Meet the Creative & Production Team
MIA SELF
Director
Mia is the assistant director of acting and directing at North Carolina State University. She has a BA in theatre from Catawba College and an MFA in directing from the University of Mississippi. Mia worked as a professional actor, voice and text coach, playwright, and director around the Southeast and Midwest before beginning her career in theatre education in 2004. She is a proud board member of the North Carolina Theatre Conference (NCTC).
BEAN HOPPER
Assistant Director
Bean is a junior in sociology. They have been involved in multiple UT shows, including crew for The Institute, performing as Reverend Hale in The Crucible, and Smee in Peter and the Starcatcher. They want to thank their family and friends who continue to encourage and support their passion for theatre.
JACKSON GRIFFIN
Assistant Director
Jackson is a senior in history with a minor in theatre. Jackson is thrilled to be a part of Ada and the Engine as an assistant director! His University Theatre creative credits include assistant director for She Kills Monsters and director for QuickSCRIPTS. Most recently, you might have seen him as John Utterson in Jekyll & Hyde. Jackson wants to thank his family, friends, and every teacher along the way for their endless love and support!
DANICA JANELLE JACKSON
Fight/Intimacy Director
Danica is the assistant director of performance here at UT, serving as both acting teacher and director. Most recently, she directed Assassins for TheatreFEST and Urinetown, the Musical. Upcoming productions include [title of show] during this summer’s TheatreFEST. Immense gratitude and pride for this unbelievable cast, production staff and crew, and the work they have put forth to make this production another one of Danica’s favorites to date.
JAYME MELLEMA
Scenic Designer
Jayme is the resident scenic designer, instructor, and theatre artist for North Carolina State’s University Theatre. Select designs at University Theatre include Ragtime, Men on Boats, Our Town, Bright Star, Cabaret, The Royal Family, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Love/Sick, The Secret Garden, The 39 Steps, Around the World in 80 Days, Little Shop of Horrors, The Burial at Thebes, The Heidi Chronicles, Chicago, and Rent. Jayme has also worked as a freelance designer for such venues as The Peabody Institute – Johns Hopkins University, North Carolina Theatre Conservatory, The Princeton Festival, Wolftrap Opera, The Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Guilford College, Duke University, and Calvin University. As a theatre artist and creator, Jayme has also been a projection designer, writer, director, devisor, puppet creator, and an alternative reality experience collaborator. He earned his MFA in Scenic Design from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and prior to becoming a designer he was a professional scenic artist. jaymemellema.com
LAURA J. PARKER
Costume, Hair & Makeup Design
Laura has been with University Theatre since 2010. She has been designing and creating costumes for theatrical productions and historic re-enactors since 1999, with a focus on historically accurate clothing reproductions and historically inspired fantasy costuming. Previously, Ms. Parker was the resident costume designer and instructor of costume design at William Peace University. Her favorite costume design credits for University Theatre include Hay Fever, The Secret Garden, Around the World in 80 Days, and Murder at the Howard Johnson’s. She has done freelance costume design for area theaters including Honest Pint Theatre Company, Sweet Tea Shakespeare, South Stream Productions, and Bare Theatre. She can often be found acting with local and regional theaters and performs improv comedy with Raleigh’s Village Idiots. Ms. Parker holds a Bachelor of arts in anthropology from Georgia State University and a Juris Doctorate from North Carolina Central University.
ROBYN WARFIELD
Lighting & Sound Design
Robyn holds an MFA with scenographic traditions from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in design concentrating in lighting and scenery. Prior to her becoming part of the University Theatre staff, she was the resident lighting designer and master electrician for the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte. She was an integral part of the creative team for a new hip hop musical, Grimmz Fairytales, which was nominated for the 87th Drama League Awards in Outstanding Digital Theatre, Individual Production, for its filmed version during the winter of 2020. While at the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, she had the pleasure to design and assist many shows that are new works that promote kindness and the ability to see growth and strength in each and every person including oneself. Not just working in Theatre for Young Audiences, she started out at theatre companies like Shakespeare & Company in Lenox MA, that concentrate on classical and contemporary works. Robyn has also designed for various dance companies in the Northeast. rkwdesign.com
JOSHUA REAVES
Projection Design
Joshua began work with NC State’s University Theatre in 2011 as the lighting and sound designer before being named director of the program in 2019. He obtained his MFA from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and a BFA from UNC-Greensboro. Before arriving at NC State, Mr. Reaves taught at Campbell University and the University of Cincinnati. He has freelanced for local and regional theatres including NCT, Raleigh Little Theatre, Manbites Dog, Justice Theatre Project, Burning Coal, NC Opera Company, The Alley Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, and New Harmony Theatre, among others. He is grateful to work next to such talented colleagues and thanks his wife Athena and two children, Piera and Aidan, for all their support during those long tech weeks.
DAVID JENSEN
Technical Director
David has been working at University Theatre since 2002. David attended Appalachian State University and UNC-Greensboro, where he studied theatrical design and production. He worked in Atlanta for seven years as a freelance theatre carpenter and technical director at most of the theaters in the metro area as well as many exhibit/design shops. David would like to remind everyone that the Arts NC State programs are open to any NC State student — Get involved!
BRIANNE CRAWFORD
Stage Manager
Brianna is a junior in electrical and computer engineering. She has participated in multiple shows at University Theatre including stage manager for Muse and Peter and the Starcatcher; and projections operator in She Kills Monsters. She would like to thank her family and friends who continue to encourage and support her passion for theatre. Brianne hopes you all enjoy the show!
ANDREW JACKSON
Assistant Stage Manager
Andrew is a junior in political science. He has performed in one show at University Theatre, What We Grew Up With,as Rajiv. He would like to thank his family and friends who continue to encourage and support his passion for theatre. Andrew hopes you all enjoy the show!
KAT KIMBRELL
Assistant Stage Manager
Kat is a senior in criminology with minors in forensic science, psychology, and theatre. This will be her seventh show with University Theatre. Kat is also a member of the event operations crew at Stewart Theatre where she assists with different kinds of arts performances throughout the school year. She would like to thank her family and friends who continue to encourage and support her passion for theatre. Enjoy the show!