Students in the BA major are
required to present a senior project to the campus
community which demonstrates their
skills and training. Senior projects may be a major
role in a play or musical, direction of a play,
writing a play, a major design assignment, a stage
or theatre management project, or a dramaturgical
research project. The faculty of the department
attempt to guide the students into projects that
reflect their strengths and interests and which
afford them the opportunity to have a mainstage
presentation in their senior year. The season of
plays is chosen with the senior majors in mind and
selections attempt to reflect the interests of the
seniors.
Daniel Jordan in
his one-man show Clown of God (2008)
2009-2010 Senior Projects
Lindsay Ross,playwright Undone
(October 2009)
Lindsay wrote an original play on the subject of
divorce in the Christian community, using techniques
derived from her study of the Living Newspaper genre
which was popular during the Federal Theatre Project
years. She spent the summer researching and
interviewing people and learning about how to
dramatize the issues.
Karla Neves, director
Undone (October 2009)
Karla directed Lindsay's original script. Their
friendship for may years led them to work together
and has enabled them to collaborate on this original
script. Karla also studied docudrama techniques and
integrated video into her staging concept. The cast
of NGU students rehearsed for several weeks and the
production will be presented as a BSU service on
October.
Bethany Sarazen, playwright and
actor Accepted (January 2010)
Corie Savage, playwright and actor
Accepted (January 2010)
Brittany Sullivan, actor Romeo and
Juliet (October 2008)
Brittany took on the role of Mercutio. She was also
dance captain for the musical review A Grand
Night for Singing where she also helped with
costumes. She is now heading to Orlando Shakespeare
Festival Theatre to further her career in theatre.
Daniel Reith,
lighting designer The Miracle Worker (April
2009)
Daniel acted on stage in Murder Well Rehearsed.
He was also the director of Impromptu, a one
act featured in the 2008 festival. Daniel still
holds the business manager position in the Theatron
Club.
Elyse Middlebrooks,
costume designer Romeo and Juliet (October
2008)
Elyse brought an 80’s style design to the production
of Romeo an d Juliet. She has appeared
onstage in Taming of the Shrew. She served as
assistant costume designer for All My Sons.
She has just done costume designs for The God
Committee and The Dining Room for Centre
Stage Theatre.
Justin Walker,
actor Romeo and Juliet (October
2008)
Justin was seen in the role of Romeo.He has also been seen as Higgins in
Pygmalion, George in All My Sons, and
Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew. He also
served as Theatron President. Since graduation, he
has been seen all over Greenville in productions:
The Taming of the Shrew, The Three Cuckolds, A
Christmas Story, The Reluctant Dragon, and
The Diary of Anne Frank.
Katy Beth Cassell,
actor Romeo and Juliet (October 2008)
Katy Beth was seen as the Nurse. Katy Beth was an
active member in the theatre department. She was an
officer of Alpha Psi Omega and a member of Act II
drama team. She was also seen singing in the musical
review A Grand Night for Singing. Katy Beth
is applying to graduate schools where she hopes to
further her education in acting.
Leah Thomas,
actor The Miracle Worker (April 2009)
Leah was seen as Lady Capulet in R&J and
Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker. She was
also in the musical review A Grand Night for
Singing. Leah served as Theatron President,
officer of Alpha Psi Omega, and team leader of Act
II. She is now heading to Florida Repertory Theatre.
Patrick Thompson,
actor Romeo and Juliet (October 2008)
Patrick took on the role of the Friar Lawrence. He
was also in All My Sons, She Loves Me, Taming of
the Shrew, just to name a few. Patrick was also
an active member in the traveling drama troupe, Act
II.
Rozlyn Stanley,
actor Romeo and Juliet (October 2008)
Rozlyn was seen in the role of Juliet.
She has studied in L.A. and Australia and plans to
continue her career in acting and dance in theatre
as well as the film industry.
Matt Thomason – solo performance, The Closet
Monologs (November 8, 2007)
Matt created and performed a one-man show about
his personal journey from sin and pain to
redemption through Jesus Christ. He wrote and
designed this original show during his junior
year. Matt has distinguished himself on stage in
several major roles (Pickering in Pygmalion
and Curtis in Taming of the Shrew are
among them) and offstage he has enthusiastically
mentored younger students and encouraged many
people in their artistic and spiritual walks.
His goals for the future include seminary
education and a ministry that utilizes his gifts
in theatre with his heart for people.
Lydia Campbell – actor, She Loves Me
(November 14-16, 2007)
Lydia has been a leader in the theatre
department for 3 years: as president of the
Alpha Psi Omega chapter, director of the NGU box
office, and director of a one-act play in the
06-07 season. She has appeared onstage as Mrs
Pierce in Pygmalion and was assistant
director on the Shrew production. Lydia
sang the role of Ritter in the fall musical
She Loves Me. She is planning to audition
for grad school and is open to God’s leading for
her future.
