Artistic Director

Rhys is an award-winning director and theatre educator. Before moving to the Shenandoah Valley, Rhys worked at the Birmingham REP and the Chichester Festival Theatre in the UK, and the Public Theatre in NYC. Favorite directing credits include Iphigenia at Aulis, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, Henry V, Journey's End, King John, Clive Barker's Revelations, and the world premier of Lisa McGee's The Heights for the National Theatre Connections Festival. Rhys is a recipient of the 2004 Directors Guild of Great Britain Award and a Sunday Times Award for innovation, and he is a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab.

Executive Director

Sarah is an actor and acting coach who has performed Off-Broadway, in Great Britain, and regionally throughout the United States. She’s worked locally as a director with Eunoia Theatre, Friendly City Players, Mary Baldwin University, and Silk Moth Stage, where she also serves as an artistic associate. Favorite roles include Artemisia Gentileschi in Artemisia’s Intent (Silk Moth Stage), Celia in As You Like It (Valley Shakespeare Festival, CT), Alison in Fun Home (4th Wall Theatre, NJ), and Mina Harker in Dracula (The Old Rep, Birmingham). Originally from New York, she holds a BA in theatre from Sarah Lawrence College and completed the conservatory program at The Atlantic Acting School. She earned her MA with distinction from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in the UK. Sarah is also a food content creator at wingredients.com.

Literary Director

Garret is a playwright, theatre scholar, and educator from Washington, D.C. Garret’s plays have received staged readings and productions throughout the United States and abroad, including such venues as The Kennedy Center, Cleveland Play House, The Grandel, and the Orkater Theatre in Amsterdam. He has presented original drama and scholarship through the Association for Theatre in Higher Education, the Mid-America Theatre Conference, the Southeastern Theatre Conference, the International Theatre Institute, and some of his work can be found in Third Coast Magazine, 3 Elements Review, and Southern Theatre. Garret is currently a doctoral candidate in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Texas Tech University.

Executive Producer

Alison has over 25 years of experience in administrative and operational support for a variety of health and education-related programs, primarily within the Shenandoah Valley. She holds a BA in Speech Communication from James Madison University She has worked on a number of community theatre productions in the area, assisting with costumes, props, sets, and publicity. She has served as producer on Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, Stephen Crane’s The Blue Hotel, and David Lindsay-Abaire’s Kimberly Akimbo. And she has performed in plays such as Hurlyburly, Marcus is Walking, Under Milkweed, Sylvia, Dearly Departed, and Alan Ball One Acts.

Director of Community Partnerships

Michael has been involved in Harrisonburg's community theatre since the early 2000s as an actor, a director, and in other areas of production. Roles include Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, Henri in Life x 3, and Phil in Hurlyburly. Michael recently directed Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice as part of an interdisciplinary arts and humanities series he led in the fall of 2023. He has also adapted and directed Stephen Crane's The Blue Hotel and has organized and participated in a number of staged and literary readings in the area. Michael teaches philosophy at James Madison University and works for the university's library. His poetry and prose have appeared in Poetry International, Arion, Chicago Quarterly Review, UCity Review, New Orleans Review, and elsewhere.

Grace is a recent graduate of James Madison University, where she studied theatre and writing. She currently teaches English, Theater, and Creative Writing at East Rockingham High School, as well as directs the One Act program. She also a dancer and choreographer, currently teaching at the Harrisonburg Dance Co-Op. Credits include The Lighting Thief (assistant director) and Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (Princess Mary) at Eastern Mennonite University, Kinky Boots (Nicola) and Something Rotten (featured dancer) at the Little Theater of Virginia Beach, In the Forests of the Night (director/choreographer) and The Lightning Thief (Katy Gardner/choreographer) at JMU, and the title role in Eurydice.

Diana Black is a theatre artist focusing chiefly on acting, directing, and dramaturgy. She co-founded the musical ensemble Shenandoah Cabaret in 2022 and is an Artistic Associate at The Off Center in Staunton. Recent projects include playing the Librarian in Underneath the Lintel (Silk Moth Stage), producing Something’s Afoot (ShenanArts), puppeteering in The Murders in the Rue Morgue (The Off Center), and co-directing Here in the Light: A Cabaret Celebrating Women’s History Month (Eunoia). Diana holds an M.A. in English Literature and is a certified Emotional Intelligence Trainer.

