training with the New England Center for Circus Arts.

Carole Choate Blankenship, soprano, is Elizabeth G. Daughdrill Chair in the Fine Arts and Chair of ​ Music and Theatre at Rhodes College. Dr. Blankenship has performed recently in Sintra, Portugal; The Lilypad, Boston; The Foundling Museum, London; Brisbane, Australia; and Dartmouth and Providence Colleges.. Dr. Blankenship has led voice masterclasses in Melbourne, Australia, at Wheaton Conservatory, A & M Corpus Christi, and Missouri State University, among others. Also, Dr. Blankenship currently serves as President-elect of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Frank Bluestein is the 1996–1997 Disney National Performing Arts Teacher of the Year ​ and the 1994 Tennessee Teacher of the Year. USA Today named Bluestein as one of the top forty teachers in the in 1998. Until his retirement in 2013, he served as chair of the Germantown High School Fine Arts Department; as artistic director of the school’s theatre, the Poplar Pike Playhouse; and, as executive producer for the school’s three-million-dollar, Emmy Award-winning television studio. Graduates from his program include Saturday Night Live star Chris Parnell; film, television and stage actress Missi Pyle; ​ ​ Emmy winning casting director (Desperate Housewives & NYPD Blue) Scott Genkinger; ​ ​ ​ ​ NPR reporter Debbie Elliott; Tennessee Shakespeare Company founder and artistic director Dan McCleary; and Blue Man Group actor Wes Day. Bluestein is a past winner of the American Theatre Association’s John C. Barner Award and has served as an arts advisory panelist for numerous organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts. He spent several years as director of shows at Opryland, USA, and most recently wrote and directed the national touring production of Saturday Night starring legend ​ ​ Joyce Cobb. In 2013, Bluestein was inducted into the Educational Theatre Association’s Hall of Fame in Minneapolis.

Sarah Christine Bolton has a BFA in dance from Belhaven University and has more than 20 years ​ experience performing and teaching as a ballet and modern dancer. She has been training, performing, and teaching as an aerial artist for six years, and is currently an instructor at High Expectations Aerial Arts in Memphis, TN.

Elaine Bromka – Film, TV, Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theater -- roles ranging ​ from Much Ado's Beatrice to Shirley Valentine. Girls, The Sopranos, Sex & the City, E.R., Dharma ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ & Greg, all the Law and Orders, Providence, Playing for Time with Vanessa Redgrave and Catch a ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Rainbow, for which Ms. Bromka won an Emmy. Cindy, the Uncle Buck mom, and the crazed Stella ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ in Days of our Lives. Her Off-Broadway one-woman First Ladies show, “TEA FOR THREE: Lady ​ ​ Bird, Pat & Betty,” (teaforthree.com) tours nationwide. Smith College phi beta kappa and guest artist ​ ​ ​ ​ at over 100 colleges and high schools. http://elainebromka.com/ ​ ​

Mark Castle is the chair of Samford University’s theatre program and teaches acting and directing ​ classes. His recent productions include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Moon Over Buffalo ​ and The Pajama Game. He has acted and directed with Theatre Downtown, Birmingham Festival ​ ​ Theatre, Muse of Fire, and regionally with Greenbrier Valley Theatre in Virginia. His short play The ​ Night the Widget Broke was published in Stage This Too by Fn Productions, and performed in ​ Australia at the Sydney Short & Sweet Festival in 2008, and a section of his play The Somerset Case ​ recently had a reading at Westminster Hall, in the Houses of Parliament, UK as part of the UNESCO International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade & Its Abolition.

Madia Cooper-Ashirifi, is a Liberian dance educator, West African and Social Dance Performing ​ artist, choreographer, and modern technique educator. She is the Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Dance at Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia. Madia shares her culture and knowledge of West African and social dances to all ages. She is excited to share her talents at the Tennessee Thespian Conference.

