Our Faculty

Meet Our Alumni

• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/911-mckinley-hughes"><img src="/live/image/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,606,607/2355_McKinley_Hughes.rev.1516295315.jpg" alt="McKinley Hughes" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="606" data-max-h="607"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/911-mckinley-hughes"><p> McKinley Hughes ’16 Challenges Societal Norms in Portland</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> McKinley Hughes ’16 began an acting apprenticeship immediately following her graduation at the Portland Playhouse in Portland, Oregon. Since then, she created a one-woman show entitled “Hangry” that was performed professionally in local theatres and was recently accepted into the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival. McKinley also performed professionally as Puck in “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” and will be portraying a witch in “Macbeth” forthcoming. She also has the opportunity to direct children’s theatre works at the Portland Drama Club, where she also teaches improvisation, self-esteem, and various other workshops. In her free time, McKinley performs with an improv team called “Squirrel Approved.” In the future, she hopes to continue creating art that challenges people in her community. She also hopes to work with inmates in a women’s prison creating solo theatre pieces. </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/911-mckinley-hughes" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1028-anna-bailey"><img src="/live/image/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/81,0,1288,1206/1615_23874346_10154840054566854_606962292_o.rev.1513118662.jpg" alt="Anna Bailey" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/81,0,1288,1206/1615_23874346_10154840054566854_606962292_o.rev.1513118662.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/81,0,1288,1206/1615_23874346_10154840054566854_606962292_o.rev.1513118662.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1207" data-max-h="1206"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1028-anna-bailey"><p> Anna Bailey finds live and film success as an actress.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> While at Emory & Henry, Anna Bailey could be called the go-to girl. She frequently performed in roles on stage and worked diligently in the scene shop and her classes. All that work led to success for Bailey upon graduation. She has consistently worked in regional theatre and film/ Just recently, she was nominated for  Best Featured Actress in a Play by Broadway World. She has also performed in regional commercials, and the past summer saw her cast in the world premiere of the musical “Gathering Blue” based on Lois Lowry’s “The Giver” trilogy at the historic Gretna Playhouse. Bailey is currently performing in a Christmas comedic play “Guess whose coming to Christmas Dinner” at Rainbow’s Comedy Dinner Theatre.</p><p> In reference to how EHC helped her, Bailey notes, “Emory & Henry taught me how to thrive where I am. Going into college, I wanted to go to the Name-brand school. Although Emory wasn’t the huge State school I had dreamed of, it was exactly where I needed to be. I thrived there. When I graduated, I was immediately working professionally and did the whole “NYC” thing. Of course life happened a year into it and I found myself moving to Pennsylvania. I was terrified that it meant I would never work again, or at least I’d never get paid to anyway. I thought it meant the end of my professional acting life. But through perseverance and a whole lot of luck, I have been able to thrive once again off the beaten path. Emory & Henry gave me the know-how and the desire to make art, wherever I may be. Whether its Southwest Virginia, New York City, or Central Pennsylvania, Emory & Henry and the wonderful teachers there guided me to grow and ask for more of myself as a person, a citizen and an artist.”</p><p> At the start of the new year, Bailey will begin working as an artist in residence in the local school districts teaching playwriting and creative writing to children between 7th-12th grade through Gretna Playhouse. She also has another commercial and print job that will begin circulating in February, which was shot earlier this year.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1028-anna-bailey" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/3799-madison-rudolph"><img src="/live/image/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2660,2662/9363_A5A0536E-0548-4E21-A155-8B3C768A1FFD-7225-000005155947C15B_1.rev.1612305864.jpg" alt="Madison Rudolph" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2660,2662/9363_A5A0536E-0548-4E21-A155-8B3C768A1FFD-7225-000005155947C15B_1.rev.1612305864.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2660,2662/9363_A5A0536E-0548-4E21-A155-8B3C768A1FFD-7225-000005155947C15B_1.rev.1612305864.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2660" data-max-h="2662"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/3799-madison-rudolph"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Theatre Graduate Madison Rudolph ’20 on Shakespeare and her Success </span></p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Madison Rudolph, from Winchester, Va., graduated from Emory & Henry in 2020 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Acting. She is now a graduate student at Mary Baldwin University in the Shakespeare & Performance Program.