The mission of the Theatre Program of the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts is based on the idea that we are part of a "school" and the objective should always be on learning and exploring the multiple facets of the art of theatre. The mission of the Theatre Program is to instill in every student the respect and understanding of all aspects of the theatrical process as it leads to its final culmination in the performance, as well as to give the student the knowledge, skills, and creative opportunities to realize their own potential and grow as an individual, an artist, and a craftsman. Additionally, the student should gain a sense of where the art of theatre resides in relationship to the other art forms of the school, and how all these art forms are interrelated.

Lee Blair, Finale Musical Director

Lee Blair is Assistant Professor of Acting with the West Virginia University Division of Theatre and Dance. At WVU since 2006, Lee teaches classes in acting, musical theatre and stage management on both the graduate and undergraduate levels as well as directing for the Division’s main stage. Productions at WVU that Lee has helmed include Urinetown: The Musical, Mary Rose, Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teen-age Blockhead, The World Goes ‘Round: Songs of Kander and Ebb, the opera Summer And Smoke, and Guys and Dolls. Returning to Tennessee GSFTA for a fourth year, Lee has directed recent GSFTA productions of Lucky Stiff, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Cinderella as well as teaching classes in Theatre Appreciation and Musical Theatre Auditioning. A member of Actors’ Equity Association, his career and work as an actor has included professional works Off-Broadway (Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre), off-off Broadway (including works with the New York International Fringe Festival among others) and regionally (Hippodrome State Theatre, Emelin Theatre of New York, Greenbrier Valley Theatre). Lee received an MFA in Acting from the University of Florida in 1995. A native of Tennessee, Lee did his undergraduate work at Middle Tennessee State University graduating with degrees in both theatre and journalism.

Richard Browder, Choreographer

Richard is excited to be returning this year as a teacher for the school. Since his summer of 1986 when he was one of the first Governor’s School Theatre students, Richard has received his undergraduate degree in theatre at Middle Tennessee State University, received graduate work in acting at the University of Southern Mississippi, and his Masters in Education at Middle Tennessee State University. He has also worked across the region as a professional actor in such theatres as Tennessee Repertory Theatre were he was seen in such productions as Twelve Angry Men, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and 1776 directed by Rene Copland. He has also worked in Nashville Children’s Theatre production of Aladdin, Seusical and School House Rock Live. Richard choreographed productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, Urintown, and Rent for Middle Tennessee State University. Richard also works as a choreographer for Siegel High School’s Chamber choir where he choreographed productions such as Once on This Island, Tommy, Aida, Evita, and Children of Eden, and Phantom of the Opera.

Neal Figueroa, Musical Direction

Neal Figueroa is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University. He has served on the artistic staffs of over thirty musicals and operettas, including the positions of Associate Conductor for the College Light Opera Company and a Music Director at Stagedoor Manor. Neal has had the distinct pleasure of collaborating with many vocalists, ensembles, and instrumentalists over the years and is very excited about returning to GSFTA to work with yet another group of talented, young artists.

Cecilia Lighthall, Stage Manager/Pproduction Manager

Cecilia is a TN native that has made the big move to New York. While in Nashville, Cecilia ran shows at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre such as Cabaret, Annie Get Your Gun, Smoke on the Mountain, and The Odd Couple. After moving to NYC, She worked off-Broadway on Stageplays Theatre Company’s production of In The Air. She has also worked around the city on other productions such as The Banger’s Flopera, Four Dogs and a Bone, and Troika. Cecilia then began to tour with the Emmy award winning children’s theatre company FoodPlay Productions, and went on to become their Assistant Production Manager. During the winter of 2010, Cecilia returned to her Nashville roots to run A Christmas Story for Tennessee Repertory Theatre. Currently she is back in New York Production Stage Managing for the Axial Theatre Company’s spring new plays festival. This is Cecilia’s 4th summer with TN Governor’s School for the Arts as a Stage Manager. However, she was also a student here back in 1998. As always, Cecilia would like to thank her amazing family for their unconditional support and to her WONDERFUL husband for his unfailing love and support, and for pushing her to be the best she can be.
Photo coming soon!

Shannon Robert, Scenic Design & Technology

Shannon Robert received the MFA in Scene Design from Florida State University. She participated in the Moscow Art Theatre Conservatory program in 1991. Shannon served on the board of SETC, as design chair and regional vice chair of KCACTF Region IV, and as Director of Theatre and for William Carey University. She is currently lecturing at Clemson University and serves as Resident Scene Designer and Production Manager at The Warehouse Theatre in Greenville, SC. Shannon managed The Spoon Group, LLC and did props/painted for the Broadway productions of Jersey Boys, Curtains, Grease, Grinch, Coram Boy, Xanadu, Legally Blonde, The Color Purple, Hairspray and Spamalot. She has designed scenery for hundreds of productions which includes venues in Bratislava, Moscow, Edinburgh, and Nairobi