Paul Draper is a Comedy Presenter, Mind-Reader, and Speaker, who has appeared on the History ​ Channel, A&E, HBO, Hallmark, the Travel Channel, HGTV, and shows like Hell’s Kitchen, Pawn Stars, Ghost Adventures, Mindfreak, and House Hunters. Draper has appeared with David Copperfield, Lance Burton, and Teller of Penn & Teller as an expert for the History Channel. He has performed for HBO Comedy Fest at Caesar’s Palace and hosted companion documentaries for Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist. In Las Vegas, he has headlined for many casinos including the Orleans Casino and Planet Hollywood V Theater, in addition to his seven years as house magician for the Venetian Hotel & Casino. The International Magicians Society awarded Draper a Merlin Award for World’s Best Corporate Performer. Recently, Draper has performed at Yale, USC, Apple, YPO, the Magic Castle in Hollywood, Off-Broadway, and the Magic Circle in London. In addition to his corporate shows and lectures, Paul Draper is frequently called upon as an expert in fields ranging from magical history to human consciousness. As an anthropologist and member of the Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness, Paul Draper studies Native American ghost dancers, South American cannibals, and spiritualists.

Amelia Fischer is a professional actor, director, and fight director based in Atlanta, GA. Amelia has ​ worked for theatres from Washington DC to Washington state, including: The Alliance Theatre, Tennessee Shakespeare Company, Theatrical Outfit, Georgia Shakespeare, Virginia Shakespeare Festival, Classical Theatre Company, Shakespeare Walla Walla, and Shakespeare Company. Anime fans have heard her voice several characters for Sentai Filmworks, including Jibril in No Game No Life. Amelia is an SAFD certified Actor Combatant and is proud to have received her MFA from the University of Houston’s PATP, her BA from Coastal Carolina University, and trained with the Gainesville Theatre Alliance. www.AmeliaFischer.com ​

Jeffrey Frame is professor of dramatic arts at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee ​ and has taught theatre and film for more than 30 years. A veteran director and actor, he as produced over 100 plays/musicals and has directed more than 60 of them, including: Singin’ in the Rain, The ​ ​ ​ Little Mermaid, Children of Eden, Seussical, The Secret Garden, Into the Woods, Little Women: The ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Musical, My Fair Lady, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, Macbeth, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Hamlet, Playboy of the Western World, The Glass Menagerie, Tartuffe, La Bête, etc. Dr. Frame’s ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ teaching includes coursework in various acting techniques including Meisner, Viewpoints, improvisation (Spolin and Johnstone), and Shakespeare. He also frequently speaks on topics in theatre, film, television, and literature at professional conferences and has been an active member of the Popular Cultural Association of the South (PCAS), the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE), the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC), the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE), the Tennessee Theatre Association (TTA) and the Tennessee Philological Association (TPA). Dr. Frame is the 2002 recipient of Trevecca’s Faculty Member of the Year Award.

Bobby Funk is a full professor at East Tennessee State University. He teaches a variety of ​ performance classes, including, Play Direction, Acting I, Period Acting Styles, and The Audition Process. Born in Pennsylvania, Bobby is a life-long Pittsburgh Steeler fan. He did his undergraduate work at Western Carolina University. He then went on to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and then to receive his MFA Degree in Acting and Directing from UNC-Greensboro. He has worked professionally as an actor and director Off- Broadway and in regional theatres across the country, including Barter Theatre, where he has worked as both an actor and director. He is the author of the book, The Audition Process: A Guide for Actors. He recently ​ ​ completed, with Jeremy Brown, a screenplay about the USS Wyoming in the Civil War entitled, For ​ ​ ​ God and Country. Bobby has also written a number of plays including, Robin Hood: Marian's ​ ​ Revenge, Co. Aytch: Memoirs of a Confederate Soldier, The Dream Continues: The History of the ​ ​ Civil Rights Movement in America, The Brave and the Free, River Rising: TVA and the Town of Butler and Hear That Whistle Blow . . . Erwin Train A Coming. Hear That Whistle Blow . . . Erwin Train A Coming was selected to perform at the Kennedy Center as part of the finals of the Kennedy ​ Center American College Theatre Festival. Bobby is a single father. His two children are Kennedy and Duvall.

