Frankenstein

Jim Wren (Director) is Professor Emeritus here at The University of North Carolina Greensboro. He was the Coordinator of the Performance Program and Head of the MFA Acting Program at the School of Theatre for 34 years, where he taught both undergraduate and graduate acting and directing classes. Additionally, he served as Artistic Director of the summer theatre programs, producing over 100 plays during his tenure.  In 2020, he assumed the role of Co-Artistic Director (along with Brian Quijada) for the WildWind Performance Lab- a new play development workshop- at Texas Tech University.  In 2001, he received a Kennedy Center Gold Medallion for Excellence in Theatre Education, and in 2006 was named Outstanding Teacher of Acting in the Southeast, serving as mentor to the acting students at the National Festival. His production of The Revenger’s Tragedy (co-authored with Joe Sturgeon) was selected for performance at the Kennedy Center as part of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in 2009.  As a fight choreographer, he has staged the violence for over 100 productions and served as the Resident Fight Choreographer at Triad Stage. Directing credits include: The New Hopeville Comics (Chernuchin Theatre, NYC), The Blue Martini (DR2 Theatre, NYC), the means (Soho Playhouse), Irene Ryan Evening of Scenes (The Kennedy Center), Don’t Dress for Dinner (Hippodrome State Theatre), and Cinderella (Casa Manana), in addition to over 75 productions for UNCG Theatre and the University of Florida

Shannon Anderson (Ensemble) Shannon is a first year BFA Acting student in the UNCG theater program with a minor in dance. Frankenstein is her first show at UNCG, and she has loved the rehearsal process. Other shows she has been in include A Monster Calls, Little Shop of Horrors, And then there were none, And Taming of the Shrew. She is so excited to be onstage for her first show! In her free time, she loves to play video games and make desserts!

Calla Boerger (Clarice) is a current sophomore BFA Acting major from Dayton, Ohio, and she is very excited to be on stage here at UNCG! Calla is a proud member of Spartenous Improv and has worked on many projects at UNCG. This includes the School of Theatre’s most recent film, Uncharted Potential, directed by Michael Flannery, and several directing scenes from both undergraduate and graduate students. Calla not only works on stage but is also a manager for the School of Theatre box office. Calla would like to thank her family, friends, and professors for supporting and encouraging her every day. 

Theodore Burchard (William Frankenstein) is a first-year BFA acting student and is honored to be part of the Frankenstein family as his first UNCG play. Previous credits include BFA Freshman Showcase, Ryan in High School Musical, and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. Additionally, in 2024, he attended the North Carolina Governor’s School for Theatre.He would love to thank his parents, his siblings, teachers and professors (both current and past), and friends who showed up today and supported his journey throughout the years. If you’d like to keep up with him, you can follow @theodoreburchard on Instagram. Enjoy the show!

Samantha Davis (Klausia) is a first year BFA Acting major with minors in both music and dance. She is so excited and grateful for the opportunity to be in her first production at UNCG! Some of her previous roles include Miss Honey (Matilda), Catherine of Aragon (SIX), and Judy Bernly (9 to 5). She would like to thank her director, Jim Wren, as well as her friends and family for all their support through this process. Enjoy the show!

Noah Demmitt (Constables, Townspeople, and Servants) is a 4th-year BA Drama student here at UNCG. This is his first mainstage production with UNCG, and he is grateful and honored to have the opportunity to work with everyone on the Frankenstein cast and crew! Putting up this production has been a blast, and he hopes everyone enjoys the show! He has also been very active in the local theatre industry. His most recent work consists of: Creative Greensboro (NC Premiere of: Twelfth Night – A Musical Adaptation (2025) as Antonio and The Music Man (2024) as Ewart Dunlop) and The Community Theatre of Greensboro (The Wizard of Oz: 27th Anniversary (2022) as a member of the Winkies, Ozians, Trees, and Jitterbug Chorus and Into The Woods (2024) as the Steward)! He would like to take a moment to thank his family, friends, and coworkers for their ongoing love and support of his passions and dreams. If you want to stay up to date with him and the future projects he’s in, follow him on Instagram at @noahd_official!
 

Aiden Javier Feria (Delacey) is grateful to be a part of the Frankenstein production here at UNCG for his final production here at the school and is excited for the School of Theatre and beyond to watch the show. He is very proud of his collaborators and hopes everyone has as much of a good time watching it as he did being a part of it.

