2020 Virtual Iowa Thespian Leadership Day
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Session 5: National Speaker Spotlight (12:30 PM - 12:50 PM)
Description
Learn about leadership from theatre professionals in this engaging session. You will be motivated and inspired by the stories shared by these national leaders in theatre, including multiple Tony-Award nominees. These speakers will share information with you that will be helpful as you serve as leaders within your school, troupe, and theatre community.
Learn about leadership from theatre professionals in this engaging session. You will be motivated and inspired by the stories shared by these national leaders in theatre, including multiple Tony-Award nominees. These speakers will share information with you that will be helpful as you serve as leaders within your school, troupe, and theatre community.
About Our Presenters
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Hunter Bell is a Tony and Drama Desk-nominated writer and performer based in New York City. His musical writing credits include [title of show] (Broadway, Tony Nomination, Drama League Nomination, OBIE Award), Silence! The Musical (Lucille Lortel Nomination), Now. Here. This. (Vineyard Theatre), Bellobration! (Ringling Bros. Circus), Villains Tonight! (Disney Cruise Lines), Found (IAMA Theatre, Atlantic Theater, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Drama Desk Nomination), Julie Andrews’ The Great American Mousical (Goodspeed Theatre), and the upcoming Other World (Bucks County Playhouse, Delaware Theatre Company). His musical Now. Here. This. (Flexible School Version) is proudly licensed with Concord Theatricals and can currently be seen on Broadway on Demand here: tinyurl.com/NHTBODOCSA. Hunter is a proud graduate and distinguished alumnus of Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts. He is a Georgia Thespian and former STO (Troupe 3423), has served on EdTA Board of Directors, and is currently Vice-Chair of the Educational Theatre Foundation National Board. Instagram: @huntbell
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On the operatic stage, Cole Grissom has been lauded a ‘...compelling vocal and physical presence...’ (SF Weekly), and has also been known to "[steal] scenes with a powerful voice, and the deliberate swagger of a rock star" (Queens Chronicle). After completing his studies at the New England and San Francisco Conservatories of Music, Mr. Grissom has sung with opera houses across the country in roles that include Scarpia in Tosca, Escamillo in Carmen, Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress, Méphistophélès in Faust, and the title roles in Macbeth, Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, The Mikado and Tartuffe. Equally at home in musical theater, he has performed with the New York Musical Theatre Festival, the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, as well as regional houses across the country. He is a previous finalist in Dramatic Interpretation at the National Forensic League National Championships and is a proud AEA member.
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Andy Grotelueschen is a proud graduate of Clinton High School and an alum of Thespian Troupe #452. He received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the musical Tootsie. He has appeared Off-Broadway and around the world in Fiasco’s Into the Woods (Menier Chocolate Factory (London), Roundabout Theatre Company, McCarter Theatre Center, Old Globe; Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Revival and nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical), Twelfth Night (CSC), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Theatre for a New Audience, St. Clair Bayfield Award), Cymbeline (Theatre for a New Audience/Barrow Street Theatre), Measure for Measure (The New Victory Theater, Long Wharf Theatre) and The Imaginary Invalid (Old Globe). He also appeared on Broadway in Cyrano de Bergerac. His other New York credits include Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew (Theatre for a New Audience), the Cyclops in The Odyssey (Public Works at Delacorte Theater), and world premieres at 13P, The Exchange, and St. Ann’s Warehouse. Mr. Grotelueschen’s regional credits include Yale Repertory Theatre, American Repertory Theater, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Folger Theatre, Trinity Repertory Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Guthrie Theater, and all across the country with The Acting Company. He has appeared on television in Elementary, The Good Wife, The Good Cop and The Knick. His film credits include Still on the Road (PBS), Coin Heist (Netflix), Geezer, Land of Kings,and Tumorhead. He is a graduate of the Brown University/Trinity Repertory Company M.F.A. Program in Acting.
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Gai Jones is the President of the national Educational Theatre Association Governing Board which sets policy for the professional members and students of Theatre; Thespians; CA Youth in Theatre Founder; has a theater named after her at El Dorado H.S. She writes Theatre Ed books, directs, produces educational Theatre productions, and is a SAG/AFTRA commercial actress. She is the author of RAISING THE CURTAIN, www.perfectionlearning, BREAK A LEG, A LOVE LETTER TO THEATRE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, (a gift for theatre teachers) www.gaijones.com, an e-book THE STUDENT ACTOR PREPARES: ACTING FOR LIFE, www.intellectbooks.com, and CURTAIN GOIN’ UP: TRUSIMS AND TIPS FOR COMMUNITY THEATER ACTORS, DIRECTORS, TECHNICIANS AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS.
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Mezzo-soprano Bridget Skaggs has swiftly gained the attention of Chicago audiences as “a compelling force” with an “agile, expressive voice” (Chicago Classical Review) equally at home in opera, art song, and oratorio. This season she sings Zosia in Two Remain with Chicago Fringe Opera, where she also debuted the role of Austin in The Great God Pan, and sang the song cycle Naomi Songs in Love Wounds. Bridget is increasingly recognized for her excellence in Baroque repertoire, having performed Giunone in Cavalli's La Didone with Haymarket Summer Opera Program and Bradamante in Handel's Alcina with Chicago Vocal Arts Consortium. A passionate advocate for art song, Skaggs is a founding member of vocal quartet Fourth Coast Ensemble. She will record this year in music by composer Lori Laitman, and has recorded the American premiere of Paul Abraham's jazz operetta Ball at the Savoy for future release.
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Julie Cohen Theobald is the President of the Educational Theatre Foundation and Executive Director of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), home of the International Thespian Society. At EdTA, Julie serves over 5,000 theatre educators and 100,000 student members of the International Thespian Society with programs that strengthen theatre in the school setting. She has doubled the size of the organization since taking the helm in 2011 and forged key partnerships with the theatre and entertainment industry. Julie has a lifelong involvement in theatre and over twenty-five years of business, marketing, and management experience. She ranked in the Top 50 Marketers in the US awarded by Advertising Age in 2005. In her career at Procter & Gamble, she launched the Febreze brand which grew to $150 million sales in its first year and over $1 billion today. Julie also served as Brand Manager of Tide detergent, growing sales to over $2 billion in the strongest period of growth in its 60-year history. Julie holds an MBA from the University of Chicago in business economics and marketing, and a BA from Duke University in public policy. She is a wife and mother and active in Cincinnati community theatre as an actor, director, and producer.
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Lauren Worsham is a Tony-nominated actress and singer. She was nominated for a Tony and won Drama Desk and Theatre World awards for the role of ‘Phoebe' in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (2014 Tony winner for Best Musical). Recently she recurred on multiple episodes of The CW's Valor. She was seen in New York City Center’s gala production of Sunday in the Park with George and the Encores! productions of Call Me Madam and Big River. Other favorite roles include ‘Lisa' in the BMP production of Dog Days at Montclair Peak Performances, Fort Worth Opera and LA Opera for director Robert Woodruff; ‘Flora' in Turn of the Screw at New York City Opera for Sam Buntrock; ‘Amy’ in Where’s Charley? at Encores! for John Doyle; ‘Cunegonde' in New York City Opera's Candide, and ‘Olive' in the first national tour of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Lauren performs frequently in concert at Carnegie Hall, 54 Below, Joe's Pub, Caramoor, Merkin Hall, Oregon Bach Festival, Galapagos Art Space and New York City Opera's VOX. Lauren placed second in the Kurt Weill Foundation's Lotte Lenya competition. She’s co-founder and executive director of the downtown opera company, The Coterie, and is a founding member of the band, Sky-Pony. More at laurenworsham.com.
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