2024-25 Season
Paige Seber - Guest Designer, Lighting Design
Paige Seber (she/her) will be joining with the Utah State University Department of Theatre Arts this season as the Lighting Designer for The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Nighttime. Paige will also be teaching two workshops on Lighting Design.
Paige Seber is a native of Houston, TX and is based out of New York City. A graduate of the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University, Paige works as a Lighting Designer for Theatre, Opera, Dance, Immersive Events, and nearly anything else intended to be viewed live and in person.
Much as in the way that the presentation of a plate will enhance the flavor of the dish, Paige uses light to enhance the listening experience of musicals and plays alike. Her work in the visual medium is deeply intertwined with music and narrative rhythm. And when given the choice, Paige prefers the biggest ideas and the smallest spaces.
She is a proud member of United Scenic Artists 829.
Ali Godfrey - Founder, Generation Arts
Ali is the founder of Generation Arts. She is a director, teacher, facilitator, lecturer and social entrepreneur and has an MA with Distinction in Applied Theatre from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and a PGCE in Drama from the University of Reading. Since 2012, Generation Arts has supported hundreds of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to complete qualifications and training in acting and theatre-making and progress on to drama school, university and careers as working actors.
Over the years Ali has directed productions with young actors at The Arcola, The Yard Theatre, Central, Hackney Empire, Lyric Hammersmith, The Pleasance, The Platform Theatre, The Roundhouse, Stratford Circus, The Scoop and The Tricycle (now Kiln). Ali is also Professor of Performance Teaching at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and a visiting lecturer at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She co-founded ‘Sharing Voices’, a theatre for development project working with Tsunami children in Sri Lanka, and has facilitated drama projects working with young people from pupil referral units at The Roundhouse, in schools for Outspoken Arts and West End in Schools, co-directed START at the Lyric, Hammersmith and as an Artist Mentor for The Barbican Box programme.
For a number of years Ali was Head of Drama & Performing Arts in London secondary schools in the top 1% of deprivation where she significantly raised the profile of Drama, increasing GCSE results from 53% to 96% A*-C in two years. She has worked as a GCSE and A’ Level Drama examiner, and undertakes consultancy work in schools to support Drama teachers’ CPD. She co-produced a Drama INSET training programme at The London Palladium, and has designed the educational workshops to accompany The Railway Children at Kings Cross Theatre. At the National Youth Theatre, she managed the Playing Up social inclusion programmes for two years, delivering accredited training for young people NEET and raising achievement to 100%. Throughout 2010 and 2016/17 she enjoyed working as a supernumerary in the West End production of An Inspector Calls directed by Stephen Daldry. Ali was one of 20 social entrepreneurs nationally to be selected for the 2019 Enterprise Learning Programme led by the School for Social Entrepreneurs.
2023-24 Season
Tarah Flanagan - Director
Tarah Flanagan (Director) is delighted to return to USU for this production of It’s a Wonderful Life having previously directed the 2021 production of Christmas at Pemberley. A New York based director, actor and teaching artist, her recent directing credits include The Mousetrap (Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre), As You Like It and No Child.(Great River Shakespeare Festival). She co-directed An Iliad (GRSF, PCPA and the Cleveland Play House). Tarah adapted and co-produced The Yellow Wallpaper for Actors Theatre of Louisville, co-produced/choreographed Darwin the Series, directed by Carrie Preston and served as the dialect coach for the world premier of Imbroglio by Melissa Maxwell at the Great River Shakespeare Festival. Tarah is a graduate of Webster University (BFA) and the U. of Alabama-Alabama Shakespeare Festival (MFA). She is a proud member of AEA and SDC.
2022-23 Season
Nicole B. Adkins – “Pinocchio Teatrale” playwright
Nicole B. Adkins has taught classes and workshops to students of various ages at theatres, K-12 schools, and universities. Her plays have been performed at Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Hollins University, Mill Mountain Theatre, Studio Roanoke, Creative Drama Children’s Theatre in Winston-Salem, NC, SkyPilot Theatre in Los Angeles, the American International School in Guanghzou China, and other theatres, schools, and museums nationally and abroad.
She has ten plays published through YouthPLAYS, where she also serves as Artistic Associate. She collaborated with Matt Omasta of Utah State University on a book entitled Playwriting and Young Audiences: Collected Wisdom and Practical Advice from the Field (Intellect Press, 2017).
National playwriting awards include the Write Now award and second place in the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild Marilyn Hall competition. A Hollins Children’s Literature MFA graduate, Playwright's Lab Core Visiting Faculty member, and part-time Assistant Professor at Kennesaw University, Nicole is also a member of Dramatists Guild, Working Title Playwrights, and TYA/USA.
Nicole joined USU Theatre, along with composer Ashby Blakely, for the premiere of their new musical “Pinocchio Teatrale”. This production was workshopped within the USU Theatre Department and made its world premiere Feb. 24 – March 4th at the USU Morgan Theatre.
Britannia Howe – Guest Artist
Britannia Howe is thrilled to be working with the artists of Utah State University on the production of PUFFS.