Harrison Ferguson (Rab) is a first-year Musical Theatre major and is so excited to be involved in his first mainstage show at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He spent his senior year at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts’ intensive high school drama program and is very grateful for all the teachers, friends, and family who have gotten him to this point. Previous credits include BFA First-Year Showcase, Pippin, and Les Misérables. Keep up with him by following @harrytheseventh on Instagram.

Sydney Hammond (Ensemble, Elizabeth U/S) is a first-year acting major here at UNCG, and she’s exhilarated to be in Frankenstein, as it is her first full-scale college production. She grew up in the metro Atlanta area, training in acting, dancing, and singing on a local level, and then eventually joined the Theatre Conservatory at SOTA @ Central Gwinnett High School. Some of the productions she’s been in include the ensemble of Head Over Heels, Legally Blonde Jr., 9 to 5 Jr., and Hadestown Teen Edition. Her senior year of high school was immensely celebratory for her in terms of accomplishments. With City Springs Theatre’s Pre Pro Company, her pod won Overall Excellence at the ATL Junior Theatre Festival, and her high school won Best Overall Production at the Georgia Shuler Awards with their production of Hadestown Teen Edition. Additionally, she earned an Artistic Integrity Award from her high school’s dance department and was named a 2025 YoungArts Winner in spoken theatre. Sydney looks forward to continuing her strive for excellence as she sharpens her craft here at the G!
Instagram: syd2groovy

Jacob McKinney (Gustav) knew from a very young age that he wanted to make/create art, but it wasn’t until he got to high school that he realized he wanted to do that through acting. His very first performance on stage was a very monumental and transformative moment in his life, not just as an actor but also as a person. Performing has helped him overcome social challenges but also created space for him to discover, create, and tell stories. For that, he will always be grateful for theatre and even plans on pursuing a career in the film/entertainment industry. He’s so excited for his first performance here at UNCG and can’t wait to continue telling stories in future productions on stage.

Joseph Martin (Felix) is a first year BFA Acting major and is more than ecstatic to have his first SOT production in his first year, no less being Frankenstein! It’s up there as one of his favorite pieces of literature, and it’s been a story he’s been in love with since his early youth. This rehearsal and overall production process has been so creative and fulfilling for him and will be undoubtably unforgotten. Before UNCG, Joseph had done plenty of shows and embraced performances of a wide range of characters, notably Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde; Sir Simon in The Canterville Ghost; Brother Jeremiah in Something Rotten; Cedric in Puffs;Professor Plum in Clue: On Stage. He’s excited for the growth, experiences, and opportunities that UNCG has to offer, whatever’s in store for him! @its.so.joev4r

Gavin Nourse (Victor Frankenstein) is a senior BFA Acting major at UNC Greensboro. Through his four years at the University, he has appeared in roles both onstage and on screen. Stage credits include Rough Magic, Much Ado About Nothing, Where-Else, and Night of the Living Dead. He is beyond grateful for the opportunity to embody this character in such a timeless story and is happy to push his training to a new limit. He would like to thank his community of friends, family, colleagues, and his girlfriend, Grace, for their continued support in his passion for acting.

Izzy Richman (Agatha De Lacey) is thrilled to be back in the UNCG Auditorium as part of the UNCG mainstage season. You may have seen her onstage in Tartuffe (Servant) and Much Ado About Nothing (Margaret). Frankenstein has been the highlight of her college career thus far, and she has learned so much in this process. She has loved bringing Agatha to life and hopes you enjoy the show as much as she enjoyed working on it. She would like to give a huge thank you to all her professors and her family for always supporting her. She would also like to offer a special thank you to her director, Jim Wren, for always giving her a new 90’s grunge band to listen to, a play to read, or a new idea for the character; learning from you has been a privilege.

Malcolm Riley (Townsperson/Servant) is a sophomore BFA Acting major. His previous shows at UNCG include The Lightning Thief (Kurt Cobain), Everybody (Lottery character), and Rough Magic (Chet Baxter). He gives his biggest thanks to Jim Wren, Emily Soltes, Amarah Pearson, and Nshama Pledger-Levin for building this show, bringing it to life, and then refusing to tell anyone how they brought it to life in fear of the science being replicated and causing mass destruction. If you do not love the show, I will cause fear!