Melody Pinion – actor, She Loves Me
(November 14-16, 2007)
In addition to her work on stage here (most
recently as Masha in Seagull) Melody has
been a pageant contestant (she competed in the
Miss SC pageant in July 2007) and has been
onstage at the Greenville Little Theater (Joseph
and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). She
is sang the role of Amalia in the fall musical
and continues to take voice lessons as she
pursues her dream of a career in musical theatre
and opera.
Liz Floto – designer, She Loves Me
Liz has done everything: acting, designing,
stage managing, set construction. She brings her
experience in the Charlotte theatre scene to NGU
(and recently to the Greenville Little Theatre)
and her enthusiasm is contagious. She designed
costumes for the fall musical and continues to
audition locally as she works at tech assistant
at Greenville Little Theatre.
Ellie Weber – designer, She Loves Me
Ellie hails from MD but is now a solid
transplant to the south. She has worked
backstage on several NGU shows and recently
interned at the Greenville Little Theatre with
Ted Thomas. Her design work has been excellent
and she is tackling the set designs for the fall
musical. Ellie is networking in the local
theatre scene and plans to pursue a career in
design/tech.
Melissa Fisher – theatre management system
design
Melissa has demonstrated a singular ability to
organize and administrate, and in addition to
her onstage roles in several shows she has
worked behind the scenes in the Alpha Psi Omega
chapter (she was responsible for organizing the
chapter application for NGU) and in the box
office. Her internship in local theatres
awakened a love for theatre management, and she
is going to design a comprehensive system for
the NGU theatre box office, which will expand to
the new studio theatre facility when it is
finished. There will no doubt be a place in a
front-of-house somewhere for this talented
student when she graduates.
Betsey Courtney – director, The Gift of the
Magi (November 28, 2007 at 10 am)
Betsey finished an Associates degree here, spent
some time teaching in the southern part of the
state, and returned to complete her BA degree
this year. She is a natural leader, quietly
working with other students and faculty to bring
projects to completion. When no one else is
available to work, Betsey is always there. She
is directed the one-act play version of
O’Henry’s delightful story for the annual
Christmas chapel program in the fall of 2007.
Daniel Jordan – solo performance The Clown of
God (February 29, 2008)
Daniel is a multi-talented student: actor,
designer, variety performer, graphic artist and
more. He is combining his varied interests and
skills in his original one-man show. In
preparation he has consulted with Doug Berky,
internationally-known physical theatre artist
and has expanded his research to a wide variety
of theatre forms and styles. He plans to take
this show on the road after graduation and he
has auditioned for an MFA in theatre for young
audiences.
Cora Flottman – actor, All My Sons (April
16-18, 2008)
Cora has led the Act 2 drama ministry team,
interned in theatre ministry and public
relations, taken major roles on our stage (Mrs.
Hill in Pygmalion and Bianca in Taming
of the Shrew among them) and kept a high GPA
in her classes. Her bright spirit keeps everyone
encouraged even when the pressure of classes and
productions are intense. Cora is taking the role
of Anne Deaver in the spring play and will be
auditioning for graduate schools this spring.
Ben Porch – actor, All My Sons (April
16-18, 2008)
Ben transferred to the NGU theatre program and
immediately made many friends and was recognized
as a talented actor and student. He played
Trigorin in our Seagull production and
Lucentio in Taming of the Shrew. Ben
successfully auditioned at SETC and acted in the
outdoor drama Blue Jacket in the summer
of 07. He will be taking the role of Joe Keller
in the spring play and plans to audition for MFA
acting programs this year.
Chris Hecke – actor, All My Sons (April
16-18, 2008)
Chris came to NGU on a soccer scholarship from
his native Brazil. He has distinguished himself
on the men’s soccer team as well as the NGU
stage (he played Tranio in Taming of the
Shrew and was a lead in Complete History
of America: Abridged). Chris has worked in
the department in the box office, where he took
on responsibility for the Cultural Events data
program. His internship at a local public school
was a great success and reflected his interest
in mentoring young people through the
arts. In the spring play he will play Chris
Keller and plans to continue his education in
theatre upon graduation.
Shane Saxon – light designer, All My Sons
(April 16-18, 2008)
Shane has been the backbone of our design/tech
program at NGU. Prior to the placement of a
full-time tech director, much of the work of
theatre tech fell on Shane’s shoulders, and he
carried out his responsibilities with great
success. He was voted the Student Leadership
Award by his peers for his consistent example of
hard work and positive attitude. Shane’s
internship at Greenville Little Theatre was
exemplary and in the fall of 2007 he interned at
the Peace Center for the Performing Arts – the
first NGU student to work in that facility. He
will design the lights for the spring production
and plans a career in tech theatre upon
graduation: he already has job offers.
