NCT Drama instructors are trained in CPR/First Aid,
and most are the same professional actors who perform on our stage.

Rona Carter is a graduate of Boston Conservatory with a triple major in Drama, Music and Dance. She has been with NCT for over twenty years as an actor and a teacher. Favorite NCT roles include Marilla in Anne of Green Gables, Badger in The Wind In The Willows, Charlotte in Charlotte's Web, Mother Gothal in Rapunzel and Lazy Mayzie in Seussical™. Rona has also taught with Artsmart for TPAC and Wolf Trap Early Learning Through the Arts. Rona believes she has learned a lot about her art from the students themselves while helping young people develop their own individual skills. Besides, it's fun!

Shawn Knight is a professional Equity actor residing in Nashville, TN. He has been seen performing at NCT, playing Horton the Elephant in Seussical™ and Constantin in Einstein is a Dummy, among other enjoyable roles in Miss Nelson is Missing!, Charlotte’s Web and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. He graduated from Belmont University, before attaining an MA in English from Auburn University and an MFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Louisville. Shawn has done shows with the Kentucky Repertory Theatre, the Tennessee Repertory Theatre, the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, and the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. He has performed is one-man show, Gershwin in Blue, in three states and has been teaching at NCT for many years, covering classes that include Musical Theatre, Auditions, Pop Star, and Theater Voyagers.

Eric D. Pasto-Crosby is proud to be a part of Nashville Children’s Theatre. A native of Nashville, he graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder with a BFA in performance studies. Some credits include: A Midsummer Night's Dream for the Tennessee Shakespeare Festival, Treasure Island for Stage One: The Louisville Children’s Theatre, The Shakespeare Stealer and Frankenstein for NCT, The Crucible and I Hate Hamlet for Tennessee Repertory Theatre, Hamlet for Nashville Shakespeare Festival, and The Mystery of Irma Vep and Mother Courage for People’s Branch Theatre. A loyal member of the Society of American Fight Directors, and Actors Equity Association, he's been a fight choreographer for Nashville Shakespeare Festival, New Twenty-Two Productions, Nashville Opera, Nashville Children’s Theatre, Cookeville Children’s Theatre, New Bear Productions, as well as for various films and theatrical productions around Nashville.

Jon Royal was seen on NCT's stage in Holes. Prior to that he played Rabbit in our production of Trickster Tales. Jon is a student from MTSU’s Theatre for Young Audiences program where he appeared as Troll in The Princess and the Pea, and assistant directed several productions. He works as a freelance teaching artist for numerous organizations that fight to use him.

Peter Vann has been seen many times on Nashville Children's Theatre's stage. Prior roles include Zig Zag in Holes and as Mole in The Wind In The Willows. He's been Huck Finn in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Swoozie the Dog in Alexander, Who's Not Not Not Not Not Not Going to Move, Triniculo in The Tempest and Jack in the world premiere of Jack's Tale. Pete has taught both Junior Theatre Voyager and Theatre Voyagers at NCT.

Patrick Waller has been seen on stage in Tennessee Repertory’s production of 1776 as Richard Henry Lee and at NCT as Nick in Alexander, Who’s Not, Not, Not, Not, Not, Not Going to Move. He had a delightful time in both NCT's Seussical™ and The Wind In The Willows. Patrick was also seen in The Shakespeare Stealer, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Schoolhouse Rock Live! and as the young genius, himself in Einstein is a Dummy. He has taught Junior Theatre Voyagers and Theatre Voyagers at NCTT.

Sam Whited has worked in Nashville theatre for many, many years. He has appeared in numerous productions for Nashville Children's Theatre, Mockingbird Theatre, People's Branch Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Point B Productions of New York as well as Tennessee Repertory Theatre. Sam has also been involved in local films for Forest Light/Solo Productions, No Budget Productions, Rough Customer Films and Filmhouse. Sam completed his BA at Austin Peay State University in 1992 and has directed many educational and professional theatre productions, taught voice and dialects as well as held technical theatre workshops on makeup and lighting. Sam served as artistic director for Robertson County Players for the 2003-2004 season. When not teaching for The Rep or NCT, Sam spends his time on stage.