Philip is an actor and playwright who first cut his teeth with Shenandoah International Playwrights Retreat annually in the 90s. He received a BFA in Theatre Performance from VCU. Notable acting credits include The Devil in Clive Barker’s History of the Devil, Aaron the Moor in Titus Andronicus, and Earl of Lancaster in Edward II all with Live Arts in Charlottesville. His full-length play Heads was produced at the Firehouse Theatre in Richmond as part of their 2001 season. He is returning to the stage after a 20 year hiatus during which he pursued a career in medicine.

At age nine, Jim performed as one of the gingerbread children in Hansel and Gretel at Goshen College in Indiana, where he later earned a degree in music. During the several decades since, he has been a music director for college and high school shows, a composer of vocal and instrumental music, and performed on stage and in pit orchestras on various instruments. He works as an accompanist at the School of Theatre and Dance at JMU.

Katie is an actor and director originally from Eldersburg, MD. She first came to the valley to attend Bridgewater College where she earned BAs in both Theatre and English. In 2018, she was nominated for the Irene Ryan Scholarship Competition for her portrayal of Mary Tilford in Bridgewater’s production of The Children's Hour. Recent credits include the Narrator in Every Brilliant Thing at Silk Moth Stage and Letter Writer in the Friendly City Players’ Tiny Beautiful Things.

Elizabeth is an actor and playwright with a passion for using the arts to engage in dialogue and relationship building. Her one-act play, Sitting With Your Thoughts premiered last year at four Harrisonburg venues including Court Square Theater as a collaboration with the Community Counseling Center and the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Services Board to raise money and awareness around mental health issues. She holds an MA in Conflict Transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and BAs in Peacebuilding and Development and Bible, Religion and Theology from Eastern Mennonite University. EMU acting credits include Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible, Mercutio in U2 Romeo and Juliet, Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice, and Belle in Beauty and the Beast.

Kerri is a writer and theatre artist from Virginia Beach, VA. Her short stories, plays, and poems have been featured in JMU's Iris Magazine, It's all Fluff Magazine, Nowhere Girl Collective, and the Studio Stage at James Madison University. Acting credits include Little Stone in Eurydice, Hannah in Epiphany (JMU), and Shelly in The Giant of Galway (Eunoia). Kerri holds a BA in anthropology, a discipline that informs all her work. 

Catherine Holcomb is a designer, technician, and producer who has worked within the entertainment industry for 8+ years. Disciplines include lighting design, sound engineering, and technical production management. She holds her Bachelor of Arts from James Madison University and currently serves as the Lighting Shop Supervisor at the School of Theatre and Dance. Theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Sunday in the Park with George (Lighting Design).

Heidi is a Harrisonburg-based theatre artist with concentrations in acting and costume design. She works as an early childhood educator, serves as Artistic Associate at Silk Moth Stage, and is a member of international Playback Theatre troupe, Unu Koro. Favorite acting credits include Phoebe in As You Like It (Eastern Mennonite University), Amelia in Give Us Good (Silk Moth Stage), and Letter Writer in Tiny Beautiful Things (Friendly City Players). Design work specializes in repurposed materials and custom garments, with credits including Artemisia's Intent and Give Us Good (both at Silk Moth Stage), and Bus Stop at Eastern Mennonite University (KCACTF recognized). Heidi holds a BA from Eastern Mennonite University where she studied peacebuilding, theater, and gender studies.

MaryBeth is an actor, director, and theater manager in the Shenandoah Valley. Her work both on- and off-stage has appeared at Bridgewater College, Court Square Theatre, Silk Moth Stage, and even at The Little Grill! Most recent acting credits include Georgia in Private, Letter Writer in Tiny Beautiful Things, Polonius in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, ensemble in The Vagina Monologues, and Old Shady in Men on Boats. MaryBeth received a B.S. in Psychology and Theatre from Bridgewater College. She now works as the Theatre Management Associate at JMU's Forbes Center for Performing Arts.