Aidan Short (Ensemble) is a first-year BFA Acting major and is very excited to be performing in his first full show at UNCG! Hailing from Asheville, some of his favorite prior roles include Pup in Different Stroke’s Monsters of the American Cinema, Moonface Martin in Asheville Highschool’s Anything Goes, and the First Witch in the Montford Moppet’s Macbeth. When not onstage, Aidan enjoys collecting rubber ducks, playing DND with his brother, and swinging cool-looking sticks around in a festive manner. He’d like to thank his girlfriend Sierra for being amazing, his friends for putting up with his antics, and Mom, Dad, and Grandma for supporting him, even when it’s hard.

Parys Smith (Elizabeth) is a BFA Acting student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is drawn to emotionally honest, character-driven storytelling and enjoys exploring complex, heightened text. In addition to her theatrical work, Parys is an award-winning youth reporter. She received a Women in Media Alliance Gracie Award for her story Combating the Mistreatment of Black Women in Healthcare, created with North Carolina Public Radio WUNC. She was also part of WUNC’s first youth digital team, which received an Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in journalism. Parys is grateful to be part of the Frankenstein company and the UNCG School of Theatre.

Lilah Vanke (Madame Frankenstein) is thrilled to be a part of UNCG’s production of Frankenstein. She is currently a junior BFA Acting student. She was featured as Jade in the short film series produced by UNCG in the spring of 2024. Previous live theatre credits include Miss Honey in Matilda, Margot Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, and Kitty in The Drowsy Chaperone. She would like to thank Jim Wren and Natalie Blackman for their thoughtful and effective leadership throughout the rehearsal process. She would also like to thank her Mom, her Papa, her Grandma and Bapu, and her best friends Brianna, Valentine, Cat, and Taylor for their constant and unwavering support in her pursuit of her dreams. Enjoy the show! You can find more about her on her website: lilahvanke.com.

Austin Willard (The Creature) is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He made his feature-length debut in a major role in the horror/thriller Henry’s Ebb, which was showcased at the Frontières Marché du Film during Cannes 2025. Since then, he has worked with Academy Award–winning director Kevin Willmott (BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods) in The Bard and secured a role in the upcoming feature A Good Fight, starring Booboo Stewart and Abigail Breslin. He is represented by Marilyn’s Agency.

Oliver Alward (Assistant Costume Designer) is a second-year student in the BFA Drama, Design and Technical Production program. He is excited to be Assistant Designing costumes for  Frankenstein as his first assistant design role. He has previously worked on building costumes for UNCG’s productions of Sweeney Todd, Rough Magic, and Side Show.

Linden Clemens (A1) has thoroughly enjoyed working on Frankenstein. He is a current fourth-year BFA Design & Technical Production major with a focus in Sound. Prior shows at UNCG include Carrie: The Musical, Tartuffe, Into The Woods, and The Passion of Antígona Pérez. He would like to thank everyone who made this show possible, as well as his Mom and Dad, for always supporting him.

Ari Craig (Sound Designer) Ari is thrilled to be the Sound Designer for Frankenstein! Currently in their second year at UNCG, Ari is majoring in Des/Tech with a concentration in lighting and sound. They have previously been Assistant Stage Manager for Bright Precious Things, an Electrician and Light Board Programmer for Discovering Blackness, a Mic Tech for Carrie, an A2 for Sweeney Todd, and Assistant Sound Designer for Everybody. Off campus, they have worked as a lighting intern and light board operator at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival this past summer. They are so excited to help bring this story to life and hope you enjoy the show!
 

Kai Hamby (Production/Head Electrician) is a Junior Design and Technical Production Major and has worked on several productions here at UNCG, including Into the Woods, The Lightning Thief, Carrie, School Girls, Everybody, Sweeney Todd, Rough Magic, and Discovering Blackness. He is excited for everyone to see all the work the lighting crew put into Frankenstein and hopes they didn’t blind the audience too badly!

Adam Jahrsdoerfer (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a junior BFA Design and Technical Production Major, focusing on lighting.He previously worked on Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Electrician). He would like to thank his family and friends for their never-ending support. He hopes you enjoy the show!
 

