Playbill | Meet the Creative & Production Team
DANICA JACKSON
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.
HEATHER J. STRICKLAND
Fight Choreographer
Heather has worked for 20 years as a director, actor, and dance/fight/movement/intimacy choreographer. Recent fight/intimacy choreography credits include Theatre Raleigh’s Yellow Face, NC State University’s Assassins, and Raleigh Little Theatre’s The Mountaintop and Pippin. Favorite projects include director for Bare Theatre’s all-female Titus Andronicus and EverScape, director for RLT’s What We’re Up Against, choreographer for Justice Theatre Project’s Oliver!, movement director for RLT’s Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and Sonorous Road’s The Wolves.
BENJAMIN TARLTON
Fight Choreographer
Benjamin is a senior at UNC Chapel Hill graduating in May in dramatic art with and a music minor. He has studied stage combat with the Society of American Fight Directors under Jeff A.R. Jones for over five years now, and has done fight choreography for shows all over North Carolina.
JAYME MELLEMA
Scenic Design
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 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.
PATRICK MATHIS
Lighting and Sound Design
Patrick holds an MFA in Theatre Design and Technologies from Utah State University and a BS in Information Science and Technology from Mercer University. They have worked in theatre and live entertainment across the nation and internationally in the areas of technical theatre, as well as lighting and media design. Outside of their academic and theatre focused work, Patrick is the founder and CTO of the Entertainment Engineering Collective, a group of international artists focused on bringing streaming and media support to emergent artists and theatre companies. Patrick is also a proud partner and tech specialist at subTEXT Solutions Dramaturgy, a member of CITT/ICTS, USITT, and Actors Equity. They are beyond excited to be a part of the NC State family and take part in the magic being made at the University Theatre.
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 Direction
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!
CAROLINE EMMA DIAZ
Student Costume Designer – Kaliope/Kelly
Caroline is a senior in fashion and textile design in the Wilson College of Textiles. She began volunteering in the costume shop in the Fall and has worked on The Crucible and Urinetown productions. As an aspiring costume designer herself, she was extremely excited to get to student design the character of Kaliope for this production. She is grateful for all the new skills she has learned while working in the shop and is eager to utilize them in her upcoming career.
NICK RiCHARDE
Student Costume Designer – Orcus/Ronnie
Nick is a senior in film studies and sociology with a minor in art and design. They have previously worked on Our Town as a light board operator, and as wardrobe head for The SpongeBob Musical and The Crucible; and they have worked as a student technician in the costume shop since Fall 2021. Nick is the current president of UT’s Psi Kappa cast of Alpha Psi Omega, and hopes to help foster a deeper community at NC State through UT. They would like to thank UT for allowing them to push themself further than ever before, and to thank all their friends and family for supporting them.
JACKSON GRIFFIN
Assistant Director
Jackson , is a junior in history with a minor in theatre. He is thrilled to be a part of the creative team for She Kills Monsters! Jackson has acted in a couple of shows at University Theatre, most recently playing Officer Lockstock in Urinetown, the Musical. He’s excited to get some more experience in directing under his belt and wants to thank his family, friends, and every teacher along the way for their endless love and support!
REBECCA PEACE
Stage Manager
Rebecca is a sophomore in math. This is her fourth production at University Theatre. She worked as a production assistant for the university’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and as an assistant stage manager for The SpongeBob Musical and Urinetown, the Musical. She is very excited to be working on her fourth show here at NC State.
KAT KIMBRELL
Assistant Stage Manager
Kat is a senior in criminology, psychology, and forensic science. This will be her fourth 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!
CHRISTY KIM
Assistant Stage Manager
Christy is a sophomore in art and design.
LOLA JUNE BYERS-OGLE
Assistant Stage Manager
Lola is a junior in English literature with a minor in theatre. This is their fourth production with University Theatre, and their first as a member of the crew. They are so grateful for the opportunity to expand their involvement with theatre in a new capacity.
MADALINE CORE
Assistant Stage Manager
Madeline is a freshman in history. This is her second show at University Theatre. Although she has never worked in tech before, Madeline has been involved in the performing arts for almost a decade, with her favorite shows being Peter Pan (Wendy Darling), Hairspray (Tracy Turnblad), and University Theater’s very own Urinetown, the Musical (Little Sally). Madeline would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their continued support!