Jenilee Houghton (Director) is thrilled to be directing their first production for Nashville Children’s Theatre, as well as serving as the newly appointed Executive Artistic Director. Jenilee is excited to continue NCT’s legacy of inspiring young audiences through bold, imaginative storytelling. A director, choreographer, educator, and collaborative storyteller, Jenilee is passionate about creating productions that spark empathy, wonder, and connection. Their work spans new plays, musicals, and devised projects, centering ensemble-driven creativity and visually dynamic worlds. Jenilee has worked at theatres across the country, such as Sierra Repertory Theatre, Trinity Repertory Company, Heritage Repertory Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, and Glimmerglass Opera. Some recent Director/Choreographer roles include Cabaret, Shout! The Mod Musical, Urinetown and Grease at Metropolis Performing Arts Center; Dr. Seuss at the Opera with JAM Orchestra; Love Sick and Amadeus at Parker Players; Matilda at Highland Park Players and The Wizard of Oz at Big Noise Theatre. Jenilee is also a playwright, and their original plays have been produced at Annoyance Theatre, Greenhouse Theater Center and Moving Bench Theatre in Chicago, as well as Vintage Soul Production’s international new works festival. Jenilee is a dedicated advocate for arts education and accessibility, and is also a certified Safe Zone facilitator. Their consent-based rehearsal practices are based on training through the Theatrical Intimacy Education program.  Jenilee earned their BFA from Illinois Wesleyan University as well as their MFA from NYU, Tisch School of the Arts.

Galen Fott has previously appeared at NCT as Mr. Rossetti in Return to Sender, as King Triton and Chef Louis in The Little Mermaid, in multiple roles in Mr. Popper’s Penguins, and as the Hairy Man in Wiley and the Hairy Man. Other local credits include Sir John Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Nashville Shakespeare Festival), Mendel in Indecent (Nashville Rep), Burl in Smoke on the Mountain (StudioTenn), Mr. Mister in The Cradle Will Rock (Nashville Opera), Monsieur Dauphin in The Jonah People (Nashville Symphony) and understudying and performing Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol Nashville Rep). Galen originated the role of Gaston in the Beauty and the Beast stage show at Walt Disney World, which is still running after over three decades. And in his other career as an animator, he reated projections for NCT’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, and has adapted and directed over 25 children’s books into awahttp://www.galenfott.com/rd-winning films for Scholastic. www.galenfott.com

Natalie is delighted to return to the NCT stage! Favorite local credits include NCT’s production of THE BEST SCHOOL YEAR EVER (Louella McCluskey), Nashville Rep’s MARY POPPINS (Mrs. Banks) and RENT (Maureen Johnson), Street Theatre Company’s HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (Yitzhak), and Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s MACBETH (Witch). Natalie earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from Texas State University, and works as a certified One Voice Vocal Coach (singonevoice.com). Heartfelt thanks to the NCT team for their dedication and artistry; to Mommy and Pops for supporting my dreams; and to Matty, for absolutely everything.

Charlotte Myhre Shealy is happy to be returning to the NCT stage! She is the artistic director of Springhouse Theatre Company and founder of their Youth Company. Her recent credits include: “, “Smoke on the Mountain” Studio Tenn, “It’s A Wonderful Life: Radio Play” Studio Tenn, “Diary of Anne Frank” Nashville Children’s Theatre, Most Wonderful Time” Amazon Prime. All her love to Evan and Honest, all glory to God.

Brityn Ramsey is thrilled to bring Wilbur to life in Charlotte’s Web at Nashville Children’s Theatre. A proud Nashville native, Brityn has been involved with NCT for over 10 years and has loved every minute. Her journey in theatre led her to pursue a BFA in Acting at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where she honed her skills and passion for storytelling. Her most recent role being Jérôme Bel in Jérôme Bel at The Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Returning home to perform at the very theatre where it all began is both a homecoming and a dream realized. Brityn is ever grateful to NCT, her mentors, and the audiences who continue to believe in the magic of the theatre.

Billy hails from the coal country of Eastern Kentucky. He attended Morehead State University where he studied communications and theatre. While at MSU he designed such shows as By the Skin of Our Teeth, Once Upon a Mattress, Caged Birds, An Evening with Harold Pinter as well as going back in 2020 for an all alumni designed production of Treasure Island. Tennessee Dance Theatre brought him to Nashville in 1994 as a company member and he has used it as his home base since then. Some of his favorite design experiences include The Will Rodgers Follies, Sweeney Todd, The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Boiler Room Theatre; Chicago, Annie Get Your Gun, Cabaret, Man of La Mancha and Annie at Chaffin’s Dinner Theatre where he was the resident Costume Designer for 4 years; Coriolanus and Macbeth at Nashville Shakespeare; Four legs has one chair and the evening length-Voices From the Ground for Still Point Dance Theatre; Under The Lights with the Johnny Cash Estate, The Flowers Have yet to Come and The Ben Folds Affair and The Bluebird Cafe for Nashville Ballet where he was the Costume Shop Manager for 5 years. For the last 8 years he has designed costumes for the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts Dance Program held at Middle Tennessee State University as well as a assistant designer for Vanderbilt Opera.