Robert P. Robins, Lighting and Sound Design

Bob Robins recently held the title of Lighting Designer-in-Residence/Audio Production at the Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville Florida, a position he held for over 23 years. While at the Hippodrome, in addition to providing the Lighting Design for over 250 productions, Bob also engineered sound, including live sound mix and equipment specifications; Rental Manager, wrote rental policy, procedures, and contracts; Safety Officer, wrote safety and emergency preparedness policy and programs, and stage managed over 15 productions.
Now working exclusively as a freelance lighting designer and educator based in Gainesville, some of Bob’s most recent lighting design projects include: Eurydice, Mindgame, Dead Man's Cell Phone, Boeing Boeing, Dracula, This Wonderful Life, and End Days, at the Hippodrome State Theatre, The Woman in Black, Marty Robbins El Paso, Around the World in 80 Days, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Steel Magnolias, at Flat Rock Playhouse, Look Homeward, Angel, The Big Bang, Leading Ladies, and Peter Pan at Ocala Civic Theatre, Robin Hood and Dance Spectacular for Dance Alive National Ballet, and Company for Drury University. Other recent projects include the permanent exterior architectural lighting of the historic Old Post Office for the City of Gainesville, Florida, and teaching Stagecraft and Drama at Eastside High School in Gainesville Fl, Lighting Design at the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts at Middle Tennessee State University, and master classes at Drury University.
Bob has designed lighting for more than 400 theatre and dance productions, industrials, and special events and presents classes and workshops for a wide variety of schools and organizations. Bob is an Actors’ Equity Association Stage Manager, and proudly holds a BFA in Theatre Production from the University of Florida. Please visit ROBERTROBINS.COM for more info and pictures.

Neno Russell, Costume Designer

Neno Russell is a professional patternmaker/draper and costume designer. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond Va. Neno's Broadway credits include Associate Costume Design on the 2009 Broadway revival of Finian's Rainbow, Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life and Footloose and he constructed costumes for the Broadway productions of Bring in da' Noise Bring in da' Funk and The Rose Tattoo. Off-broadway credits include over 20 shows at the New York Shakespeare Festival/Joseph Papp Public Theater where he was the Assistant Costume Master for 3 years. Other design credits include Dead Man's Cell Phone for Theatre VCU, at The Warehouse Theatre in Greenville, South Carolina Amadeus and the 2011 world premier of Something More Than A Game. He was also an assistant costume designer for 22 episodes of Whoopi on NBC. Neno has designed over 70 national commercials (including: MTV, VHI, Journeys, Thomasville, Petsmart, NFL Films, The History Channel and Old Navy) and designed 7 documentaries for the History Channel. This is Neno's 9th year working with The Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts. He is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829.

Paul Savas, Theatre Director/Performance

Paul is the Executive and Artistic Director of The Warehouse Theatre in Greenville South Carolina. He is a member of AEA, SAG, SDC and has taught and performed all over the country. He was a voicing actor with The National Theatre of The Deaf for two and a half years, a founding member of Hopeful Monsters, based in New York City and has performed with The Boston and Philadelphia Symphony Orchestras.

Stoney Westmoreland, Special Guest Faculty

Stoney Westmoreland grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee. He is a graduate of Dobyns-Bennet High School and one of only two students to attend the Governor’s School for the Arts in Theatre for two years (1986, 1987). Stoney served as a counselor for the Governor’s School in 1989 and 1990. He went on to graduate from North Carolina School for the Arts before pursuing his professional career. He is a member of Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Radio & Television Artists, and Actors Equity. During his 16 years as a professional actor, Stoney has been seen in over 150 national commercials and numerous films and television shows. His film credits include: World Trade Center, directed by Oliver Stone and Matchstick Men, directed by Ridley Scott among others. Television credits include: Huge, Bones, Breaking Bad, Medium, Supernatural, CSI Miami, NCIS, and Gilmore Girls. Stoney lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. He is delighted to be teaching once again at the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts.

Jeff Gibson is Chair of the Theatre Division of the Tennessee Governors’ School for the Arts. He is returning to this position in 2011 after a hiatus of three years. Gibson is Interim Chair of the Department of Speech and Theatre at Middle Tennessee State University where he teaches courses in arts management and stage management. Gibson serves as Immediate Past Chair of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Region IV and is a former Assistant to the President of Watkins College of Art&Design in Nashville, Tennessee. He received his MFA in Theatre Management from the University of Alabama and served as a management assistant at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Justin Durham is from Cleveland, TN, where he first began working in theatre at his local high school. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a B.S. degree in Theatre, he began his current job as Manager of Tucker Theatre and the Boutwell Dramatic Arts facility at MTSU. He is involved in many facets of the Theatre and Dance program including events, ticketing, marketing, construction, and technology management. Justin is very excited to be working with the Governor’s School again this year.