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During her time in the theatre department, she was able to work as an actor, assistant choreographer, director, stage manager and props designer.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The Emory & Henry Theatre Department allowed me to explore different facets of theatre which ultimately led me to the path I am on now,” says Rudolph. “I discovered my passion for Shakespeare as a scholar and a performer.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Emory & Henry Theatre Department has a unique partnership with the Barter Theatre that allows students to work with professional company members and see shows at the Barter. Rudolph had a mentorship with Kim Morgan Dean, Resident Acting Company Member at the Barter Theatre. Rudolph says that this helped strengthen the training she received from the Emory & Henry faculty members and also received amazing advice about pursuing a career in theatre.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I learned a lot about discipline and determination while at Emory & Henry,” says Rudolph. “I found my voice, as an actor and a student.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rudolph says her professors always found a way to make her ideas happen, supported her work, and encouraged her to pursue graduate studies that would strengthen her work as a scholar and believes each faculty member was instrumental in her success as a student.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I hope that I am able to give back to future students and inspire them in the way that my faculty members inspired me,” says Rudolph.</span></p></div><a href="/live/profiles/3799-madison-rudolph" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/3785-brenna-bowyer"><img src="/live/image/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3000,2001/9316_Brenna_Headshot-3_1.rev.1611598005.jpg" alt="Brenna Bowyer" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3000,2001/9316_Brenna_Headshot-3_1.rev.1611598005.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3000,2001/9316_Brenna_Headshot-3_1.rev.1611598005.jpg 3x" data-max-w="3000" data-max-h="2001"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/3785-brenna-bowyer"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brenna Bowyer ’18 Succeeds at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon - the nation’s longest running professional theatre.</span></p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brenna Bowyer, from Christiansburg, Va., graduated from Emory & Henry in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre. Bowyer now works as the Group Sales Manager at Barter Theatre in Abingdon - the nation’s longest running professional theatre. Bowyer credits the Connected Liberal Arts education at Emory & Henry and the opportunity to network with industry professionals as beneficial to helping her succeed in her career.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In the Theatre Department, we were given ample opportunities to veer outside of our specific concentration and explore the many different areas of what it takes to produce a play - not just performing, directing, or designing, but also the business of theatre itself, which is the area I ended up taking an interest in,” says Bowyer.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bowyer appreciated the close partnership between Emory & Henry and Barter Theatre. In addition to taking classes with the experienced Emory & Henry faculty, students are also able to learn directly from working professionals through masterclasses, workshops, and even full semester long classes. Bowyer describes these experiences as invaluable because it allowed students to develop professional relationships.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Dr. Kelly Bremner served as my advisor, and she encouraged me to take The Business of Theatre, which I was initially very intimidated to sign up for, but is by far the class that best prepared me for my job at Barter Theatre,” says Bowyer. “Dr. Bremner has a real knack at recognizing a student’s potential, and is fantastic at pushing them to succeed, even when they don’t believe in themselves quite yet.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Business of Theatre course was taught by Richard Rose, former Producing Artistic Director at Barter Theatre.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This class specifically prepared me for my current role, because I was able to learn directly from and be mentored by someone who has a lifetime’s worth of knowledge and experience about the business,” says Bowyer. “Who better to ask questions about how to run a theatre than someone who actually ran a theatre for over 25 years? The real life information that I was able to learn from this class was absolutely invaluable, and just not something I could have gotten from a textbook.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For future theatre students, Bowyer encourages them to take one class that scares them a semester because they may just open themselves up to opportunities that lead to their future careers.