Jen Gillette resides in Memphis, Tennessee working as Assistant Professor of Costume Design for ​ . Costume design credits include Digging Up Dessa and Bud, Not Buddy at the ​ ​ ​ ​ Kennedy Center; Three World Premieres for the Washington Ballet; Trojan Women, Don Juan, and ​ ​ ​ ​ She Rode Horses Like the Stock Exchange with Taffety Punk; Into the Woods at McLeod Summer ​ ​ ​ Playhouse; Cymbeline and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at New Orleans Shakespeare Festival; ​ ​ ​ ​ Crimes of the Heart at Triad Stage. Credits as an installation artist include Night Garden at Columbus ​ ​ ​ Museum of Art; Town + Country Kitchen Document for Domestic Integrities at Museum of Modern ​ ​ Art. Jennifer holds an MFA from University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Professor David Glenn is the Director of Technology and Design at Samford University. He has ​ been with Samford for 20 years including 10 years as the Technical Director of the Wright Center Concert Hall. He also worked as the Technical Director for the Dallas Theater Center, Technical Director for Birmingham Summerfest, and as Technical Director with Horn in the West Outdoor Drama. He teaches design and construction classes for the theatre department as well as overseeing the design and construction of the department’s productions.

Derek Gloden is a certified yoga instructor and accomplished acrobat, currently living in Memphis, ​ TN. He specializes in Acrobatic Yoga and believes that even as we grow and mature we should continue to play and have fun!

Devon Glover is a teacher, poet, rapper, from Brooklyn New York. He performs Shakespeare's ​ Sonnets in a dynamic way through Hip-Hop in schools, universities and theaters to young audiences nationally and abroad. The Sonnet Man has appeared on The Today Show, MSNBC, and Shakespeare Festivals throughout the world. The release of his debut video “Hip-Hop Hamlet” was selected for the Shakespeare Short Film Festival in Stratford-upon-Avon. In April 2016, Devon went on a SonnetMarathon tour through the US, UK, and Morocco—where he rapped all 154 of Shakespeare’s sonnets in succession on April 24th. For more information, visit www.SonnetMan.com. ​ ​

Connor Hammond is a professional actor based and represented in Atlanta, GA though he can ​ frequently be found honing his classical acting skills with Quintessence Theatre Group of Philadelphia. Connor is a choreographer and certified Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, and has staged fights throughout the South East and South Florida. Represented by Atlanta Models and Talent, Connor is currently focusing on his on-camera work in Atlanta. Connor Hammond is a MFA graduate of Florida Atlantic University and received his BA in theatre from Brenau University and the Gainesville Theatre Alliance.

Mike Helms has been a special guest workshop instructor for the Tennessee Thespian Conference for ​ 5 years. Since 2001 he has been the director of the Deaf Retreat at Camp Discovery in Jackson County located in Gainesboro, TN. He is the Vice President of Adult Education and Outreach at Bridges for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Nashville.

Sean David Johnson brings more than 15 years of industry experience in acting, directing, casting, ​ headshot photography, coaching, and recruitment. He has learned from top acting and industry coaches in NY and LA and attended more than one hundred industry seminars with casting directors, producers, talent agents, managers, union leaders, headshot photographers, and other industry professionals. As an actor, he has appeared on stage and camera in New York City and beyond. Professional credits include Where It All Began (NYC), Separate Tables (NYC), Any Someone At All ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (Chicago), Gold Rush (Tour), Unsung (NYC), untitled UWC pilot (Nintendo), and Rock of Jacob ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (Film). Sean received his conservatory training from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and graduated with a fine arts degree from New School University in New York. As the Director of Admissions for the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, he travels the country looking for aspiring actors with the right blend of ambition, potential, and talent to bring into the school. He is thrilled to take part in this year’s Tennessee Thespian Festival.

Alexander “Pepper” Kaufman is a Master Trainer, Boxing Coach and Owner/ Founder of Pepper ​ Boxing located in Nashville. He has been a professional and amateur athlete for over 20 years and National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certified trainer with over 15 additional certifications

Kyle Kennedy is Associate Professor and Head of Acting at Middle Tennessee State University. ​ He is a member of SAG-AFTRA and an eligible member of AEA. Professor Kennedy has studied Meisner Technique at the Neighborhood Playhouse and holds an M.F.A. from the University of Texas at Austin

Merit Koch is an actor, musician, and writer. She is a proud supporter of the Congressional Awards ​ Program and is the recipient of her own Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals for public service in the arts. Education: Vassar & New York Stage and Film’s Powerhouse Theater; Shakespeare & Company.

