Strong Inside
Sept 7 - Sept 26, 2023
Presented by Vanderbilt University
Adapted by Tyrone L. Robinson
From the book by Andrew Maraniss
Directed by Tamiko Robinson Steele
and Ernie Nolan
In Hill Auditorium | World Premiere

Special thanks to our Season Sponsor, Vanderbilt University.

Who's Who

Luke McGuire (Pinwheel)

Luke McGuire is a teaching artist assistant at Nashville Children’s Theatre and a local Nashville actor. You might have seen him in Cedar Point’s Live Entertainment Snake River Expedition (Bucky Kentucky), Watershed Public Theatre’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged (Adam) or Murfreesboro Little Theatre’s Puffs (Wayne). Luke is excited for his first show with Nashville Children’s Theatre and would like to thank the cast, crew, and his friends for this opportunity to be part of this special show.

Luke McGuire (Pinwheel)

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Luke McGuire (Pinwheel)

Luke McGuire is a teaching artist assistant at Nashville Children’s Theatre and a local Nashville actor. You might have seen him in Cedar Point’s Live Entertainment Snake River Expedition (Bucky Kentucky), Watershed Public Theatre’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged (Adam) or Murfreesboro Little Theatre’s Puffs (Wayne). Luke is excited for his first show with Nashville Children’s Theatre and would like to thank the cast, crew, and his friends for this opportunity to be part of this special show.

Will Henke ( Patches)

WILL HENKE is a recent Vanderbilt graduate and a lifelong Nashville theatre lover. After being a fan and camper of NCT, Will will be making his Nashville Children’s Theatre debut in The Three Little Kittens. You can also catch him in NCT’s Strong Inside and as Borachio in Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Much Ado About Nothing. When he is not acting, he is directing and writing, producing Vanderbilt’s The Last Five Years and writing their 2021 comedy of errors Wingman Telegram. Thank you to his parents for supporting his dreams and Miss T for taking a chance on him as Cinderella’s Horse #3.

Will Henke ( Patches)

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Will Henke ( Patches)

WILL HENKE is a recent Vanderbilt graduate and a lifelong Nashville theatre lover. After being a fan and camper of NCT, Will will be making his Nashville Children’s Theatre debut in The Three Little Kittens. You can also catch him in NCT’s Strong Inside and as Borachio in Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Much Ado About Nothing. When he is not acting, he is directing and writing, producing Vanderbilt’s The Last Five Years and writing their 2021 comedy of errors Wingman Telegram. Thank you to his parents for supporting his dreams and Miss T for taking a chance on him as Cinderella’s Horse #3.

Alisa Osborne (Pippa)

Alisa Osborne is thrilled to make her NCT debut! She is a Senior at Belmont University studying Music and Public Health. Alisa is a decorated member of Belmont’s Speech and Debate team and has earned multiple national titles as well as National Champion in Informative Speaking. Her upcoming regional performances are in the chorus of Nashville Opera’s Pagliacci as well as The Magic Flute.

Alisa Osborne (Pippa)

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Alisa Osborne (Pippa)

Alisa Osborne is thrilled to make her NCT debut! She is a Senior at Belmont University studying Music and Public Health. Alisa is a decorated member of Belmont’s Speech and Debate team and has earned multiple national titles as well as National Champion in Informative Speaking. Her upcoming regional performances are in the chorus of Nashville Opera’s Pagliacci as well as The Magic Flute.

Jason Burns (Stage Manager)

Jason Burns is the head electrician and Snuggery stage manager. He has been working as a freelance technician and designer for 4 years with credits such as head electrician for “Charlie Brown Christmas Live” with the Gershwin Company, assistant lighting designer for “The Rat Trap” with the Mint Theater Company, and lighting designer for Maximilien Robespierre Did Nothing Wrong” with Stockton University. He is very excited to get to work and put up live theater for younger audiences.