</span></p></div><a href="/live/profiles/3785-brenna-bowyer" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2547-"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,855,832/6009_tripp.rev.1551228791.jpg" alt="Christian Tripp, E&H Class of 2018." class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,855,832/6009_tripp.rev.1551228791.jpg 2x" data-max-w="855" data-max-h="832"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2547-"><p> Christian Tripp is honing his acting craft.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Christian Tripp (E&H ’18) finished up his senior year at Emory & Henry in the usual way: plenty of studying, time with friends, and a ton of theater auditions. Well…maybe everyone doesn’t finish out college with auditions, but you do if you’re a theatre major.</p><p> To his delight, he was offered several jobs. Instead of stressing about finding a job, he was worried about how to choose between many great options. So he gave himself a deadline. “I told myself I would pick one on Friday. On Thursday I got emailed by the head of acting from the University of Alabama. He asked to see my audition package, I sent it via email, and the next day he gave me a full ride scholarship.”<br/><br/> He has also been offered two summer acting positions — one in Flagstaff, Arizona with the Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival (he’ll be Daniel De Bosola in <em>Duchess of Malfi</em>) and another in Camden, Maine with Camden Shakespeare Festival (he’s playing Horatio in <em>Hamlet</em> and Lucentio in <em>Taming of the Shrew</em>). So in the summer of 2019, he’ll be playing three supporting leads. Then he’ll head back to Alabama to start his second year of graduate school.<br/><br/> Christian is a true success story for the <a href="/academics/theatre/">E&H theatre department</a>, and he’s grateful for the experiences he gained as an undergraduate. “I feel that my time at Emory & Henry really prepared me to handle anything. I will be playing pretty heavy roles this summer back to back to back, and normally someone might pause at that. For me I see it as a great challenge I’m more than capable of handling.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2547-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/3798-pearl-moore"><img src="/live/image/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1334,1067/9362_Pearl_Moores_Headshot__1.rev.1612304757.jpg" alt="Pearl Moore" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1334,1067/9362_Pearl_Moores_Headshot__1.rev.1612304757.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1334,1067/9362_Pearl_Moores_Headshot__1.rev.1612304757.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1334" data-max-h="1067"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/3798-pearl-moore"><p> Pearl Moore ’19 Continues her Creative Career</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pearl Moore, from Cana, Va., graduated from Emory & Henry in 2019 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and a minor in Creative Writing. Moore is now a graduate student at Southern Illinois University where she is pursuing an MFA in playwriting. She is also a teaching assistant in the SIU Theatre Department and teaches courses such as Theatre Insight.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"/></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I loved going to a smaller school like Emory & Henry because it gives you more one-on-one time with the wonderful faculty,” says Moore. “I felt like the faculty really want to help you on your journey and help you find summer jobs and jobs after graduation. They allowed us to be creative and find our place in the world of theatre from auditions to letters of recommendations.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Outside of the classroom, Moore had a mentorship with Tricia Matthews at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon - the nation’s longest running professional theatre. Moore is grateful for the experience and believes it helped her grow as an actor as well as a person.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Another great experience I had at the Barter was when a play I had written was selected to be in their College Playwright Festival, where the Barter actors read through the play in front of an audience,” says Moore. “This opportunity made me realize how playwriting gave me a voice within theatre, and I received amazing feedback.”</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To future theatre students, Moore says, “Allow yourself to make mistakes. Oddly enough, mistakes teach us how to grow and learn from them. It’s easier said than done, but have fun learning and growing, and don’t be ashamed of failures or mistakes, because we are all bound to make them.”</span></p></div><a href="/live/profiles/3798-pearl-moore" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/674-jamal-crowelle"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,397,397/268_Screen_Shot_2017-06-07_at_11.24.50_AM.rev.1496849130.png" alt="James Crowelle " class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="397" data-max-h="397"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/674-jamal-crowelle"><p> Jamal Crowell (’10) Using The Force to Succeed</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Jamal Crowelle (E&H ’10) says his former E&H theatre teacher gave him and his classmates a great lesson. “Dr. Biliana Stoytcheva-Horissian told us, ‘If you can’t handle the word NO then theatre…no…life is not for you.’”