Cedric Liqueur is an independent actor and playwright. He writes and produces historical ​ biographies as one-man solo performances.

Carmen-maria Mandley, Education Manager for Tennessee Shakespeare has taught, acted, and ​ directed for the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre (FL), Shakespeare & Company (MA), Portland Stage (ME),Theater at Monmouth (ME), WE Players (CA), Theatre at Hubbard Hall (NY), Advice to the Players (NH), Theatre Ensemble of Color (ME) and served as the the founding Artistic Director of Bare Theatre , and the Nickel Shakespeare Girls (NC), as well as Bare Portland (ME). Prior to moving to Memphis she was the Director of Training at the Acorn Adult Acting Academy in Portland, Maine. Carmen attended National-Louis University (IL), and continued her training at Shakespeare & Company (MA) and at the Dell’ Arte International School of Physical Theatre (CA). She is a published poet and a produced playwright, and she is thrilled to be a life-long card carrying member of Thespian Troupe 1984 from Orlando, Florida.

Michael Maresca Creator of the One Voice theories, techniques, and training methods, Michael ​ Maresca and his team of Certified One Voice Coaches have collectively worked with over 30,000 singers. He is the Lead Voice Faculty for the Texas State University Musical Theatre Program, and performed professionally in the Broadway National tour of Mamma Mia! and the national tour of ​ ​ Saturday Night Fever. He has also served as faculty at the International Thespian Festival, Tennessee ​ Arts Academy, The Broadway Theatre Project, and The Performing Arts Project.

John Marshall is a theatre professional originally from Memphis, TN. As the University of the ​ South's technical director, he delights in sharing his passion for education in the arts with new students every day. In 12 years, John has worked on 95 plays and over 600 events.

Jennifer Matthews is a professor of costume design and technology at the University of the South in ​ Sewanee, TN. She has designed costumes in theatre, dance and television across the Southeast and East Coast. She has a special love for textile arts and specialty crafts.

Rachel Meltzer has been a stage manager for the past six years in educational and community ​ th theatre. She has 24 stage management credits including The 25 ​ Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ​ ​ at Texas Thespian State Festival and International Thespian Festival.

Keenan Minogue An award winning Theatrical Designer and Educator, Keenan Minogue has ​ worked in theatres throughout the Midwest, Midsouth, and New England. He currently serves as technical director and instructor for the Department of Theatre at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Selected credits include properties design and set dressing for the world premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s Downstairs, various designs for Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, and scenic ​ ​ ​ ​ design for Bad Jews at Circuit Playhouse. Keenan received his BFA from the University of ​ ​ Wisconsin, Whitewater and his MFA from the University of Memphis. He is a member of USITT, Associate SETC, and KCACTF, #NotInOurHouse.

Kathy Morath’s Broadway credits include Joseph Papp’s Pirates of Penzance and Nick & Nora. ​ Off-Broadway has appeared in the role of The Girl in The Fantasticks, Personals, The Wonder Years and David Ives’s All in the Timing, among others. Regionally, Kathy has played leading roles at the Guthrie Theatre, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Dallas Theatre Center, Baltimore Center Stage, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, the Barter Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, Art Park, Goodspeed Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Wolf Trap and the Kennedy Center. TV and film credits include Law & Order, Walker: Texas Ranger, Alice in Concert, Hostage, All My Children and General Hospital. Kathy recently created the role of Jodi in the world premiere of the new musical The Bikinis at ReVision Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ. Kathy appears on the SONY Masterworks recording of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Allegro. She has also served as an adjudicator and peer reviewer for the National Endowment for the Arts. Teaching credits: AMDA College & Conservatory, Paper Mill Playhouse, The Norris Center for the Performing Arts, The Artist’s Crossing, Sing Smart Act Smart, private studio. Her degrees, studies and affiliations include: B.A. in Semiotics, Brown University ; The Neighborhood Playhouse; SAG/AFTRA/AEA

Brittany Morgan gained her BFA in Theatre Performance from Illinois Wesleyan University and the ​ British American Drama Academy. Brittany spent 13 years acting, teaching and directing Shakespeare for various Shakespeare theaters throughout the country. Mid-career, she co-founded and created Tennessee Shakespeare Company's education program in her hometown of Memphis, TN. At Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA, she began to focus her love of Shakespeare into outreach which took her into underprivileged high schools, psychiatric facilities, trauma communities, and juvenile detention programs. Serving these communities, especially students, has shaped her purpose as a storyteller and theatre educator on healing.

