Nashville Children's Theatre Board of Trustees

Nashville Children's Theatre Resource Council

Nashville Children's Theatre Staff

Julee Brooks, Director of Education/Artistic Associate
Steve Bianchi, Director of Marketing/PR
Dan Brewer, Company Stage Manager
Kathryn Colegrove, Managing Director
Scot Copeland, Producing Director
Erica Edmonson, Scenographer
Jennifer M. Fernandez, Box Office Manager
Alicia Fuss, Education Coordinator
Michelle Taylor, Bookkeeper
Mitch Massaro, Assistant Technical Director
Mike Sanders,Technical Director
Patricia Taber, Costume Designer
Sara Thompson, Development Director
Lorna Turner, House Manager/School Reservations Coordinator

Administrative Staff
Steve Bianchi, Director of Marketing/PR
Steve first worked with NCT in 1997 as a technical volunteer and was quickly hired part-time. In 1999 he came on full-time as NCT’s Box Office/Administrative Associate and office coordinator for ASSITEJ/USA, which had recently moved its headquarters to NCT in conjunction with Scot Copeland’s term as President of the organization. After five years operating NCT’s Box Office and managing the operations of a national service organization for professional children’s theatres, Steve was promoted to Director of Marketing/PR in August 2004. Steve attended Anderson University in the flat lands of Anderson, Indiana, where he studied English, Drama, and Public Relations.

Kathryn Colegrove, Managing Director
Kathryn holds a BFA in Theatre Production/Management from Auburn University and is the recipient of a 2001 Fellowship for The John F. Kennedy Center's Vilar Institute of Arts Management. Prior to coming to Nashville, Kathryn was the Associate Director, Finance and Administration for the Ferst Center for the Arts where she oversaw the administration, finances, and fundraising efforts of the 1500 seat Arts Center on the campus of Georgia Tech.  Kathryn began her career in the arts twenty years ago building props in the Berkshires. After years of working as a Stage Manager and a Company Manager, Kathryn became the Managing Director of Dad’s Garage Theatre Company in Atlanta in 1999 where she lead the organization with Artistic Director Sean Daniels through its growth from an up-and-coming local company to a nationally known theatre dedicated to bringing in new, younger audiences through comedy improv and original theatrical works.

Jennifer Fernandez , Box Office Manager
Jennifer has a strong background in theatre: she holds an MFA in play writing from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University and she is a former intern with the George Street Playhouse. Jennifer has served as proofreader for Estreno theater journal, and she also worked as the Assistant to the Director of Membership, Volunteers and Audience Services at the Zimmerli Art Museum in New Jersey. In addition to her MFA, Jennifer received her B.A. in English from Spring Hill College.

Michelle Taylor, Bookkeeper, joined Nashville Children’s Theatre in June 2008. Earlier in her career Michelle has worked at three local non-profit organizations. Michelle holds an Associate’s Degree in Banking with a concentration in Accounting from Nashville State Community College, with additional coursework in HR Management from Columbia Southern University.

Sara Thompson, Development Director
Sara previously worked for the Mental Health Association of Middle Tennessee as Development Director where she helped implement new and expanded special events for the organization and diversified their $1.8 million funding base. Sara joined NCT in 2008, and she also serves on the Board of Directors of Nashville's Association of Fundraising Professionals as VP of Public Relations.

Lorna Turner, House Manager/School Reservations Coordinator
Lorna facilitates reservations for the hundreds of schools that visit Nashville Children’s Theatre each season. Lorna has developed an extensive working relationship with teachers throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee, and her excellent customer service skills and attention to detail help her manage the Front of House Operations for all school performances. Lorna worked as a legal secretary for seven years before joining Nashville Children's Theatre in 1980.


Artistic Staff
Scot Copeland, Producing Director
Scot has been Producing Director of Nashville Children’s Theatre since 1985. He has directed over a hundred plays for young audiences and has written twelve. In 1972 he was a founding member of the Whole Backstage Theatre in Guntersville, Alabama – a theatre that still serves its community to this day. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Montevallo and his MFA in Child Drama from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has served on the boards of the Southeastern Theatre Conference, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, and the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America. He served two terms as President of ASSITEJ/USA -- the US division of the International Association of Professional Theatre for Children and Young People. Scot is proud to be a native Tennessean.

Dan Brewer, Company Stage Manager
Dan has worked as a professional stage manager and director since 1976. Notable stage management credits include Waiting for Godot at the Kennedy Center and a national tour of Hansel and Gretel with The Center for Puppetry Arts. Dan joined the staff of Nashville Children's Theatre in 1985, and he served on the Tennessee Theatre Association’s Board of Directors for seven years. Dan holds an MFA in Child Drama from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a BA in Theatre Arts from Virginia Tech.

Erica Edmonson, Scenographer
Erica is a professional scenic artist and designer who has been living and working in Nashville since 2006. She earned her BA in Technical Theatre with a minor in Studio Art from Indiana University, and a Technical Certificate in Scenic Art from Yale University’s School of Drama.  She has also worked professionally as a scenic artist for North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts, and the University of California Irvine.

Mitch Massaro, Assistant Technical Director
Mitch is a recent graduate from Belmont and holds degrees in Theatre and Music. He's worked with People's Branch Theatre and Actor's Bridge, and is excited about his new position at NCT. Mitch looks forward to being a part of NCT's future and hopes to make his local alma mater proud.

Mike Sanders, Technical Director
Mike spent his college years at Transylvania University, where he earned his degree in Theater and Philosophy, as well as working side-by-side with Sandy Everett. Afterwards he spent two years as Technical Director for the Downtown Arts Center in Lexington, Ky. Now he is pleased to be joining the NCT staff, and looks forward to many great shows.

Patricia Taber, Costume Designer
Patricia, Costume Design and Construction, joined NCT's artistic staff in 2000. Patricia has an extensive background in both costume design and construction, in addition to her training as a professional actress and vocalist. She has designed costumes for Tennessee Dance Theatre and Circle Players in Nashville, and earlier design work includes Pirates of Penzance, Grease, and Amahl and the Night Visitors. Pat graduated from East Tennessee State University with a BA in Humanities. Some of her favorite designs for NCT have been Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Before the People Came and The Arkansaw Bear.

Education Staff
Julee Brooks, Director of Education/Artistic Associate
Julee is a graduate of the MFA program in Theatre for Youth at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Julee has served as Education Director of the North Carolina Theatre for Young People and as an artist-in-residence at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. She has also designed curriculum and taught classes for North Shore Music Theatre and Lakes Region Summer Theatre. Most recently as Nashville Children's Theatre, Julee directed The Tempest and A Woman Called Truth at NCT this year. She also holds a B.A. from Centre College in dramatic arts and government.

Alicia Lark Fuss, Education Coordinator
Alicia is transplant from the University of Central Florida, where she recently completed her coursework as an MFA candidate in Theatre for Young Audiences. While in Florida, she also worked at the Orlando Repertory theatre. There she designed curriculum and taught classes, facilitated professional development for local teachers, and directed community engagement initiatives. Alicia has also trained as an intern through the Kennedy Center Institute for Arts Management in Washington, D.C., working primarily on commissioning new work with Theatre for Young Audiences. She looks forward to sharing her passion with NCT, as she strives to share the possibilities of theatre with the youth of Middle Tennessee.