</p><p> Jamal is in the entertainment field now and he says he fights through every single “no” he’s ever been given. “I fail a lot. I fail pretty much every day. But I was taught by every single one of my teachers (especially Dr. B.) to not quit. To never quit. I was taught that ‘no’ is a necessity to get better and not a wall to block your way.”</p><p> If Jamal’s life lesson from E&H sounds a little like advice from Star Wars’ Yoda, that is appropriate given his current position. Jamal is working currently at Disney World in the show Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple. He is playing the Jedi Master who teaches kids how to be Jedi. The children even get to “face their fears” and duel villains from the movie like Darth Vader. Jamal describes it as, “Pretty geeky cool!”</p><p> Before moving to Orlando, he had been in New York City for two years, and after his Disney gig he plans to head back to New York. “It’s one of the hardest, yet most fulfilling places to live. It is a place of theatre, film, tv, model work, web series work, improv, stand-up, voiceover…well, everything.”</p><p> After absorbing good advice from his E&H mentors, he is now ready to dispense advice to current students who are following his path. “I would say don’t be afraid to be weird. Find that honest thing that makes you get up in the morning and puts fire in your belly. And even if it’s weird, go do that thing. It’s your life.”</p><p> Jamal wants to try every aspect of entertainment and “shoot for the moon! Who doesn’t want to do Broadway or be in a big superhero film!” In fact he loves super heroes…especially Superman. “Always Superman. And probably Yoda.”</p><p> So, watch for his future success, we will.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/674-jamal-crowelle" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/683-victor-trussell"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,33,533,566/322_Victor_Trussell.rev.1499440958.jpg" alt="Victor Trussell" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="533" data-max-h="533"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/683-victor-trussell"><p> Victor Trussell ’13 starting acting on a whim – and now he’s acting professionally.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Victor says he started acting his freshman year of high school, enjoyed it so much he majored in theatre at Emory & Henry, and now he on the stage all the time.</p><p> “I have been performing with a variety of different professional theatre companies since graduation. I have toured the country multiple times with companies like Bright Star Touring Theatre and The National Theatre for Children, both listed by Backstage as ’12 Touring Theater Companies That Make a Difference.’” Not only has acting become his vocation, but he is proud of the impact he is having on school kids.  “These experiences have allowed me to perform for thousands of children, educating them on a range of topics spanning from historical figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. to the importance of energy conservation.”</p><p> His range of theatre involvement shows an amazing array of skills. He has performed with <em>Trumpet in the Land</em>, a historical outdoor drama in New Philadelphia, Ohio, that tells the story of frontier Ohio.  And he has also been in <em>Hairspray</em>, <em>Les Miserables</em>, and even <em>Winnie the Pooh</em>.</p><p> In the summer of 2016, Victor will be performing at the Tecumseh Theater in Ohio doing Shakespeare. “Either <em>The Tempest</em> or <em>Macbeth</em>, or both!”</p><p> Victor is also a playwright. His one-act play <em>Millennial Show</em> has been published in the first edition of <em>Young Scribblers</em>, a publication started by fellow E&H alum Forrest Williams (E&H ’16). “The play, in the form of a variety show, pokes fun at generational stereotypes as well as challenges the ‘problems’ young people face today. Taken from real interviews, <em>Millennial Show</em> also features commentary on related topics addressed within the play.”</p><p> Victor ended up at Emory & Henry because he “loved the intimacy of the campus and classes. I had a ton of hands-on experience in the theatre department.” He is planning to use that experience to keep on writing and performing and inspiring others.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/683-victor-trussell" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/3801-russ-kerr"><img src="/live/image/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2134,3200/9365_Russ_Kerr_2020_Color-37.rev.1612451438.jpg" alt="Reverend Russ Kerr Headshot taken by: Allison Kendrick" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2134,3200/9365_Russ_Kerr_2020_Color-37.rev.1612451438.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/39/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2134,3200/9365_Russ_Kerr_2020_Color-37.rev.1612451438.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2134" data-max-h="3200"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/3801-russ-kerr"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reverend Russ Kerr ’12 Theatre Experience from Scripts to Scriptures</span></p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Reverend Russ Kerr, from Davidson, N.C., graduated from Emory & Henry in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. He currently serves as Associate Pastor at Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church in Blowing Rock, N.C.