Rae Phillips first fell in love with theatre at an early age and has found it difficult to leave ever since. She is a graduate of Belmont University with a BFA in Theatre Performance and began working with NCT in 2023. When not fulfilling her roles as an assistant stage manager and a scenic carpenter, Rae enjoys being on the stage. Some of her favorite productions, either onstage or behind the scenes, have been Finding Nemo, Kodachrome, Much Ado About Nothing, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Will is very excited to be returning to Nashville Children’s Theatre for Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters! He received his BFA in Performing Arts with a concentration in tech and design from Western Kentucky University. Past Stage Management credits include Nashville Repertory Theatre, Surflight Theatre, Mill Mountain Theatre, Tent Theatre, Bell Witch Fall Festival, BG on Stage, Revival Theatre Company, and Interlakes Theatre. He would like to thank his parents for always encouraging him to chase his dreams.

April’s passion for theater began at the age of sixteen when she wrote, directed, and marketed a play for youth in her neighborhood. A chance opportunity to assist in costuming the Nashville Shakespeare Theater and Kennie Playhouse presentation of Gem of the Ocean, by August Wilson reignited her love for the stage. Since then, she has been an integral part of Kennie Playhouse Theater serving as the resident costumer, props master, and set dresser for fourteen productions. Included in that list are Pure Confidence by Carlyle Brown, Confederates by Dominique Morisseau, and the company’s Tennessee Performing Arts Center debut presentation, Sanctified by Javon Johnson. April’s journey reflects a deeply rooted passion for nurturing young people through her involvement with the We Up Summer Youth Camp and enriching her community through the creativity that she brings to the theater.

Thea N. Jones is a Nashville native, a seasoned performing artist, educator, and cultural curator dedicated to building and nurturing communities through the arts. She earned a BFA in Dance from Howard University in Washington DC and MS.Ed in Elementary education from Mercy College in New York City.
While at Howard, under the tutelage of Dr. Sherrill Berryman-Johnson, she performed works by esteemed choreographers like Hope Boykin, Louis Johnson, Debbie Blunden-Diggs, Ronald K. Brown, Assane Kante, Kim Greer, Mickey Davison, and Kevin Iega Jeff. Thea then spent nearly a decade in New York City, performing with celebrated companies, including the Rod Rodgers Dance Company, with whom she received recognition from the New York Times, Mirashayama Traditional Lindy Hop Company, Def Dance Jam Workshop, Kayoko Sakoh Dance Company, and Nommo Contemporary Dance Company. She has shared the stage with cultural icons like Gil Scott Heron and Ntosake Shange in venues such as Henry Street Settlement, La Mama, the Theatre at Riverside Church, the Hudson Guild Theatre, and Theatre for the New City.
Once returning back home to Nashville, Thea continued to contribute to the local arts landscape by creating and performing with Vyrgo Music, Windship Boyd, Dave Ragland, Rod McGaha, Shabaz Ujima, Shades of Black Theatre, TN Playwrights, Kindling Arts Festival, Brave New Works, Sankofa African Drum and Dance, and various other notable artists. She also collaborates with local organizations like Willow Oak Arts/ Springfield TN Arts Festival, the United Methodist Annual Conference Liturgical Ministry, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, AfroKokoRoot World Peace Festival, Deep Culture/ Deep Tropics, Nashville Ballet, The Jefferson Street Alliance, and Infinity Performing Arts Academy, contributing to missions, visions, and multi-part and multidisciplinary projects.
In 2017, she became co- artistic director of shackled feet DANCE! with Shabaz Ujima, the city’s only multi-generational, multi-abled modern dance company, and in 2018, she established Skylark Creative Alliance, an arts and culture advisory consultancy. Her passion for creative collaboration led her to develop and execute the internationally recognized “Intimate. See: An Interdisciplinary Women’s Project,” which culminated in a historic all-women’s ensemble performance at the international dance festival Time2Dance in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Recognized as a “Hidden Gem” by Nashville Voyager Magazine in 2022, noted for her performances in works like “THAT WOMAN”, “FREEDOM RISING,” and “STEEL AWAY, and praised for her multi-partner execution of LITTLE AMAL| THE WALK Nashville in 2023, Thea N. Jones believes in the power of the arts to build and nurture communities and, most proudly, continues to encourage cross-continental conversation, perspective exploration, and meaningful and impactful creative exchanges.
Thea is THRILLED to join the creative team at the Nashville Children’s Theatre and looks forward to the MAGIC!

O’Neal Black is thrilled to be making his debut with Nashville Children’s Theatre! You may recognize O’Neal’s voice from the Audible productions From the San Joaquin and Boys from Poor Families, or through his work as a recording artist—his music is available on all major streaming platforms. O’Neal holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Austin Peay State University. Follow his journey on Instagram: @onealblackmusic. He sincerely hopes you enjoy this performance of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters!

