What some of our grads are up to...
Alumni Spotlight - Treston Henderson (He/Him) - BFA Music Theatre - 2020
After successfully touring with the 1st national tour of Ain't Too Proud To Beg, and then appearing in several regional productions, Treston will be making his Broadway debut in The Wiz as a swing.
Alumni Spotlight - Jennifer Whitcomb-Olivia (She/Her) - BA Theatre Performance and Dance - 2010
Jennifer Whitcomb-Olivia is another shining example of the idea of a "multi-hyphenate" that we teach here at APSU. Jennifer is a professional actor and multidisciplinary performance artist. Some of her selected work -
- The Darkness and Other Black Things: an original one woman show that she wrote in 2019 for The Kindling Arts Festival, that continues to live on in performance venues around the country.
- She wrote my first feature film, SEVEN, that includes choreography by former faculty member and chair, Marcus Hayes.
- She recently premiered a new performance art piece entitled Sirens for the Brave New Works program for Oz Arts Nashville. She iscontinuing to develop it as it is being booked into more venues.
- She was named Best Performing Artist of Nashville 2022, (BON) by The Nashville Scene.
You can follow Jennifer on Insta and Twitter at 1chocolatemuse or reach out via email at jwhitcombolivia@gmail.com.
Alumni Spotlight - Riley Perkins (She/Her) - BBA Finance with a Concentration in Economics and a Minor in Dance - 2019
Even our minors work in the industry. Riley is currently a High School Economics Teacher and also a Dance Studio owner (Ellen Alvin Dance)! She was voted the "Green Apple" teacher in my first year of teaching economics. Her dance studio received " ADCC Studio of Excellence" from Groove Dance Competition--this award goes to a studio that exemplifies and promotes quality, integrity, and opportunity in the dance competition world. Riley exemplifies one of the core principles that we teach here at APSU Theatre & Dance: multi-hyphanate. She manages to build her career on multiple fronts while expanding her reach and experience. You can follow Riley on Insta at rileymarieperkins, or ellenalvindance. You can reach out to her via email at ellenalvindanceexchange@gmail.com.
Alumni Spotlight - Lexi Putter (She/Her) - BFA Acting/Directing - 2021
Lexi is extremely busy pursuing her theatrical and improv career. Currently living in Chicago. She is performing improv shows with One Group Mind at The Comedy Club House. She is also a student at Second City in their improv program where she recently had her debut on the famed Second City stage. She does comedy hositng as well for clubs around the Chicagoland area. She has also been seen in commericals for national products... in fact... if you scroll down you can watch one that she appeared in with fellow APSU Theatre and Dance Alum Logan Reed. When asked about APSU she said she is:
"Thankful for all my professors that believed in me. I would not be working towards my dream without them."
You can find her on Insta and Twitter at: Lexiputte99, by email at lexiputter99@gmail.com or her website at: lexiputter.squarespace.com.
Alumni Spotlight - Kevin Bradley Loveland Jr. (They/Them) - Interdisciplinary Studies Concentration in Technical Theatre and Dance - 2012
Kevin is currently the Director for the Community School of the Arts & Events Marketing Manager for the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts here at APSU. Kevin maintains a busy choreographing/performance career as well. Some selected highlights are:
- Their dance, Fliegenfalle, was chosen as the Artistic Director’s Choice for choreography at Modern American Dance Company’s 2019 Dare to Dance and was selected to perform at 2020 NACHMO Atlanta.
- They were asked by Modern American Dance Company to set work on the company. The piece, Reworked, premiered in Fall 2019 and performed again for Big Muddy Fest 2020 and St. Louis Artists for a Cause 2020.
- Their group piece,30 Minutes and Counting: Back, was selected for the gala performance at the 2019 American College Dance Association’s South Region conference.
You can follow Kevin on Insta at kevinlovelandjr.