After a series of stellar performances on the
NGU stage Amanda tackled one of the most
demanding roles in the modern drama repertory:
Nina in Chekhov’s Seagull. She did
extensive research into the play and the role,
becoming in the process something of an expert
on Chekhov and Stanislavski. Her performances
were powerful and received with great enthusiasm
by the audiences at NGU. Upon her graduation she
married Ryan Cumbo and now lives in the
Asheville NC area where she is auditioning for
theatre work and supporting Ryan’s work as a
filmmaker and minister.
Matt Martinez – founder, Work in Progress Improv
Comedy
Matt transferred to NGU from USC and immediately
became a leader in the department. In addition
to a solid record in classes as a scholar he
conceived of and founded a theatre company which
continues to give performances in the Greenville
community. In doing so Matt attracted a loyal
group of student-actors to the troupe and has
conducted research and training in improv forms
for over a year now. He will conclude his class
work in spring 2008 and plans to expand the WIP
company and make it his career. In the spring of
07 Matt was awarded the student leadership award
by his peers in the theatre department.
David Holland – director, Complete History of
America: Abridged
David tackled a major production for his
project. As a transfer student he jumped into
the middle of the department and quickly made a
name for himself as a director. His work on this
show garnered enthusiastic reviews. From the
original concept to design and direction he led
a team of students, including the three major
actors, in a grueling series of rehearsals which
culminated in a very successful run. David has
worked in Greenville theatres for years
(including Warehouse Theatre and Upstage
Shakespeare Festival) and plans to continue to
pursue his options here with the support of his
wife Jennifer.
Megan Leslie – stage management system
Emmie (as she is known to us) created from
scratch the first plan for stage management at
NGU (she came into the program the first year
the BA in theatre degree was inaugurated). After
interning at GLT and First Presbyterian Church
in tech theatre, and shadowing
professional stage managers in Atlanta theatres
(including the Alliance) she devised a handbook
and training system for stage managers at NGU.
Then she took on the responsibility of teaching
stage management techniques to underclass
theatre majors, the whole time serving as
manager of all our major productions. This young
lady is tireless. She is now exploring her
options for grad work.
Britney Teie – actor, Taming of the Shrew
Britney was given the Director’s Award by the
faculty of the theatre department upon her
graduation in May 2007 in recognition of her
outstanding leadership and abilities. For four
years, since joining the major after her work at
the Greenville County Fine Arts Center, she
excelled in every role she played, from Mrs.
Higgins in Pygmalion to Arkadina in
Seagull to her senior project role as Kate
in Taming of the Shrew. Britney is a rare
talent, able to play comedy and serious roles
with equal felicity. She is now auditioning for
work in local theatres and positioning her
resume for an MFA acting program in the near
future.
Jenni Austin – writer, Family Ties
Jenni began her work in theatre at NGU playing
leads (in Blind Date for example) and
then her interest in writing was awakened and
she never looked back. She wrote continually her
final 2 years of her work and in the spring of
2007 presented an original play (Family Ties
– which was subsequently published in a magazine
in Columbia SC) and orchestrated the first New
Works Festival of play readings on campus. Her
indomitable spirit was an encouragement to many
other theatre students. She plans to spend a
year in Germany and then will see where God
leads her after that.
Sarah Catherine Botts (now Orr) –
writer/director, Finding Christmas
Sarah first distinguished herself as an actor on
our stage, then created and directed the fall
2005 Christmas chapel program with an original
script. It was an instant success, very
enthusiastically received by the 1500 students
who attended the performance. Because our
program was new Sarah had numerous challenges in
mounting her show, many of them in the
design/tech area. She rose to each one, found
the resources (or created them) and brought her
vision to completion. Her project set the bar
for future senior projects. Sarah received the
Student Leadership Award from her peers in
recognition of her exceptional leadership
traits. She is now a successful teacher in
Dillon SC along with her husband Jacob.
Jessica Snyder – actor, Pygmalion
Jessica came to NGU from Woodstock GA where she
had both stage and pageant experience (she
competed in the Miss SC pageant her junior
year). She was recognized by her peers as a
leader, and she inaugurated the theatre club on
campus, THEATRON, which became the foundation
for the Alpha Psi Omega chapter. After a series
of successful performances here (in
Revelation Project and others) she suggested
playing the role of Eliza in GB Shaw’s
Pygmalion. The department fashioned the fall
major production around her research and
preparation for this role, and it was a huge
success. Jessica has subsequently been
auditioning for roles and was accepted to the
MFA design program at Southern IL University.
Britney Moss (now Leazer) – actor, Cinderella
Britney was also a pageant contestant and actor
who transferred to the theatre major from
USC/Columbia. Her bright spirit was an
encouragement to many of her peers, and she soon
began talking of a major musical production.
Cinderella was the first musical after the
BA program was initiated and she sang the lead
role with great success. After graduation and
marriage to Michael she has continued to meld
her theatre skills with a strong call to
minister to young people, especially to mentor
teenage girls. She and Michael are busy serving
the Lord in the Atlanta area
Students in the BA major are
required to present a senior project to the campus
community