Theatre

Instruction for Tennessee’s Young Thespians

The Theatre program provides an intensive and stimulating learning environment for performers and designers (yes, designers are back)! Our philosophy is simple — to supply an opportunity for the students to learn and grow as artists and individuals. Our program provides dedicated and focused training in theatrical studies, with an emphasis on the process of creating live theatre. Students are given every opportunity to explore, to question, and to take risks. The Theatre Program is a safe place where there are no wrong answers and no stupid questions. It is an environment fostering open communication and the exchange of knowledge and ideas. The mission of the Theatre Program is to instill in every student the respect and understanding of the theatrical process as it leads to a culminating theatrical performance. The student cultivates the knowledge, skills, and creative opportunities to realize their own potential and grow as an individual, an artist, and a craftsman.

Theatre Curriculum

Theatre students focus their studies on aspects of performance and design. Performance students will experience conservatory style courses that will include a variety of offerings such as Acting for the Stage, Musical Theatre, Devising, Shakespeare, Stage Combat, Acting for the Camera, Vocal Training, and Improvisation. Design students will participate in Scenic, Lighting and Costume design courses in addition to receiving hands on experience in each area. All students must demonstrate a willingness to participate and learn in all aspects of theatre.

Goals

The Theatre Arts discipline embodies four fundamental goals and component knowledge, processes, and skills which this Tennessee framework comprises. The goals are to enable the learner to:

1. Develop means of expression for the individual through the use of drama/theatre experiences

a. Sensory perception b. Emotional expression c. Imagination d. Movement e. Language f. Voice g. Artistic discipline h. Concentration i. Self-concept

2. Create drama/theatre through individual effort, group interaction, and artistic collaboration

a. Ensemble and interpersonal skills b. Problem solving c. Improvisation d. Acting e. Directing f. Playmaking and Playwriting g. Technical elements h. Theatre management

3. Experience drama/theatre in its multicultural, social, and historical contexts

a. Dramatic literature b. Theatre history and heritage c. Drama/Theatre in a multicultural society d. Roles and careers

4. Form aesthetic judgments of drama/theatre experiences

a. Elements of drama b. Audience c. Theatre and other arts d. Aesthetic response

Theatre Faculty

  • Lauren Shouse

    Theatre Chair

    Lauren is the Theatre Chairperson at GSFTA, Assistant Professor of Theatre Directing at MTSU, and…

  • D Wilkerson

    Theatre Performance Faculty

    D Wilkerson is a theatre professional with over 100 credits as an actor, director, fight…

  • Darren E. Levin

    Production Coordinator and Theatre Faculty

    Darren E. Levin is the Audition Coordinator, Production Coordinator, and Faculty for the GSFTA Theatre…

  • Cathy Street

    Theatre Faculty

    Cathy graduated with a BS in Theatre from Skidmore College. In her over 30 years…

  • Jon Royal

    Theatre Faculty

    Jon Royal is a teaching artist and facilitator, from Nashville, TN. He blends his training…

  • Trish Clark

    Theatre Faculty

    Trish Clark is Costume Coordinator for Middle Tennessee State University’s Theatre and Dance Department and…

  • Darci Nalepa Elam

    Theatre Faculty

    Darci Nalepa Elam is originally from Chicago, IL where she performed and taught for 15…

Lauren Shouse

Theatre Chair

Lauren is the Theatre Chairperson at GSFTA, Assistant Professor of Theatre Directing at MTSU, and is a working freelance director. Most recently, she was the Associate Artistic Director at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre. Her recent directing credits include:  Something Clean with Rivendell and Sideshow Theatres, The Cake at Rivendell Theatre (nominated for Joseph Jefferson Award for best director), The Legend of Georgia McBride at Northlight Theatre, Nice Girl and Betrayal at Raven Theatre; Avenue Q; Rapture, Blister, Burn; Superior Donuts, and A Christmas Story at Nashville Repertory Theatre, the world premiere of Long Way Down with 3Ps productions (nominated for American Theatre Critics Association Steinberg New Play Award 2011); the world premiere of Religion and Rubber Ducks with Ovvio Arte; Parallel Lives, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Last Five Years and Chess in Concert with Street Theatre Company; the world premiere of Rear Widow at Chaffin’s Barn Theatre, and Sylvia Plath’s 3 Women. As Artistic Associate at Nashville Rep, Lauren directed the Ingram New Works Play Lab and Festival, which developed new works by John Patrick Shanley, David Auburn, Steven Dietz and Victoria Stewart.