Alumni Spotlight - Taylor Claycomb (She/They) - BFA Design - 2022
Taylor is a graduate of the BFA Design program in the dept. of theatre and dance. They have been extremely busy in the short time since graduation building a solid career in the theme park industry. In the past they have worked for Cedar Fair where she stage managed America's largest daily parade, also stage managing for horror legend Michael Roddy, and openeing 16 new productions for Cedar Fair Resort. Currently living in Newport News, VA with their partner and three cats, she works at Busch Gardens Williamsburg as the primary stage manager for Sesame Street. They can be reached at taylorclaycomb.tc@gmail.com, on Facebook at Taylor Claycomb, or insta at taylor_claycomb.
Logan Reed (2021)
Logan (BFA Acting) is performing in A Year with Frog and Toad at Woodstock arts in Woodstock, GA.
Aubrie Lauren (2023)
Aubrie (BFA Music Theatre) recently performed in Jersey Boys at the Croswell Opera House in Adrian, MI.
Kelly Barrios (2019)
Kelly (BFA Dance) is a dance instructor at Acro Dance Express and recently had students performing in the Revolution dance recital.
Lucas Blair (2021) and Katie Rose Maynard (2024)
Lucas (BFA Music Theatre 2021) and Katie (current BFA Dance senior) recently performed in Bonnie and Clyde at Mountain Movers Theatre Company.
Noah Puckett - 2023
Noah (BFA Acting) is directing Murdered to Death for Renaissance Players.
Ansley Arthur (2022), Ashley Birnbaum (2023), & Alex Vanburen (2023)
These three recent Music Theatre grads were just featured in the show County Fair at Roxy Regional Theatre.
Lexi Putter - 2020
Lexi Putter (BFA Acting 2020) is active in the improv scene in Chicago, recently performing at Second City!
Khatelin White - 2022
Austin Peay State University’s Khatelin White, who graduated with a BFA in Acting, has landed a highly sought one-year directing internship at Actors Express in Atlanta. Actors Express is one of Atlanta’s leading theaters and is helmed by Freddie Ashley, who served as APSU’s Roy Acuff Chair of Excellence and directed John Patrick Shanley’s world debut of “Five Savory Dishes” at Austin Peay in 2019.
Lauren Lynch-Eidson - 2015
Lauren received her MFA in Ars Administration from Texas Tech University in 2018. She now works as the Marketing and Communications Manager of Phamaly Theatre Company in Denver, Colorado: one of the foremost disability-affirmative nonprofit theatres in the country. She is also an Adjunct Professor at The University of Denver teaching in their Arts and Culture Management Master's program. In addition, she is a singer in the Denver Women's Chorus, and will soon have her co-written play, Time Zones Apart, published in an anthology of works written for online theatre during the pandemic. She has previously worked at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, and Wonderbound Ballet among others.
Treston Henderson - 2020
Treston received his BFA in Musical Theatre in 2020. After receiving several callbacks for Broadway shows and touring companies, he is currently a swing in the first national tour of Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Life & Times of the Temptations.
Alex Heide - 2020
Alex Heide recieved her BFA in Dance in 2020. She is currently an instructor at the Dance Academy of Michigan where she works with young dancers as they develop their skills.
Lexi Putter & Logan Reed - 2021
Lexi and Logan received their BFA in Acting in 2021. They were recently featured in a "Got Used Electronics" ad. Lexi now lives and performs in Chicago and Logan lives and performs in Atlanta.
Zack Wilde - 2021
After receiving his BFA in Musical Theatre in 2021, Zack was currently working at Glow Lyric Theatre in Asheville NC on the world premiere of Rock Opera, a devised production that incorporates rock, pop, musical theatre, and opera. Next up he will be traveling to Wisconsin to play Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and then spending a season in Ohio with Blue Jacket Musical Theatre.
Corey Finley - 2020
Austin Peay State University’s Corey Finley, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in acting, has landed a highly sought one-year acting internship at Actors Express in Atlanta. Actors Express is one of Atlanta’s leading theaters and is helmed by Freddie Ashley, who served as APSU’s Roy Acuff Chair of Excellence and directed John Patrick Shanley’s world debut of “Five Savory Dishes” at Austin Peay in 2019.