Frenchie La’ Vern (Costume Designer) is a native of Winston-Salem, NC, a graduate of Rutledge College with a diploma in Commercial Arts and a graduate of UNCSA with a degree in Design and Production. She is currently working on her master’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Frenchie has worked in theatre and film for over 25 years. She recently won the 2025 KCACTF National Award in Costume Design for School Girls or, The African Mean Girls Play at UNCG. She is the 2019 recipient of the National Black Theatre Festival award for “Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design and the winner of the Broadway World 2023 award for Best Costumes, for The Producers, competing against herself for The Producers and Something Rotten at Little Theatre. She is currently a collaborating artist at Authoring Action. Frenchie has designed for North Carolina Black Repertory since 1999, when she mounted Smokey Joe’s Café. Her most recent shows include Educating Rita, Trouble in Mind, Coconut Cake, Black Nativity, The Gospel According to Broadway, and Purlie Victorious. She has designed and draped for UNCG, Duke University, NCCU, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, American Dance Festival, CTG, The Barn Dinner, and the Montage Showcase Ensemble.

Amarah Pearson (Assistant Stage Manager) is a third-year B.A. Arts Administration student with a double minor in Technical Theatre and Theatre Management at UNC Greensboro. Previous credits include Side Show (Assistant Sound Designer), Carrie (A2), Sweeney Todd (Wardrobe Supervisor) at UNC Greensboro, The Lightning Thief TYA Edition (Stage Manager), and Once Upon a Mattress (Sound Designer) at North Raleigh Arts & Creative Theatre. Amarah would like to thank this sensational cast, crew, and production team for their hard work, and you, beloved audience member, for supporting collegiate performing arts!

N’shama Pledger-Levine (Assistant Stage Manager) is a first-year BFA Design and Technical Production major. Last semester she assistant stage-managed Discovering Blackness. Before coming to UNCG, she gained experience at the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, where she assistant stage-managed several productions, including Guys and Dolls, Bye Bye Birdie, and Children of Eden. And stage-managed summer camp shows like Hamlet and Zombies, and Camp Rock.

Emily Soltes (Production Stage Manager) is a third-year student pursuing a BFA Drama, Design and Technical Production major, with a focus in Stage Management. Her previous credits include Rough Magic (Production Stage Manager), Everybody (Production Stage Manager), Much Ado About Nothing (Assistant Stage Manager), The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Assistant Stage Manager), and Tartuffe (Stage Crew). Emily would like to thank her team of ASM’s, as well as her friends and family, for their support throughout this process.

Ant Thompson (Hair and Makeup Designer) is delighted to be making their design debut at UNCG with Frankenstein. They are a third-year BFA Drama Design and Technical Production Major with a focus on wigs, hair, and makeup. Ant previously served as Lead Hair and Makeup Artisan for both Sweeney Todd and Side Show, as well as a Moulage Artist for the I.M.P.A.C.T. Simulation here at UNCG. They are thrilled to have worked on this production and would like to thank their family, friends, artisans, and mentor for their unwavering support.

Dani Vanasse (Set Designer) is thrilled to return to UNCG as a guest designer for Frankenstein. Dani is a UNCG alum who graduated in the Spring of 2023 with a BFA in Design and Technical Production. Since graduation, she has worked as a freelance Set Designer and has designed over 20 shows in and around the Charlotte area. She also guest-designed last year’s production of Side Show at UNCG. Dani would like to extend a special thank you to her loving fiancé for his endless support in all her endeavors.

Kyriana Walker (A2) is an 18-year-old Design Tech Major with an interest in sound. 4 years of high school-level experience. Worked onshows such as Clue, Lovesick, Sister Act, Shrek Jr, Reform Ed, and Sweeney Todd.

Shiloh Dawn Wrigley (Props Director) is working on a double major in Theatre and Film with a concentration on Production Design in both degrees. Shiloh has loved art and stories her whole life and is excited to be working on the ability to build the worlds in which stories are told, in multiple different formats. Shiloh is proud to have worked on multiple theatrical productions in multiple roles and has steadily been growing in her abilities. Her first Props Director position was on the production of Rough Magic at UNCG in the fall of 2025, and she is excited to continue growing with her role as Props Director for UNCG’s production of Frankenstein.

Nicole Wylie (Wardrobe Supervisor) is a third-year BFA Design and Technical Production student. They are very grateful to have been a part of this process and step into a new role backstage. Nicole would like to thank Mary Elysse Santa for guiding them into theatre and stage management. Some other notable credits are Discovering Blackness as the Stage Manager, Carrie as an ASM, and The Lightning Thief as an ASM.