Tony Morton is the Academic Theatre Director at Bethel University. He earned his MFA in Acting ​ (University of Louisville) and BFA in Theatre Performance (Western Kentucky University). Tony has worked as a professional actor for the last 17 years, appearing on stage with the Nashville Repertory Theatre, Nashville Children’s Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival and several other theatre companies in the area. He has also worked in film, TV, and commercials in the southeast region, appearing in the major motion film Nothing But the Truth. ​ ​

Jill Guyton Nee is the Head of Dance for the University of Memphis Department of Theatre & ​ ​ Dance. She earned her BA in dance and BS in business management from Meredith College. After graduating, she joined the full time staff at American Dance Festival, was a collaborative member of the former company Even Exchange Dance Theatre, and served on the Board of Directors for Code f.a.d. Company before attending The Ohio State University Department of Dance for her MFA. Her work has been presented in New York, Virginia, Tennessee, California, Ohio, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Creatively, she has worked with several distinguished choreographers including Mark Dendy, David Dorfman, Bebe Miller, Melanie Bales, Susan Hadley, Gaspard Louis, Shane O’Hara, Erin Carlisle Norton, Pamela Pietro, and Carol Finley. She currently resides in Memphis, Tennessee as an Assistant Professor and Director of Dance at University of Memphis. She choreographs for the Department of Theatre and Dance, Racine + Southern Dance Exchange (RSDE) and Opera Memphis. Jill is a co-director and founder of CJ40 Productions, an American contemporary dance theatre company that explores the innate theatricality of everyday life. The company has presented at several fringe festivals on the east coast, and continues to create new works every year.

Michael O’Nele received his MFA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1998. That same ​ year he joined the Design Faculty at The University of Memphis as the Faculty Technical Director. His teaching specialties are technical production and management; sample courses include Intro to Technical Production, Stage Craft, Technical Direction and Advanced Scenic Production. Michael also teaches Theatre Graphics (CAD and other computer applications for theatre) and specialized courses in Scenic Automation, Drafting, & Advanced Construction Skills. Michael was awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor in 2004. His is professional credits include: the Chautauqua Institution, New York; The Coterie Children's Theatre and The Kansas City Repertory Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. He is also the Young TD Mentoring Project leader for the Technical Production Commission of USITT. ​

Herb Parker is Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Performance, Theatre, ​ with East Tennessee State University. He is a long-time member of Actors’ Equity Association and his book, A Monologue is an Outrageous Situation! How to Survive the 60-Second Audition, is now available from Focal Press.

Anthony Pellecchia joined the University of Memphis Department of Theatre & Dance in 2015 as ​ the B.F.A and M.F.A faculty in the areas of lighting and sound design, stage management and multimedia control systems. Anthony's creative scholarship explores the fusion of composition, automation, and projections with live performance. Anthony's professional and academic work in theatre, dance, and opera, has received awards and recognition from various organizations, including the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region V, USITT, and USA Weekender.

Vicki Qualls is the Costume Studio Supervisor at the University of the South. She has also designed ​ costumes regionally for 15 years.

Brian Ruggaber is an award winning scenic designer who is proud to be in his sixth year with the ​ University of Memphis. Currently, he heads The Department of Theatre & Dance’s scenic design program and has designed scenery for over 140 productions including Opera, Drama, Musical Theatre, and Dance. His work has been seen in regional theatres, international festivals, and Off Broadway. Brian is an active member of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT). Prior to joining UM’s faculty, he was an Assistant Professor and Resident Scenic Design for The University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and an Associate Professor of Design at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His students have successful careers in theatre, film, television, and themed entertainment. He is a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 and has a MFA from The University of Massachusetts and BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. In addition to design, Brian has worked extensively in entertainment production and has built, propped, and painted scenery for both commercial production shops and regional theatres.