Jerry Winsett - 1974
Jerry Winsett has been active in the Film and Television industry with a lengthy IMDB credit list to prove it. He was seen in the Oscar winning film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri as well as in the recent SXSW Virtual Film Festival short Long Drive to Yadkin. He was also featured in one of the top ten most anticipated films of the Vail Film Festival in 2020: Drought. You can read more about Drought HERE. You can watch the short filmYadkin here:
You can see more of Jerry's work on his website at: www.JerryWinsett.com.
Briar Moroschak - 2017
Briar has been seen on stages from Nashville to Colorado in companies ranging from Roxy Regional Theatre, Big Sky Playhouse, Street Theatre, Chaffins Barn, and Studio Tenn. She was nominated for two Nashville First Night awards for her work in Street Theatre's productions of Light in the Piazza and Be More Chill.
Paige Briana Lewandowski - 2014
After completing a 1 year stage management internship at Lexington Children's Theatre, Paige has moved to New York where she is beginning work as a Stage Manager in the Julliard School Professional Internship Program.
William Stewart Ladd - 2014
William Ladd currently works for StageOne National Dance Competition and for Applause Talent Competition. William is also signed to the JLM Talent Management Firm.
Lauren Lynch - 2015
Lauren has started graduate work towards an MFA at Texas Tech University. She currently teaches Intro to Cinema and is in rehearsals for a role in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia for TTU Theatre and Dance's Maedgen Mainstage.
Ben McCormack - 2015
Ben has finished a season as the Assistant Technical Director at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre. Ben was accepted into the graduate program in Production and Technology Management at Carnegie Melon University where he successfully completed several years of course work. He is currently working and designing in Chicago.
Michael Mason - 2015
Michael started his professional career as a Resident Production Intern at Lexington Children's Theatre specializing in scenic painting. He was recently awarded the prestigious Eric R. Baber Fellowship from Illinois State University. This grant is to nurture excellence in individual performers in Fine Arts, through emphasis on studio approach, rather than training for teaching. The main thrust of the grant should be to help develop top-notch individual performers, and enhance ISU’s prestige as a place where the finest musicians and artists study and perform. Exceptional talent is the basis for the award.
Jennifer Whitcolm-Olivia - 2009
Since graduating from APSU, Jennifer has been acting professionally in and around Nashville. She has performed with Nashville Rep, Studio Tennessee, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theater, Nashville Opera, and others. She also teaches dance/musical theatre in the Nashville/Franklin area.
Dale Krupla - 2006
Dale is a videographer and film maker in New York City. In 2013 he founded Fez Empire Productions specializing in video production with a focus on interviews, branding from concept to completion, and editing for fashion. His work has been seen on GQ.com, WABC Eyewitness News 7 New York, Madison Square Garden and in the back of New York City taxis. His work can be seen at Fezempire.com.
Rafael Tillery - 2013
Since graduating from APSU, Rafael performed as a guest artist with Garth Fagan Dance Company, Shen Wei Dance Arts, and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II. Currently, he is in his second season as a dancer with the MADCO Dance Company in St. Louis, MO.
Kevin Loveland - 2012
Kevin completed his MFA degree in Dance at Mills College in Oakland, CA. He is an adjunct dance faculty member at Middle Tennessee State University and recently completed a summer Theatre and Dance program at the French Woods Performaing Arts Festival.
Laquimah Van Dunk - 2008
Laquimah completed her MFA in Dance at the Univeristy of Utah in 2014. She is a touring company member of David Dorfman Dance and has been a guest faculty member for Bates College as well as a staff member for the Bates Dance Festival.
Holly Brown - 2012
Since graduating from APSU, Holly has been a dance director for a music and dance studio, overseeing the dance program and performing with the Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville. Holly is now the Creative Director for ASET Academy of Performing Arts; a nonprofit in Nashville.