SCF Theatre Faculty & Staff
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Craig SmithTheatre Program ManagerCraig Smith is originally from Ohio, which is where he discovered his love of the
arts and theatre. He studied theatre and visual art at the University of Rio Grande
near his hometown, performed in various productions, and eventually learned set design
techniques, puppet making, and directing. During this time, he toured with the original
play, “Out of the Redbrush,” for several seasons - a production that eventually played
in New York City at the 45th Street Theatre in 1995.Craig traveled extensively and
lived in cities such as Pittsburgh, New York, and Los Angeles where he worked in film
and television production and as a skilled laborer. Later, he migrated to Sarasota,
Florida, where he remains today. From 2004-2005 he taught theatre classes and stagecraft
classes at Manatee School for the Arts. He later joined the Manatee Community College
(now SCF) theatre department where he worked as the technical director and taught
a variety of courses, some of which include Theatre Appreciation, Humanities, and
Art Appreciation. In 2015, Craig became full-time faculty and served as the manager
for the SCF Neel Performing Arts Center from 2015-18. He has been the program manager
of the department since 2016 and has loved working with talented staff and students.
Craig holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Rio Grande and
spent a year in doctoral studies at Ohio University.Craig has worked on the following
shows from
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Amanda SchlachterAssistant Professor of TheatreAmanda Schlachter is an assistant professor of theatre at the State College of Florida and directs two shows per year. She teaches Theatre Appreciation, Acting I & II, Script Analysis, Voice & Diction, and Stage Movement for the Actor. Directing credits with SCF Theatre include: “Love/Sick,” “Significant Other,” “The Harvest,” “Make Believe,” “Bob: A Life in Five Acts,” “The Laramie Project,” “Gaslight,” “Anatomy of Grey,” “4AM& Selfie,” “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” and “All for One”. In addition, Amanda helped coordinate and create the film “Mythos” with SCF’s theatre and film departments. Other directing credits include “The Out-of-Door Academy;” “Reflections Theatre Ensemble's Songs for a New World;” two seasons with “Kaleidoscope” (Picture This & Unwritten), a partnership with Asolo Rep and Community Haven for Adults and Children with Disabilities; “The gg Monologues;” Sarasota Actors' Workshop and assistant director for The Source Theatre (I Want to Know); event coordinator with the national tour of “The Day I Opened My Eyes;”and The Players Theatre (“Burn This,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Flapper,” “Wonderland,” “Music Man,” “Best Beware My Sting,” “Toy Camp” and multiple original showcases). Amanda has also worked with American Stage, Sarasota Community School, the Sarasota Film Festival and Girl Scouts of America. Additionally, Amanda also partnered with Jeffery Kin, coordinating The Player's "New Play Festival" by reading, scheduling and adjudicating new playwright's work on the Westcoast of Florida. As an actor, Amanda performed with such companies at The Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Urbanite Theatre, The Hampstead Players, Student Life, Orlando Fringe Festival, The Civic Theatre, SOURCE Productions and The Gorilla Theatre. She has also performed readings locally with Florida Studio Theatre and Urbanite Theatre. Her favorite roles include Perdita in “The Winter’s Tale,” and Nepal in the “National Tour of The Day I Opened My Eyes,” which performed on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. Amanda was in the film “Surviving Lunch” that was recently released on Amazon Prime and in a PSA with the Maryland Department of Health on Addiction that won the Bronze Level Telly Award. She was also in “The Growing Garden,” a television pilot for children created by Nate Jacobs and Jerry Chambless. Amanda has taught at the Asolo Repertory Theatre, The Players Theatre, The Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, International Performing Arts Academy, The New York Film Academy and The University of Florida. She teaches laughter workshops with Christine Alexander of “Laugh to Feel Good.” Amanda is a graduate and Company member of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYC). She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre from The University of Central Florida and a Master of Fine Arts in theatre from The University of Florida. To learn more, go to: Amandaschlachter.com.
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Timothy BournTechnical DirectorTimothy Bourn is currently the technical director for the theatre program at SCF. He has worked with the program since the summer of 2015. Previously he served as the technical director for Tampa Bay Triple Threat Theatre from 2014-2016 and as the assistant technical director for the theatre program at the University of Tampa from 2011-2014. He was a properties assistant, stagehand, carpenter, and theatre lighting technician for “A Christmas Carol” at Freefall Theatre Company, and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “The Wiz,” and “In The Heights” at the American Stage Theatre Company. He occasionally works as a forensics coach for competitive speaking and enjoys finding time to perform works of poetry and theatre as a rhapsode, reciting epic poems in ancient Greek from memory. Timothy earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre from the University of Tampa in 2014 and a master’s degree in theatre from Regent University in 2020.