</p><p> My theatre department experience has been a rock and a guide in my call to ministry and in my current role. Reading, researching, and understanding scripts help us to better understand the depth and range of the human experience. So from facing grief to joyful celebration, from understanding the importance of ritual, from learning to articulate clearly, to singing in groups (or virtual choir), to coordinating the nativity service, it is all woven together by foundational classes I took at Emory & Henry in theatre. I am thankful for the tools I learned during my time at Emory that prepared me for seminary and for ministry. It taught me to be a better coach to people in the art of liturgy and public scripture reading. It taught me to organize my thoughts speaking loudly and clearly. I especially think of the importance of these tools for theology in the public square speaking out against injustice and preaching boldly about loving kindness. When I read the Bible I ask some of those same questions I ask when reading a play–who is this person in front of me? What is their motivation? And, what does the text say about them either here or in other stories? Then apply it to ministry–what is this text saying about God, world, and self? This calling has carried me far across the east coast serving different communities I never dreamed I would spend time in. I served as an intern at North Carolina Stage Company in Asheville, N.C. for one summer during my time at E&H. I interned for a semester at Barter Theatre in Directing my senior year. When I graduated I interned then was on full-time staff as Company Manager at Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota, F.L. All three taught me about embracing a non-traditional (9-5) work schedule. They taught me to ask direct guiding questions in order to better acclimate myself to an office culture. It was not as easy a transition out of the classroom and into the field as I would have thought. There will be deadlines to meet, emails to send, and connections to be made. I am thankful for those internship experiences where I was able to learn those necessary skills in order to make a smooth and seamless transition.</p><p> After leaving Florida Studio Theatre, I spent one year in Miami working with the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program before attending Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond. During my time at Union I served as an intern at Ginter Park Presbyterian Church, REX Hospital in Raleigh, and First Presbyterian Church in Annapolis, M.D. I spent one summer as a college chaplain at Montreat Conference Center before moving to Chattanooga to serve as the Director of Children’s Ministry at Rivermont Presbyterian Church for two years before being called as Associate Pastor (first ordained call) to Rumple just a few short months ago. I carried with me to each place the skills I learned in both college and seminary. My hope is that I was able to teach the people I met along the way a little something about art, faith, and theatre. I remember introducing my hospital chaplain cohort (called an Interpersonal Relationship Group) to the play “Wit” by Margaret Edson and being profoundly moved re-reading that beloved play in a clinical setting. I am so thankful for the professors who taught me at Emory & Henry: Dr. Biliana Stoytcheva-Horissian (Acting), Dr. Christianne Roll (Voice), and Prof. Dan Wheeler (Technical). Dr. Kelly Bremner who served as my advisor and who later encouraged me to chase this calling to serve the church. I am also grateful for Dr. Kathleen Chamberlain (English & Lit) who instilled in me a love of reading, a firm foundation in women’s studies, and the tools to better understand intersectionality. All of these professors are such champions for their students in whatever careers we ended up in. It warms my heart to see their posts or comments on Facebook and/or Instagram encouraging us alum to continue following our dreams cheerleading us all along the way.</p><p> I haven’t totally given up on theatre and singing. I hope none of us theatre alum ever will. In 2019 I sang in the chorus of the opera, “Cavalleria Rusticana” with Opera Tennessee in Chattanooga. I responded to an email from my neighborhood listserv that literally was titled, “want to sing in an opera?” And I thought, yes. Yes, I really do! So I did and it was one of the most amazing experiences. I got to meet artists from across the city who, like me, were working in various professions but felt an immense dedication to art and to being in community with one another. I sang as part of a community chorus to benefit a local church mission. And finally, I was part of the ensemble for the Ensemble Theatre Company production of “Billy Elliot” in December 2019.</p><p> My advice to current students is, I know that this pandemic has been so tough on performers and artists! I encourage you to keep thinking creatively not just in your studies but as an artist. If we have learned anything from this pandemic it is that we need and belong to one another. Human connection is so important. Theatre brings that connection and community to life. So keep going! I appreciate you. I see you. You are each a blessing!</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/3801-russ-kerr" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>