Britannia Howe is a stage director and teaching artist, who after graduating with dual degrees in Classical Acting and Theatre Education from Southern Utah University has worked with companies such as Nomad Theatre Company, the Cabaret Theatre, Coalesense Theatre Company, the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, The Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Britannia received her Master of Fine Arts Degree in Directing from Illinois State University.
Britannia is a founder of Women of Will, an organization dedicated to providing artistic opportunities for women through classic texts. Her recent work has been directing the touring production of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival's traveling production of ROMEO & JULIET and writing and directing Utah Shakespeare Festival's GREENSHOW. Britannia resides in Cedar City with her family. As a storyteller, Britannia enjoys hearing and telling stories, especially those told by her children.
She shares "Yes, this play, PUFFS, is a parody that spills over with familiar wizards, but ultimately this is a story about growing up! The characters face death, personal identity, love inside relationships, and what it means to feel insignificant in the world at large." Britannia's Hogwarts house is Ravenclaw and she is currently reading The Goblet of Fire to her children.
Alli St. John – Guest Intimacy Director for "Spring Awakening"
Alli St. John is a director, performer, teaching artist, and cat mom. Much of her work includes devising, puppetry, music, physical theatre, jumping around excitedly, and seeking joy. Alli will working with the Spring Awakening company as Guest Intimacy Director and will be providing an intimacy workshop open to the local theatre community.
Brian Lohmann - Guest Artist Improvisation Workshop
Brian Lohmann is the co-founder of the Bay Area Theatre Sports Improv theatre company and former Associate Artistic Director of Los Angeles-based Impro Theatre. In addition to performing with theatre companies such as the American Conservatory Theatre, The Old Globe, Antaeus Theatre Company, and the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, he has performed improvisational and original works internationally (London and Melbourne). Currently teaching at Pepperdine University, Brian has also taught in the MFA program at the American Conservatory Theatre, Stanford University, UC San Diego, and the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater. Brian specializes in genre-focused improvisations based on the styles of such authors as William Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, and Charles Dickens.
2021-22 Season
Tarah Flanagan - Guest Director
Tarah Flanagan returned to Logan as Guest Director for USU Theatre's production of Miss Bennett: Christmas At Pemberley. Tarah previously appeared at UST in 2018 as Guest Artist In Residence for An Iliad.
Some of Tarah Flanagan's Credits include: The Mint Theatre, looking Glass Theatre, and off-Broadway. Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, and Utah Shakespeare Festival. Mother's Book, PBS Series Futurestates, As the World Turns, and Darwin: the Series.
Melinda Pfundstein - Guest Speaker
Guest Speaker Melinda Pfundstein presented, "MERAKI: Artistry & Wholeness. Identify, claim, and aim your unique strengths to bring your most whole, authentic self to your artistry and all you do."
Melinda Pfundstein is Executive Director and co-founder of StateraArts. She is also a director, actor, educator, arts consultant, advocate for women in the arts, and mother of three. She holds an MA in Arts Administration from Southern Utah University, where she also competed her undergraduate work in theatre and dance performance, and served on the faculty as Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts.
Geoffrey Kent - Guest Stage Combat Director
Geoffrey Kent was in Logan for residency with the USU Theatre Department to certify BFA students in stage combat.
Geoffrey is an Actor, Director, Fight Director, and Dducator based out of Denver, CO.
One of only twenty Fight Masters with the Society of American Fight Directors, Geoffrey has spent twenty seasons with the Denver Center, fourteen with CSF, and has hundreds of professional fight directing credits. Geoffrey has appeared on numerous Colorado stages as well as nationally for the Utah Shaekspeare Festival, the American Shakespeare Center, and the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre among others.
Lex Marcos - Guest Designer
Lex Marcos is a Seattle-based scenic designer/visual storyteller born and raised in Manila, Philippines.
He has designed for Intiman Theatre, ArtsWest, Sound Theatre Company, ACT, Portland Center Stage, and others. His works Ang Post Office ng Hari and Umaaraw Umuulan Klnakasal Ang Tikbalang have been selected for Philippines exhibit in the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space in 2011 and 2015.
Lex was recently inauguarated by Village Theatre as one of the invited residents of the new BIPOC Northwest Creator residency program.
Lex briefly joined UST as a guest artist, designing scenery for "Getting Near To Baby" and teaching design workshops.
Joshua Streeter - Visiting Artist
Joshua Streeter joined UST for workshops with theatre education on Theatre for the Very Young. His workshop series and teachings analyze the pedagogies used in rehearsals and classrooms and considers the relationship between processes and product in a creative experience.
Joshua is an Assistant Professor of Theatre Education at Emerson College. He was named the 2015 Winifred Ward Scholar from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education. More recently, he received the 2021 An Flagg Multicultural Award and the 2021 Provost's Award for Excellence in Inclusivity.
Valerie Rachelle - Guest Director
Valerie Rachelle is a professional Director and choreographer who has worked at theaters around the country including: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Syracuse Opera, Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater, Utah Shakespearean Festival, PCPA Theaterfest, and many others.
Valerie is the Artistic Director of the Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland, Oregon.
Valerie joined Utah State Theatre as Guest Director for "9 to 5: The Musical".