Jason Burns (Stage Manager)

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Jason Burns (Stage Manager)

Jason Burns is the head electrician and Snuggery stage manager. He has been working as a freelance technician and designer for 4 years with credits such as head electrician for “Charlie Brown Christmas Live” with the Gershwin Company, assistant lighting designer for “The Rat Trap” with the Mint Theater Company, and lighting designer for Maximilien Robespierre Did Nothing Wrong” with Stockton University. He is very excited to get to work and put up live theater for younger audiences.

Nashville Children’s Theatre is a professional company employing members of Actors’ Equity Association. * Equity Actor

RONA SIDDIQUI - MUSIC & LYRICS

SCOTT ELMEGREEN - BOOK

LINDA CHICHESTER - STORY ADAPTATION

DAVID COFFMAN - STORY ADAPTATION

Design Team

Creative Team

NCT Staff

Special Thanks

NCT Staff

Development Associate

Abby Baker

Patron Services Manager

Justin Gunn

Director of Finance

Belinda McSween

Communications Manager

Lake Summar

Director of Production

Rachael Silverman

Drama School Coordinator

Matthew Hayes Hunter

Front of House & Box Office Manager

Bob Roberts

Resident Stage Manager

Abby Austin

Education & Engagement Manager

Jackie Komos

Director of Education

Colin Peterson

Director of Development

Gretchen James

Our Generous Donors

Nashville Children’s Theatre is able to produce quality Theatre and Educational Programs for Children and families in Middle Tennessee because of the following generous donors. We are grateful for your support during the 2023 and 2024 seasons

$50,000 and Above

Amazon
John Ingram
Metro Arts of Nashville
The Shubert Foundation
Tennessee Arts Commission

$10,000 to $49,999

Anonymous
Marlene and Spencer Hayes Foundation
HCA Foundation
Memorial Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
William Morris Endeavor Foundation

$5,000-$9,999

Linda Chapman
The Danner Foundation
Jamie and Billy Eskind
INSBANK
Ingram Charities
Junior League of Nashville
Martha River Ingram Advised Fund
Sejal Mehta & Devin Sherman
Perry duGard Owens & Anthony Owens
Piedmont Natural Gas
Pinnacle Financial Partners
Publix Super Markets Charities
Spencer Fane Bone McAllester
Margaret Tolbert
Vanderbilt University Division of Government and Community Relations
William Wilson
J. Stewart & Kerry Witzeman
Elisha & Jeffrey Zander

$1,000-$4,999

Karen & Larry Ahern
Aderibigbe & Hermica Alalade
Alliance Bernstein
Collin Barrett
BFT Land Design
In Honor of Cora & Emma Bonfiglio
Phillip & Lacey Branch
Amy & Julian Bryant
Laret Casella
Kate & Matt Chinn
Tamara & John Ray Clemmons
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Donna & Jeffery Eskind, MD
The Steven and Laurie Eskind Foundation
Kacy & Benjamin Fabie
Mignon Francois
Dorothy Cate and Thomas F. Frist Foundation
Mike Gersper
Christie & Melissa Hauck
HCA Healthcare/TriStar Health
Dr. Trish Holliday
In Memory of Mikayla Yopp Honeycutt

Ingram Content Group
LUUM Studio
Elaine Lytle
David and Linda Maraniss
Joyce McDaniel
Jeremy McDuffie
Belinda McSween
Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp
Nashville Electric Service
Nashville Predators Foundation
Nissan Foundation
Amy Pearl
Andrea Perry
The Rich Foundation
Tunisia Scott
Amanda Sekulow
Susan Shanks
Dr. Jan-Néé Sheats-Mathis
Jim & Lori Shulman
Annette Sisson &Jimmy Davis
Karesse Small
Patti and Brian Smallwood
Friends of Phil Smith
Synovus
T & T Family Foundation
Target Corporation
Suzanne & Richard Tatum
Tennessee Theatre Association
Yvette Brooks Thomas
Amanda Thorton
Tolbert Marketing and Events
Pecolia & Ryan Tubb
Elizabeth, Kevin Jude & Xavier Warren
Lionel Washington
The Washington Foundation
Jayme Yeo & Richard Marigza-Yeo