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Ken EricksonAdjunct Instructor / Guest DirectorKen Erickson is an adjunct instructor and guest director at State College of Florida where he teaches THE 2000 Theatre Appreciation. In 2019, he directed SCF’s production of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None.” Ken "retired" in 2015 from SCF after 35 years as the theatre program manager. Over the years he has taught countless classes, designed and costumed more than 150 productions and directed over 40 plays. Ken has an associate in arts degree from Manatee Junior College (now SCF), and a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of South Florida. |
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Madeline McGrailAdjunct InstructorMadeline McGrail Adjunct Instructor: Madeline is an alumna of State College of Florida’s theatre department, (formerly known as Manatee Junior College and Manatee Community College). She holds a bachelor’s degree in theatre from the University of Florida, a master’s degree in education from National-Louis , and a master’s degree in theatre for personal and social change from Goddard College. She has worked as a professional theatre educator, director, stage manager and actor over the course of her career. Madeline is excited to be back home teaching in the department where she fell in love with the theatre. |
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Kelly BurnetteAdjunct InstructorKelly Burnette has been an educator at Manatee School for the Arts (MSA) for the past 22 years. She was a founding chair of the MSA dance department. She has also been an adjunct instructor of dance for the past 14 years at State College of Florida. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in dance from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to being a Surdna Fellow in 2006, Kelly was selected as the 2007 K-12 National Dance Educator of the Year by the National Dance Association (NDA) and was on the cover of the April 2008 DanceTeacher magazine. Kelly’s professional dance career has taken her to 13 countries and 47 states and has included modern, ballet, jazz, tap and musical theater. She is an award-winning educator, performer, director and choreographer who has taught at conventions across the country. Kelly is a past president of the Florida Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (FAHPERD), as well as president of the Sarasota/Manatee Dance Alliance. In addition to touring across the USA, Japan, and Europe, Kelly has worked at such venues as FSU/Asolo ertory Theatre, Florida Studio Theater, Golden Apple Dinner Theater, Manatee Players, Sarasota Players, Venice Theater, Surflight Theater and the renowned Paper Mill Playhouse. She has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity for 21 years, but her proudest role is “Mom” to her beautiful daughter, Alexis!
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Kenji TrujilloCostume DesignerA proud alumna of SCF’s theatre program and graduate of Florida State University’s film program, Kenji Trujillo welcomes spending time at her "home away from home." Although accustomed to designing glitz costumes for areas circuses, Kenji loves the challenge of creating designs for the intimacy and honesty of the stage productions. She also loves working with SCF's creative directors and set designers, but most of all with the SCF students full of budding talent. Kenji is also employed at New Gate Montessori and works to help enrich their Art/Circus/Education programs. |
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Brent A. DenisonManager, Performing Arts CentersBrent Denison graduated with a master of fine arts degree with an emphasis in stage management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has worked as a member of the technical crew, as a stage manager, or on stage as an actor for over 60 theatrical productions throughout the United States. He was the production stage manager for the Nevada Conservatory production of "Annie," starring Sally Struthers; the resident stage manager for nine productions with the Santa Clarita Regional Theatre; stage manager for College of the Canyons theatre department productions; and ticketing and patron services manager for the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center also at College of the Canyons. He has worked at The Colosseum in Las Vegas with Celine Dion in “A New Day;” at the iconic STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles; at the Straz Center in downtown Tampa; and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. Some of his favorite roles include Pippin in "Pippin," Clifford Bradshaw in "Cabaret,"
Mr. Carmichael in "Floyd Collins," Nanki-Poo in "Mikado," Mayor and Senator in “The
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” Drosselmeyer in “The Nutcracker” and Mitch in "A
Streetcar Named Desire."
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April SheelyAdministrative AssistantApril Sheelyan , administrative assistant, has worked for State College of Florida since 2011 and the SCF Music Program since 2016. She is a native of West Virginia, has a bachelor's degree in interior design from the Ringling College of Art and Design, and is an avid cyclist. She assists in the scheduling of courses, administering of scholarships, production of concerts and event coordination, and any administrative task necessary for the success of the SCF Music students.
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