Kathy Newman (Director), earned her MFA in performance at the University of Southern Mississippi. She is a certified specialist in the Meisner Technique of acting. She has directed over 30 shows most notably, Agnes of God, Guys and Dolls, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Wedding Singer, No Exit, Curtains, Rebecca, Picture of Dorian Gray, Much Ado About Nothing, Two Rooms and Big Love. She is a professional actress with memberships in SAG/AFTRA. Kathy worked in NYC for over two decades where her credits include stage, television, film and national commercial work. While in NYC she studied at the prestigious Actor’s Studio as well as in the Tim Phillips studio for On Camera Meisner Acting and under the tutelage of Peter Miner (television and film director). Currently she serves as Associate Professor of Acting and Directing here at Mississippi University for Women, and continues her professional acting coaching. Favorite acting projects include, “The Devil Tree: (dual roles of Sumpter and Lucille), The Exonerated (Sonja Jacobs) and the short film “Unseen Abilities (Aunt Sue).

DAVID CARTER (Scene Designer) is a Professor and Chair of the MUW Department of Theatre, as well as the Director of the Theatre Education MFA Program. In addition to designing sets and lights at MUW, he has also designed professionally for New Stage Theatre in Jackson MS, Lees-McCrae Summer Theatre in Banner Elk NC and Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke VA. Some of the shows he has designed sets and lights for on the Cromwell Theatre stage include Once Upon A Mattress, The Mousetrap, Silent Sky, Lysistrata, and You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown. He originally hails from North Carolina where he obtained an MFA in Scene Design from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Professor Carter draws inspiration from the memory of his beloved wife, Madelon.

BRONWYN TEAGUE (Visiting Assistant Professor, Lighting Designer, Technical Director) earned a B.A. in Theatre from Mississippi University for Women. Credits from the W include Lighting Design for Stuart Little, When Night Falls, and Special Effects Design for Blythe Spirit. After the W, she earned an MFA in Lighting Design at the University of Southern Mississippi. While at Southern, she designed lights for several productions including Peer Gynt, The Seagull, The Matchmaker, and Machinal. Teague has worked on numerous productions with Tupelo Community Theatre as Lighting Designer, Scenic Artist and Technical Advisor. Prior to teaching at MUW, she was Production Manager at New Stage Theatre in Jackson, MS. Credits from New Stage include Lighting Design for Beauty and the Beast, Silent Sky, Sweet Potato Queens, Sister Act, and Murder on the Orient Express. She also was Props Designer and Paint Charge for various shows. She has spent several summers working at Carey Dinner Theatre in Hattiesburg, typically as the Lighting Designer but also as Technical Director. Last summer, she was the Lighting Designer for the world premier of Waffle House, The Musical at CDT. Teague also spent several years working for different theaters in the Salt Lake City area including Desert Star Playhouse, Hale Center Theatre, and Utah Contemporary Theatre. Every January, she is the Technical Director for the Mississippi Theatre Association State Festival and has recently been asked to be the Technical Director for the Southeastern Theatre Conference Community Theatre Festival every spring.

Kay Manzolilo (Costume Designer) lives in Ethelsville AL with her husband, Larry. She has always had a passion for sewing and loves finding vintage clothing. Some of her favorite credits are “An Inspector Calls” (NWCC), “The Glass Menagerie”, “The Rose Tattoo”, “Period of Adjustment” and “Night of The Iguana”(Tennessee Williams Tribute), “Boeing, Boeing”(NWCC, Seamstress), and “Macbeth”(UNA, Seamstress). Her most recent credit is “Still Life with Iris” (MUW Theatre Department). Kay is excited to be working with the students and staff of MUW Theatre Department again.

Payton Bellew has been doing theatre since high school. He’s done sound design for many shows, most recently for MUW’s productions of Still Life with Iris, Two Rooms and No Exit. 

Alex Palmiter (Stage Manager) is a freshman at MUW majoring in theatre. Originally from Meridian, MS, they were part of the theatre group, Stage 2, and graduated from Mississippi School for the Arts. They starred in many shows at MSA, but have recently been more focused on the technical aspects of theatre. They have worked as a stagehand, light and sound board operator, lighting designer, and now stage manager!

Virgil Simpson (Hair and Makeup Designer) and assisted on costumes. He is a freshman at MUW studying Theatre and is a member of the Ina E. Gordy Honors College. Virgil was involved in theatre during both his time at Horn Lake High School and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, and recently acted and did tech work for Golden Triangle Theatre. This will be his first production working directly with the Mississippi University for Women.

Davianna has served as props master on several shows for the MUW theatre department.