Alicia Lark Fuss is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Middle Tennessee State University where she delights in teaching aspiring theatre educators and exploring the art of storytelling with students from all majors. Alicia gets fired up about all things at the intersection of theatre and youth, and is never happier than when “in-process” facilitating drama experiences with and for young people. Favorite directing credits include Dino Time, The Snowy Day and Other Stories, Afflicted: Daughters of Salem (NCT); Tomato Plant Girl, Eurydice, The Giver (MTSU); Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse (Lipscomb University). You can see her work next in Nashville Repertory Theatre’s It’s a Wonderful Life.

Alicia holds an MFA in Theatre for Young Audiences from the University of Central Florida and a BA in Theatre Arts from Florida State University. She is a proud member of Theatre for Young Audiences/USA and the American Alliance for Theatre Education, and has served as Board Member for both organizations.

Alicia dedicates this production to her own two little bedtime-delayers and creative mess-makers.

Joe is thrilled to be making his debut with Nashville Children’s Theatre. Originally from Kennett, Missouri, he graduated from Belmont University with a BFA in Theatre Performance. He received additional training from the National Theatre Institute. Joe has been seen performing around town in Kindling’s Very Special Christmas Show, The Medium with Nashville Opera, and most recently in Nashville Story Garden’s Human Resources. In addition to performing, Joe has worked for many years as a Teaching Artist at NCT and served as the 23-24 season Assistant Stage Manager. Outside of theatre, Joe loves games, his cats, and spending time with his number one person.

Erica Lee Haines is a Nashville native and proud mom to a sassy seven-year-old. A lifelong performer, she began acting in film and on stage as a child and later earned her music degree from Belmont University. Erica’s professional credits include a Broadway national tour plus performances at theme parks, USO tours, cruise ships, and other theaters worldwide.

For the past 17 years, she’s taught musical theatre at universities, schools, and children’s programs, and she serves as a staff director at Act Too Players in Franklin. Favorite stage roles include Éponine (Les Misérables), Miss Honey (Matilda), and Marcy Park (Putnam County Spelling Bee).

Erica is also the Nashville Chief Rep for PAAL (Parent Artist Advocacy League), a national organization supporting caregivers in the arts.

📎 EricaLee.org | @MrsEricaLeeHaines
🌐 PaalTheatre.com

Kaylie is thrilled to be back at NCT for her third Snuggery show! After graduating in 2024 with a BFA in Theatre Design and Production, she has become a Nashville based stage manager working all around town. Some favorite credits include The Wheels on the Bus, The Old Man and the Old Moon (NCT), Carmen (Nashville Opera), I and You (Lipscomb Univ), and Bad Queen Good (Nash Rep). She is also a babysitter in her free time, so these Snuggery shows hold a special place in her heart as she gets to watch her two passions collide every weekend. She sends heartfelt thanks to her mentors, friends, and family for their endless support and guidance, and to Mom Cindy for never missing one of her shows! Find her on instagram at @kaylieherpolsheimer

Sarah White (she/ her) considers herself a “storyteller of all mediums,” and is so glad to continue to tell stories here with NCT. She holds two MFAs: in Acting (Mary Baldwin University – Shakespeare & Performance), and Scenic Design (University of Missouri – Kansas City). Her work as an Actor and Designer has been seen regionally throughout the United States, as well as internationally at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; she’s even been mentioned in the NY Times! As an educator, Sarah has taught at Hollins University and Earlham College. Scenic Design Highlights: Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo for the Unicorn Theater; Emilie: La Marquis du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight with Duende Productions; world premiere of Puddin’ and the Grumble at the Lied Center; world premiere of Dino Time at the Nashville Children’s Theatre. sarahwhitescenicdesign.com

Scott Leathers is delighted to return for his twenty sixth season as Resident Lighting Designer for NCT where he also named Resident Scenic Designer in May 2022. Favorite works include FINDING NEMO, THE WIZARD OF OZ, THE LIGHTNING THIEF, RETURN TO SENDER, GHOST, TOMAS and the LIBRARY LADY, MR. POPPER;S PENGUINS, TREASURE ISLAND, ROSA PARKS and the MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT and SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK LIVE!. Mr. Leathers is also the Resident Lighting Designer for Studio West Dance Theater. Last year he was on the creative team for THE REMEMBER BALLOONS, which premiered last fall and has a national tour planned for the 25-26 seaon. He previously served as R.L.D. for Nashville Ballet (’87-’22) Kentucky Repertory Theatre (’05-’08), Opera at Chattanooga Symphony & Opera (’02-’11), Ballet TN (’96-’00) and the Ryman Auditorium’s Musical Theatre (’98-’02).

He has designed lighting for theatre, dance, and opera dance since 1981 to critical acclaim. Many of his designs have been for original works. Other credits include StudioTENN, Opera Omaha, Nashville Opera, TN Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Ballet, American Negro Playwrights Theatre, Stage One, Theatre Craft, Amun Ra Theatre, Musical Theatre Louisville, Karen Steele Dance Quintet, Ballet Omaha, Ballet Austin, Cumberland County Playhouse, Dollywood, and internationally with Tanz Ensemble Cathy Sharp (TECS-Switzerland) and Ballet Manila (Philippines), and three designs at the Kennedy Center; lighting for Ben Fold’s Piano Concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Ballets’ inclusion in Ballet Across America, and scenery and lights for NCT’s JACK’S TALES.

Mr. Leathers graduated from the College of Santa Fe with a BFA in technical theatre and is a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 in both Lighting and Scenic Design categories.

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.

Marsalis Turner is the Sound Designer and Audio Engineer at Nashville Children’s Theatre. He joined NCT in 2023 and helps make all the sounds you hear during the show! From music and sound effects to microphones Marsalis works behind the scenes to help bring the story to life.

Jason Breaux is thrilled to be working on his first season with Nashville Childrens Theatre. Jason, a recent transplant to Nashville, is a 20-year veteran of technical theatre hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jason holds a B.F.A. in Visual Art from Louisiana State University. He would like to thank everyone at NCT and the Nashville theatrical community for welcoming him with open arms.

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.