Laney Wymer (Assistant Production Electrician) is a Junior at UNCG planning on majoring in Design and Technical Production with a focus in lighting and is thrilled to be working on the School of Theatre’s production of Frankenstein! She has helped with at least four other productions, including ReformED and Side Show. This is her second time helping on a production for Frankenstein, and she is so excited for audiences to see UNCG’s adaptation. She would like to thank her family for their constant support, especially during production weeks, and her boyfriend for providing lovely distractions when needed.

Jim Wren (Director) is Professor Emeritus here at The University of North Carolina Greensboro. He was the Coordinator of the Performance Program and Head of the MFA Acting Program at the School of Theatre for 34 years, where he taught both undergraduate and graduate acting and directing classes. Additionally, he served as Artistic Director of the summer theatre programs, producing over 100 plays during his tenure.  In 2020, he assumed the role of Co-Artistic Director (along with Brian Quijada) for the WildWind Performance Lab- a new play development workshop- at Texas Tech University.  In 2001, he received a Kennedy Center Gold Medallion for Excellence in Theatre Education, and in 2006 was named Outstanding Teacher of Acting in the Southeast, serving as mentor to the acting students at the National Festival. His production of The Revenger’s Tragedy (co-authored with Joe Sturgeon) was selected for performance at the Kennedy Center as part of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in 2009.  As a fight choreographer, he has staged the violence for over 100 productions and served as the Resident Fight Choreographer at Triad Stage. Directing credits include: The New Hopeville Comics (Chernuchin Theatre, NYC), The Blue Martini (DR2 Theatre, NYC), the means (Soho Playhouse), Irene Ryan Evening of Scenes (The Kennedy Center), Don’t Dress for Dinner (Hippodrome State Theatre), and Cinderella (Casa Manana), in addition to over 75 productions for UNCG Theatre and the University of Florida

Natalie Blackman (Assistant Professor of Voice and Acting) is a certified teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework® and Knight-Thompson Speechwork™. She currently serves as Voice & Text Coach for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. New York acting credits include appearances at The Duke on 42nd Street, Circle in the Square, Theatre Row, the New Ohio Theatre, and The Tank. Regional acting credits include the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Pioneer Theatre Company, Penfold Theatre Company, Burning Coal Theatre Company, and the Classic Theatre of San Antonio. Her solo show, Disorder, was a bestseller and award winner at the United Solo Festival in New York City, the world’s largest solo theatre festival. She holds an MFA from Illinois State University and a BFA from the University of Utah. natalieblackman.com 

Tannis Boyajian (Scenery Studio Supervisor) received her BFA in Technical Theatre from Salem State University in Salem, MA, and her MFA in Technical Design and Production from Yale School of Drama in New Haven, CT. Between undergrad and grad school, Tannis taught a scenic construction workshop class at Salem State University, and was the scenic consultant for Endicott College (Beverly, MA), assisting with and guiding students in set construction and tool safety. She also worked as a carpenter at a variety of theatres in and around the Boston, MA area including Stoneham Theatre Company, North Shore Music Theatre, Boston Children’s Theatre, and Actor Shakespeare Project. While in grad school Tannis spent her summers as the Technical Director for Dorset Theatre Festival in Dorset, VT and Assistant Technical Director for Theatre at Monmouth in Monmouth, ME. After graduating, she made the move to North Carolina to become the Technical Director at Triad Stage here in Greensboro, where she worked for three and a half years before accepting her current position as Scene Shop Supervisor with UNCG. This is Tannis’ 6^th year with the UNCG. 

Rachel Briley (Artistic Director, The North Carolina Theatre for Young People) is head of the M.F.A. program in Theatre for Youth. She came to North Carolina from Michigan where she was the Director of Theatre Education at Western Michigan University. Rachel also taught and directed at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. She was a teaching artist at Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts where she conducted professional development workshops and residencies for pre-school children across the US since 1992. She served on the board of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education for four years. In 2004, Rachel was awarded an Ann Shaw Fellowship from TYA/USA to work on Visual Theatre techniques with Tyst Teater in Stockholm, Sweden.  She was a member of the 2014 Women’s Executive Leadership program through the Impact Center in Washington, DC. Rachel was a Delegate for the Theatre Communications Group to represent the U.S. in Santiago, Chile at the 2017 Santiago a Mil festival.   

She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from The Catholic University of America in piano and received her M.F.A. in Theatre for Young Audiences from Arizona State University.  She is fluent in ASL and is proficient in Spanish.  