Liz is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University with a BA in Theater Education. She has directed student productions at multiple Harrisonburg schools, including four 4th and 5th grade variety shows (Eastern Mennonite School, Waterman Elementary), The Wizard of Oz, Searching for David’s Heart, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Charlotte’s Web (all at Eastern Mennonite Middle School), and Pride and Prejudice (Eastern Mennonite High School), and co-directed Suessical KIDS (Spotswood Elementary School). EMU acting credits include Mr. Bennett/Charlotte Lucas in Pride and Prejudice and Tituba/Judge Hawthorne in The Crucible. She is currently serving on the board of Silk Moth Stage; check out our upcoming shows at silkmothstage.com.

Noah was born and raised in Harrisonburg and returned to the Valley after graduating from The New York Conservatory For The Dramatic Arts in 2016. While his main focus is acting for the camera, his recent roles include Cedric in Puffs and George in It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (both with Silver Line Theatre Exchange in Staunton) and Corbin in Private at The Little Grill. Noah enjoys spending time with his cats and stays active with outdoor rock climbing and indoor bouldering.

Kim is a local entrepreneur and educator. Her theatre career spans acting, directing, and administrative roles, always with a focus on community engagement through the arts. She holds a BA in Theatre from Hunter College, City University of New York, and Master of Letters degree in Shakespeare Performance from Mary Baldwin University. In addition to being a high school Theatre and English teacher, Kim has worked for many local organizations including the American Shakespeare Center and James Madison University. She and her husband Geoff were co-founders of WQSV 106.3 FM, Staunton’s first community radio station, and they remain passionate about supporting a thriving artistic community here in the Valley.

Agori’s primary disciplines are acting and vocal performance. They are a recent graduate of Spotswood High School and are thrilled to be continuing their journey of artistry here in the Shenandoah Valley, attending James Madison University for Theatre Performance in the Fall of 2024. High School production credits include Rizzo in Grease, Janis in Mean Girls, Wednesday in The Addams Family, Roxie in Chicago, Eulalie in The Music Man, Silvia in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Hollis in Kaleidoscope, and Ringmaster in Elephant’s Graveyard. Agori has made appearances on the International Thespian Stage in Indiana and performed for the ESU at Lincoln Center.

MaKayla is a theatre practitioner with concentrations in acting and costume/prop design with some dabbling in playwriting. Relevant work experience includes the Folger Theatre, American Shakespeare Center, Silk Moth Stage, Wanderlust Theatre, Unreal City Theatre, and Frontier Culture Museum. Select stage credits: Samantha in The Night Before Christmas (Eunoia), Viola/Maria in Twelfth Night: A Musical Remix (Capital Fringe Festival), Mary/Sally in It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (Silver Line Theatre Exchange). She holds a BA in Theatre and English from Eastern Mennonite University and is a candidate for University of Idaho’s MFA in Performance Studies. She works as a Youth Services Specialist and Story Teller at Massanutten Regional Library. https://makaylambakerpaxton.my.canva.site/.

Amanda is an arts administrator, director and creative placemaker. Amanda served as the Managing Director of Sipe Center in Bridgewater, VA from 2020-2023, launching a return from the pandemic with programming featuring local artists, children's theatre and national touring artists. Prior to that, she served as the Managing Director of Inside Out Playback Theatre in Harrisonburg, VA from 2018-2020. Amanda is currently a member of Charlottesville Playback Theatre. She holds a BA in Theatre and History from Eastern Mennonite University and is an alum of the Cornerstone Theatre Residency.

Becca is a director and artist based in Virginia with specialities in management, coaching, and devising. Theatre credits include: directed works such as Circle Mirror Transformation (James Madison University), new work The House on Linardi Street, and Lysistrata (The Phoenix Theatre), and roles including Helen of Troy (The Trojan Women). She graduated from the Center for Performing and Fine Arts in 2020 and holds a B.A. in theatre (directing) from James Madison University. Follow along with her work at beccastehle.com.

Holly is a versatile performer, director, and community advocate based in Stanardsville, Virginia. Recent credits include Heidi Schreck in Eunoia's What the Constitution Means to Me, Ursula in The Little Mermaid (EMU), and Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown (Friendly City Players). Holly also serves on the board of the Harrisonburg Dance Cooperative and works as a Project Coordinator of Training at Strength In Peers, designing and delivering scalable training programs for behavioral health professionals. Outside of work, they enjoy playing guitar, practicing yoga and meditation, and exploring nature.