Before moving to Nashville, Lauren lived in London, UK and worked with Producer/Director Hugh Wooldridge. Her work abroad includes: Production Executive for The Night of 1000 Voices (celebrating John Kander and Fred Ebb and starring Joel Grey with Avenue Q) at The Royal Albert Hall; Production Executive of An Evening with Michael Parkinson at The Theatre Royal – Windsor, Children’s Director/Assistant to the Director of A Gift of Music, and Assistant Director of The Night of 1000 Voices at The Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Ireland.

Lauren holds an MA in Performance Studies from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill where she adapted and directed The Time Traveler’s Wife. She received her MFA in Theatre Directing at Northwestern University where she directed Stop Kiss, Eurydice and  In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play.  

In Chicago, Lauren has also worked with Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Sideshow Theatre, The Gift Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, and Stage Left Theatre. (Photo credit: Joe Mazza, Brave Lux, inc.)

 

D Wilkerson

Theatre Performance Faculty

D Wilkerson is a theatre professional with over 100 credits as an actor, director, fight director, stage manager, and dialect coach. He was worked with companies such as Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Nashville Rep, Nashville Opera, Vanderbilt University, and Middle Tennessee State University, just to name a few. David has taught at MTSU since August, 2017.

Darren E. Levin

Production Coordinator and Theatre Faculty

Darren E. Levin is the Audition Coordinator, Production Coordinator, and Faculty for the GSFTA Theatre Area. He is a freelance lighting designer and lighting design faculty at Middle Tennessee State University.

Darren designs extensively with Nashville Repertory Theatre where his lighting design credits include Ragtime (First Night Honors – Outstanding Lighting Design), Avenue Q, Pipeline (First Night Honors Nominee), Every Brilliant Thing Topdog/Underdog, Smart People, Posterity (Regional Premiere), Good Monsters (World Premiere), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Darren also designs with Studio Tenn, Black Hills Playhouse, Green Mountain Opera Festival, Theatre West Summer Repertory, and Mountain Rep Theatre with credits including Side Show, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Footloose, 9 to 5, Peter and the Starcatcher, The 39 Steps, The Rape of Lucretia, La Cenerentola, and She Loves Me.

Prior to joining GSFTA, Darren served as the Assistant Technical Director and Lighting Supervisor for McCain Auditorium at Kansas State University. He has also worked with and designed for Cedar Point Live Entertainment/Cedar Fair Entertainment Corporation, Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, and toured with Feld Entertainment’s Disney on Ice.

Darren is a member of the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) where he serves as the Vice Commissioner for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion of the Lighting Design and Technology Commission and as a council member for the Essential Skills for the Entertainment Technician (eSET) program. Darren is a proud member of United Scenic Artists 829 (USA829) and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 205-Austin, TX.

Cathy Street

Theatre Faculty

Cathy graduated with a BS in Theatre from Skidmore College. In her over 30 years of professional arts experience she has worn many hats including director, musical director, producer, actor and teaching artist. She is founder of Street Theatre Company in Nashville, TN where she also served as Artistic Director for ten years producing over 60 shows. She has performed with companies across the country including Nebraska Theatre Caravan, Miami Valley Dinner Theatre, Hackmatack Playhouse, Prescott Park Arts Festival, and Seacoast Repertory Theatre.

Some favorite roles include Alison in FUN HOME, Violet in VIOLET, Winnifred in ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, Jeannie in THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL, and Meredith in BAT BOY. Directing credits include THE WEDDING SINGER, NEXT TO NORMAL, MATILDA, IN THE HEIGHTS, BILLY ELLIOT, EVITA, DOGFIGHT, MEMPHIS, CARRIE, and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST. Musical directing credits include THE FULL MONTY, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, JOSEPH…DREAMCOAT, and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.