Jailin is thrilled to be making her NCT debut as Nyasha! Jailin has recently enjoyed assisting in choreography for TheaterBug! Her favorite credits are: Nashville Rep 9to5 (Kathy), Circle Players For Colored Girls (Lady in Yellow), TMProductions Pippin (Player/ Berthe U/s), and more. Lastly, Jailin would also love to give a big thank you to her family for all their love and support on her theater journey!

Maya Antoinette Riley (She/They) Maya is a Nashville native performer, writer and director who is so excited to perform this wonderful classic. Some of Maya’s regional credits include: Aida in Aida (Studio Tenn Theatre Company), Nettie in The Color Purple and Macy in The Cake (Nashville Repertory Theatre), Ella C/Cinderella in Hip Hop Cinderella (Nashville Children’s Theatre), Joan in Fun Home (Street Theatre Company), Eleanor in Firework (Unicorn Theatre Company). They’ve also performed several new works in New York: bloodymessysurprised at the New Ohio Theatre, Kitty In The City at Urban Stages and Dance Cartel-X at the Public Theatre Gala 2019. She studied Checkhov with Slava Dolgachev (Moscow Art Theatre’s director) and Beijing Opera at the Shanghai Theatre Academy in China, while attending NYU for drama. You can find Maya on Instagram @mayaa.riley to follow their journey. Thanks to her family, friends, cast, crew and creative team for this awesome experience!

Ms. Whitcomb-Oliva is an Interdisciplinary performing artist from Nashville, Tennessee. She is delighted to be making her return to the Nashville Children’s Theatre. Recent credits include; A Christmas Carol (Christmas Present) Rabbit Room Theatre/Matt Logan Productions; The Flopsy Bunnies (Mrs. Flopsy) Nashville Children’s Theatre; The Play That Goes Wrong (Annie) Studio
Tenn; Little Shop Of Horrors (Chiffon) Studio Tenn; Next To Normal (Diana) Street Theatre Company. Jennifer is grateful for the magical cast and crew, and the continuous love and support from her family, friends, and fur babies.

James is so happy to be back on stage at NCT with this amazing cast! He was last seen here as proud father Mufaro in the production of “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters”.
Favorite NCT performances include: Lahdalord (James and the Giant Peach), The Cat (Einstein is a Dummy), The Snail (A Year With Frog & Toad), Man In Suit (Dragons Love Tacos), Sebastian (The Little Mermaid), and the Wicked Witch (The Wizard of Oz). In addition to being a teaching artist and cake maker, James also just received a degree in music, specializing in violin.
Big thanks to Jen for the opportunity, his folks for their unwavering support, and you for supporting live theatre. You rock. Special shout-out to Scot Copeland.

Gerold Oliver is a Nashville native who has been performing professionally for over a decade. He is very excited to be sharing the stage with a very talented cast.

Jacqueline Springfield (she/her) is an actor, director and educator. She is Assistant Professor of Acting at Kennesaw State University north of Atlanta, GA. MFA in Acting from UNC Greensboro. Voice/Text/Dialect Coach credits include Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Alliance Theatre, Synchronicity Theatre, Actors Express, True Colors Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, South Coast Repertory Theatre, The Goodman, American Players Theatre and Pittsburgh Playhouse. Performance credits include: Cherry Lane Studio Theatre, 13th Street Repertory Theatre, Negro Ensemble Theatre, The Warehouse Theatre, Nashville Repertory Theatre, and Triad Stage. Proud member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and SAG-AFTRA.

Eric D. Pasto-Crosby is a proud native of Nashville, he graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.F.A. in performance studies. There he studied stage combat and fight choreography under Fight Master Geoffrey Kent, and later with Fight Master Richard Ryan. He has choreographed fights for: Nashville Children’s Theatre, Belmont University, Vanderbilt University, Nashville Opera, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre, Street Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Tennessee Shakespeare Festival, Tennessee Repertory Theatre(Nashville Rep), People’s Branch Theatre, Blackbird Theatre, Woven Theatre, and was fight captain and co-choreographer for: Stage One: The Louisville Children’s Theatre, and The Colorado Shakespeare Festival. A loyal member and certified advanced actor combatant through the Society of American Fight Directors, he has choreographed violence and stunts for many films, and schools in the Nashville area, as well as being the stage combat instructor for Belmont University for the last 11 years. He is also a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Colin Peterson (he/him) has been part of Nashville Children’s Theatre since 2010, serving in roles such as Resident Projection Designer, Media Director, and, most recently, Director of Education. He has had the honor of directing the NCT Emerging Artists for the last five productions, including She Kills Monsters, The Old Man and the Old Moon, and Peter Pan. In addition to his education work, Colin is a professional theatrical projection designer and an award-winning sound designer, receiving the 2019 AudioVerse Award for Best Action Sound Design. His full-stage projection and sound design credits at NCT include A Wrinkle in Time, James and the Giant Peach, and Songs for a New World. He has also created projection designs for many other professional companies in Nashville, including Othello for Nashville Shakespeare Festival; Good Monsters, Smart People, and Pipeline for Nashville Rep; The Aretha Legacy and Aida for Studio Tenn; and Here Be Sirens for Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. Big love to his kids (who never go to bed) and Alicia – a constant support and always helps me be true to myself.