$500-$999

Joy Baxt
Ann & Frank Bumstead
LaTandra Collins
Kelley Durham
Cassie Edenton
Paula Fox
Tanisha Hart-Love
Daniel Hatalsky
HCA Caring for the Community
Angela Heidel
David Jones
Rachel Jones
Carol & Howard Kirshner
Paul Kurtz
Millie & Davidson Lentz
In Honor of Livie & Kirby Grace Lemmons
Allison & Andrew Maraniss
Jeffrey McKissack
Mandy Milek
Holden Mobley
Katherine Murrie
Valerie Nagoshiner
Ryan Peters
Michael Raiff
Marti & Billy Rosenberg
Jeff Sansino
Dana Sherrard
Pat Toomay
Sondra Wade
Amanda Wallace
Harrison Williams
Carla Yeo

$250-$499

Trisha Allen
Anderson Benson Insurance
Charles Avent
Tiffany Degrafinreid
Robert and Kim Early
Kate Esteller
Meredith Ezell
Elizabeth Gaccione
Frye Gaillard
Pam Hagy
Sarah Hale
Tonya Hallett
Nita Hill
Deb Holloway
Lynne Ingram
Piper Jones
Isaac Krispin & Isabel Tipton-Krispin
Anna Kuzmi
Scott Leathers
Karen Litterer
Katheryn Martin
Meaghan McTigue
Sarah Miller
Diana Mobley
Dylan and Corinne Morse
Larry & Marcia Mullins
Kristy Offitt
Paypal Giving Fund
Sandy & Samuel Ramsey
Sabrina Regan
Will & Julie Reybold
Nathan Reybold
Yolanda Robinson
Kamal Saba
Lynda Sebastian
Kathryn Sinback
Emily Slattery
Wendy Slaughter
Stephanie Smith
Kimberly Starks
Marie Sueing
Ed Tessier
Ben Woods
Laurie Woods
Sarah Mason Walden

$100-$249

Beth Alexander
Kelty Allen
Kennith Allen
Anonymous
Tom & Susan Baker
Nicole Ballard
Dr. Keisha Bean
Big Sunday
Shannon & Brent Blackwell
Sugar Blount
Steven Brown
Carolyn Bush
Rachel Byrd
Dr. Marti Cantrell
Mende Casey
Suzanne & Seth Cooper
Reuben Coopwood
Hanson Cowan
Jonathan Creamer
Mariwyn Evans
Dillon Finch
Michael & Deborah Fulcher
Sara Getsay
Tara & Benjamin Goldberg
Kelly Blount Grimsley
Therese Hartwell
Julie Haynes
Dan Hedrick
Mary Ann & Richard James
Mary Ann Jeschor
Douglas Kaplan
John J Kells
Jennifer Kraus
Arun Kuruppumadom
Kathy LaGrow
Pam & Clark Lea
Monica Loar
Ann Marie Mikkelsen
Andy Milstead
Heather & Adam Mordecai
Jason Murrie
William Nelson
Ernie Nolan
Ernest & Florence Nolan
Christopher Osbourn
Douglas Pasto-Crosby
Lucy Pera
Elena Reinert
Deborah Sanders
Elaine Sasser
Susan Henry Schoenecker
Jackie Seco
Laine and Houston Slatton Family Fund
Mary Sweat
Lori Tigert
Frances Tipton
Kelly Unger
Mary Vavra
Laura Veltz
Yakov Vorobyev
Jessica Walker
Amy Ward
Katie & Adam Wayne
Mary Jo Weaver
Jason Wolf

Donors as of August 3, 2023. For questions or to become a donor please contact Gretchen James, Director of Development at gjames@nashvillechildrenstheatre.org

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