She currently lives in Wilmington, NC with her husband and their two cats, Raja and Olive.

Jon Royal

Theatre Faculty

Jon Royal is a teaching artist and facilitator, from Nashville, TN. He blends his training as a director and actor, with communication models from the National Council for Community and Justice. Over the past twenty years he has directed, or appeared in productions for Nashville Children’s Theatre, Nashville Repertory Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Actor’s Bridge Ensemble, and other organizations. In 2019 he was named Best Theatre Director by the Nashville Scene. He cofacilitates two Restorative Justice through the Arts projects: August Wilson Gets R.E.A.L, and My Place: Discovering Self Identity in Community. He serves as the Co Director for Shakespeare Center Los Angeles’ Write On program. Jon is a member of Metro Nashville Arts Commission’s Committee for Anti-Racism and Equity, and has facilitated Anti-Racism training for multiple institutions in the Middle Tennessee area. This year he is a New Leaders Council Fellow, and a Mosaic Changemakers Fellow.

Trish Clark

Theatre Faculty

Trish Clark is Costume Coordinator for Middle Tennessee State University’s Theatre and Dance Department and a free-lance costume designer and technician. At MTSU she teaches courses in stage make-up, costume technology and wig styling as well as mentoring student designers and technicians. Before joining MTSU, Trish served as Resident Costume Designer at Nashville Repertory Theatre for 12 years, designing costumes for over 50 productions there. She has guest designed at The Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Nashville Children’s Theatre, Tennessee Shakespeare Theatre, Studio Tenn, Arkansas Repertory Theater and Theater Squared. In addition to traditional theatre work she has worked on movies (including the upcoming Babylon) and television (including Real Country). Living near a recording industry town has afforded her the opportunity to work in that world as well. Ms. Clark has designed and built stage wear for music artists, designed costumes for music videos, managed costume builds for national concert tours and counts among her private clients many a-list stylists and music artists.

At different times during her 15 years with The Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts, Clark has taught theatre costuming and designed costumes for each performing arts area: theatre, dance, and music. This year she will teach in the Theatre area and design costumes for Opera.

Darci Nalepa Elam

Theatre Faculty

Darci Nalepa Elam is originally from Chicago, IL where she performed and taught for 15 years. She received a degree in Theatre Studies from Augustana College. Darci then continued her education training in the Meisner technique with Black Box Acting as well as completing the acting training program at the world-renowned Steppenwolf Theatre. She has performed on many stages in Chicago including Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Northlight Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, and The Gift Theatre Company. Darci can be seen in Stephen Cone’s film Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party and has made appearances on NBC’s Chicago Fire, Amazon’s Patriot, and Showtime’s Shameless. She is the co-creator of the webseries The Force. She has been a Guest Lecturer of Theatre and Performance Studies with The University of Chicago and a Meisner Instructor with Third Coast Comedy, Black Box Acting and The School at Steppenwolf. Proud Gift Theatre Ensemble member and union member of Actor’s Equity and SAG-AFTRA.

 

Guest Artists/Instructors

  • Kate Goodwin

    Director - TN GSFTA

    Director, Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts Kate Goodwin is the Director of the Tennessee…

Kate Goodwin

Director - TN GSFTA

Director, Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts

Kate Goodwin is the Director of the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. She teaches Stage Management and Theatre Education for the Department of Theatre and Dance at MTSU and has spent her Theatre Career as a production/stage manager and sometimes director and designer. Following undergrad at MTSU, she taught at the Nashville School for the Arts, chairing the Theatre Department from 2003-2006. The pursuit of a MFA in Stage Management at UIUC led to an exciting array of opportunities, including touring internationally with The Builders Association production of Continuous City. Other adventures include serving as Director of Education and Touring for Voices of the South Theatre Company in Memphis, TN; teaching at University of Memphis, Eastern Kentucky University, Asbury University, and Centre College; and in 2014, helping found AthensWest Theatre Company in Lexington, KY, where she served as Production Manager before joining the faculty at MTSU.

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