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 Denice Hicks (Artistic Director) In 2005, Ms. Hicks returned to Nashville Shakespeare Festival as Artistic Director, a position she held from 1998-2002. During that time she directed Twelfth Night, The Tempest, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Shakespeare in the Park and numerous touring shows and initiated the Apprentice Company training program for teens. Ms. Hicks was a member of the original Artistic Company of the Tennessee Repertory Theatre, and in 1990 co-founded Nashville’s Darkhorse Theater. Her work has been praised by the Tennessean, Nashville City Search and The City Paper, and has received “Best Actor” and “Best Director” awards from each of those publications. A teaching artist for the Nashville Institute for the Arts, the Leonard Bernstein Center and TPAC Education since 1994, she continues to act and direct for regional professional companies such as, People’s Branch Theatre, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theater, Tennessee Rep, Dollywood, and the Nashville Children’s Theatre.
 Claire Syler (Education Director) received a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Missouri and a M.F.A. in Directing from the University of Memphis. As an educator, Ms. Syler is an adjunct professor in the Department of Theatre & Dance at Belmont University. Additionally, she is a teaching artist for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and the Nashville Children’s Theatre. An actress and director, Ms. Syler’s professional credits include the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, People’s Branch Theatre, Green Room Projects, Playhouse on the Square, Missouri Repertory Theatre, and the Huron Playhouse. Most recently, she directed The Two Gentlemen of Verona as part of The Nashville Shakespeare Festival's 20th season of Shakespeare in the Park.
Jon Royal (Teaching Artist in Residence) is a local actor, director, and teacher who got his start with students in the summer of 1990 working for the YMCA of Middle Tennessee’s childcare department and has been instructing youth ever since. He is the co founder of the Voices Arts Institute for Youth in Murfreesboro, and served as its Artistic Director from 2000-2002. He is a teaching artist for numerous arts educational programs in Middle Tennessee including TPAC education’s Artsmart and Wolftrap programs, Nashville Children’s Theatre, Stageworks, and The Nashville Shakespeare Festival. Jon has also taught master classes for youth and teens in Russia, Finland, and Latvia. He has appeared as an actor in productions by Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Nashville Children’s Theatre, MTSU Theatre, People’s Branch Theatre, Mockingbird Theatre, Actor’s Bridge, and The Nashville Opera Association.
 Jaclyn Brown (Teaching Artist) holds a degree from the University of Miami’s Studio Vocal program and works as an actress, session singer, and songwriter in the Nashville music industry. Favorite shows she has performed in include Smoke On The Mountain and A Sanders Family Christmas, Schoolhouse Rock LIVE!, Grease, Once Upon A Mattress, and Romeo Et Juliet.
Jaclyn enjoys and performs all styles of music. Her favorite songs are “Yesterday” by Paul McCartney and whatever she wrote this morning. Pick up Unsolicited Material, Jaclyn’s CD of original songs at www.jaclynbrown.com.
 Rona Carter (Teaching Artist) started her teaching career almost eighteen years ago. Martha Goodman asked her and mentored her through Drama Camps at the Nashville Children’s Theatre. She has continued to teach for NCT all these years. Rona has also been part of TPAC’s Artsmart program as a Teaching Artist for the past eight years. Her other teaching credits include the Nashville School of the Arts and Saint Ann’s Private School.
 Beth Anne Musiker (Teaching Artist) has called Nashville home since the mid ‘90s. Over the years she has lent her voice to jingles, voice-overs, animated film scores, theatrical productions and a variety of Country projects both live and recorded. In addition, Beth Anne has become quite active in arts education and training in Nashville working as a live performance coach, musical director/conductor for high school musicals and as a Teaching Artist for TPAC Education and the Nashville Shakespeare Festival.
Beth Anne is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in theater and a minor in art history. She has trained extensively as a classical pianist and violinist, studied voice with top vocal instructors and spent many years in New York City as a working singer/actress/dancer. She has also had occasion to work as a director/choreographer, vocal arranger and record producer, as well.
 Terry Occhiogrosso (Teaching Artist) is thrilled to be joining The Nashville Shakespeare Festival as a Teaching Artist. She has been an Arts-in-Education actor, director and teacher for many years in New York and the surrounding area. She has worked at the Performing Arts Foundation, the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival and performed in the world premiere of Kelly Patton’s “A Child Goes Forth”.
She cast, directed, designed and choreographed all productions at Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. Jr./Sr. H.S. for ten years and taught teacher in-service workshops at Southampton College, N.Y. She was a co-founder and program director of Theatre Arts in Education, which produced and toured original curriculum-related shows in schools, conducted student and teacher workshops and artist residencies.
Her one woman show, Animal Crackers and Crumbs, was selected by the NY State Council on the Arts to showcase at an Arts in Education symposium in Saratoga Springs.
Her training began in dance at the age of 4, but quickly turned to acting, studying theatre, dance and mime at The New School, N.Y.C. Terry has been a resident of Nashville for three years, has acted in several shows and readings, and is a TA for TPAC Education and the YMCA’s artEMBRACE program.
 Brad Oxnam (Teaching Artist) is a local actor and teacher in Nashville. He received his MFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi and his BA in Speech Communication from Delta State University. Brad is an adjunct instructor of theatre at Middle Tennessee State University and a member of the Society of American Fight Directors. As a theatre educator, he has given workshops for Nashville School of the Arts, Street Theatre Company, Davidson Academy, and (in 2009) for the Southeastern Theatre Conference. As an actor, Brad has worked with Street Theatre Company, Boiler Room Theatre, Pendulum 3 Theatre, Community Spirit, Carey Dinner Theatre, and Southern Arena Theatre.
 Jacqueline Springfield (Teaching Artist) is a professional actor, teacher, dancer and choreographer. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Theatre and Dance Department at Middle Tennessee State University. Her teaching credits include Metro Theatre Company, Center of Creative Arts (COCA, St. Louis) Urban Arts Program, Win-Win Resolutions, North Carolina Theatre for Young People. Jacqueline has studied Speech and Classical Text Analysis with Catherine Fitzmaurice, Dudley Knight, and Phil Thompson. In addition to her work in the theatre, she also performs voiceovers and has appeared in numerous commercials, industrials and music videos. Jacqueline is a certified associate teacher of Fitzmaurice VoiceWork®, and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
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