Mya Brown (Associate Professor of Acting/Directing) is a member of the Actors Equity Association and the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society. She serves as Guiding Faculty for Theatrical Intimacy Education, one of the nation’s leading organizations in theatrical intimacy best practices. Her work as a director, actor, educator, intimacy choreographer, and advocate is recognized both regionally and nationally. Mya’s artistic practice is rooted in cultivating consent based learning environments, honoring boundaries, inviting a curiosity of the unknown, and highlighting the advantages of engaging with people of diverse cultures & backgrounds.

David Furr (Assistant Professor of Acting for the Camera) is a Tony, Drama Desk, and SAG Award–nominated actor with experience across Broadway, Off-Broadway, television, film, regional theatre, voiceover, and audiobook narration. His Broadway credits include Tony-nominated revivals of King Lear, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Importance of Being Earnest, Noises Off, and Burn This, as well as The Rivals, Accent on Youth, and Cymbeline. A veteran of over half of Shakespeare’s canon, David received both the Falstaff Award and Actors’ Equity’s St. Clair Bayfield Award for his work at Shakespeare in the Park in New York City.    On screen, David is known for portraying Dashiell Montgomery on HBO’s The Gilded Age (SAG Award nomination), with recurring roles on The Man in the High Castle, Bull, TURN: Washington’s Spies, Mr. Mercedes,  Odd Mom Out and many others.  Film credits include Evening, 13 Hours, The Highwaymen,  Anche Se e Amore, Non Si Vede (Italian), The Sounding and the upcoming A Long Winter.  

April Hill (Lecturer in Musical Theatre Voice) As a proud alumnus of the UNC Greensboro music department, April joined the faculty in 2015 to assist in the development of the Musical Theatre program and has been a full time Lecturer in Theatre since 2020.  April has developed the MT voice curriculum and teaches applied voice lessons for the BFA Musical Theatre majors as well as vocal coaching the mainstage musical productions.   

She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from The Catholic University of America in piano and received her M.F.A. in Theatre for Young Audiences from Arizona State University.  She is fluent in ASL and is proficient in Spanish.  

Tom McCoy (Technical Director) has been working professionally in technical theatre since 2004 and in Higher Education since 2012. Originally from Long Island, NY, Tom earned his B.A. from Greensboro College focusing on Scenery and Technical Direction. After graduation, Tom spent six seasons with Greensboro’s own nationally recognized Triad Stage (2007-2012, 50 productions) before heading back to NY. After 11 years working on 80 productions at two universities Tom returned to Greensboro in 2023 to join the UNCG’s School of Theatre, where he ripped the TD job out of Chip Haas’s reluctant hands and asserted dominance in the Scene Studio. He was quickly dethroned by Tannis Boyajian. After some adjusting and a hastily signed peace treaty, the Scene Studio is a land of peace and learning where all are welcome, except Todd. He knows why. Tom sends much love and appreciation to his family and friends for their patience and constant support. Tom also sends his appreciation for those who deal with his nonsense like what was written above.  

Jennifer Vellenga (Director, School of Theatre) Jennifer’s research and professional work centers on directing and developing new plays with living playwrights, most notably directing Chantal Bilodeau’s plays on climate change as part of The Arctic Cycle. A decade of collaboration has led to development and publication of Bilodeau’s plays Forward and No More Harveys with research conducted at Soria Laboratoria, Oslo, Norway; Hålogaland Teater, Tromsø, Norway; Women of the Arctic conference, Helsinki, Finland; The Brick Theatre, Brooklyn; and Akavit Theatre, Chicago. Collaborations with playwright and Fulbright scholar Lachlan Philpott led to research and development of his play Bustown at American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco and at Hothouse Theatre, Albury-Wodonga, Australia. She directed the American premiere at Kansas State University. An associate director to Mark Lamos, Jennifer worked at Lincoln Center (Shakespeare’s Cymbeline), Guthrie Theater (Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra), Old Globe Theatre (Compleat Female Stage Beauty by Jeffrey Hatcher), and she transferred the co-production of The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead by Robert Hewett from Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park to Dallas Theatre Center. Previous academic positions include Professor and Associate Director of the School of Music Theatre, and Dance at Kansas State University and Assistant Professor of Acting/Directing at the University of Miami. As the co-founder of Voice First World, a communication and coaching company, Jen served as the CEO from 2021-2025. She coached executives on storytelling and acting techniques to build their leadership and public speaking confidence. She is a member of Actors Equity Association (as Jennifer Guindon) and an associate member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.