Billy Sharpe is a New York City based actor, director and teacher. He has appeared Off-Broadway, ​ in national tours and at regional theatres across the country. Recently he assistant directed and appeared in A Christmas Carol at Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Billy has also served as the resident director for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s production of Mamma Mia! To find out more about Billy, please visit billysharpe.com ​ ​

Kevin L. Shell is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at UT Martin, Director of The Vanguard Theatre ​ and a Lessac Practitioner. Kevin has over 15 years of experience performing, directing, and teaching improvisation and founded UTM's The Improv Alliance. He has also studied and practiced The Lessac Voice and Movement system since 2005.

Ashley Skrabut has spent the majority of her life training and competing in multiple sports from ​ gymnastics and platform diving to competitive swimming, NCAA tennis, and aerial arts. She is currently a licensed United States Tennis Professional in addition to teaching and performing aerial arts. Based in Memphis, TN, Ashley instructs students on a variety of apparatuses at High Expectations Aerial Arts, with her specialty being aerial straps.

Anne K. Swedberg, Assistant Professor of Theatre (M.F.A. University of Louisville; Ph.D. ​ University of Wisconsin-Madison) teaches classes in acting, voice, Shakespeare, and Introduction to Theatre. She has performed with the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, Actors’ Guild of Lexington and the Chattanooga Theatre Centre. Other schools where Anne has taught include Wesleyan University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Louisville.

Ashley Ware is a professional dance educator with over 30 years dance experience. She ​ has taught thousands of students and has directed/choreographed 25+ shows. She is passionate about theatre and dance and LOVES teaching teenagers how to become confident dancers!

Hans Weichhart currently serves as the Chief Relationship Officer for the Educational Theatre ​ Association, home of the International Thespian Society. In this role, Hans provides strategic and operational oversight for all external relations and partnerships through membership, chapters, and business development.

A sixth generation Californian, Hans holds a BA in Theatre Arts from California State University, Sacramento and has spent the majority of his career working in event and entertainment operations, with companies like Walt Disney Parks & Resorts - Creative Entertainment, UC Berkeley, the National Association of College Auxiliary Services, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bickmore/York Risk Services, and Starbucks Coffee Company. He has also served as the Executive Director for the Lenaea High School Theatre Festival for the last three years. ​ ​

Hans travels the country as a motivational speaker, addressing issues of customer and experiential service, and interpersonal relationships. His clients include institutions of higher education, student service organizations, and private companies.

He's an avid outdoorsman, triathlete, and father to a black lab dog and orange tabby cat.

Jeffrey Wells is currently Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at Trevecca Nazarene ​ University in Nashville, TN, and former Director of Theatre at both Oklahoma Baptist University and Olivet Nazarene University. As a National Michael Chekhov Certified Teaching Candidate, he teaches and presents workshops throughout the West and Southeast. Jeffrey holds a PhD from Texas Tech University (Acting/Directing and Arts Administration). His most recent professional theatre credit is as Assistant Director/Dramaturg for American Stage Theatre Company’s production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. He has directed over 45 full-length plays/musicals including: ​ Brigadoon, The Music Man, The Trip to Bountiful, God’s Favorite, Romeo and Juliet, Doubt, The Glass Menagerie, Emma, and the 2006 American College Theatre Festival and Paula Vogel play ​ winner, Social Darwinism by Angela Gant. ​ ​

Brad Willcuts is currently serving as Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre and Choreography at ​ Michigan State University where he directs, choreographs and researches new musical theatre works. Brad has worked on Broadway, internationally and regionally as a director, choreographer, fight and movement director and performer.

Nisha Yun completed her degree in business and behavioral science at the University of Memphis. ​ She joined the fitness world as an adult with a personal trainer and was inspired by the positive physical and psychological results. She has been a certified Plates instructor for the past 10 years and has been practicing aerial arts for the past 6 years. Currently, she teaches Pilates at several locations throughout Memphis and is an aerial arts instructor at High Expectations Aerial Arts studio.