Faculty & Staff
Nina Lucas
Professor of Dance
MFA (Performance and Education), University of California Los Angeles
BFA (Dance Performance), The Ohio State University
Alvin Ailey American Dance Center
Phil Black Dance and Martha Graham Studio in New York City
Christopher Martin
Associate Professor of the Practice, Ballet; Co-Director of Dance
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Chautauqua Institute
School of American Ballet
Brantly Shapiro
Associate Professor of the Practice, Ballet; Co-Director of Dance
San Francisco Ballet School
Heidi Echols
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Dance
MFA (Dance), University of North Carolina Greensboro
Sam Shapiro
Visiting Lecturer in Dance
WS 124
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Royal Ballet’s Upper School
Christina Soriano
Vice Provost of the Arts and Interdisciplinary Initiatives; Professor of Dance
MFA (Dance), Smith College
BA (Theatre and Dance), Trinity College
Tina Yarborough Liggins
Assistant Teaching Professor of Dance
MFA (Arts Administration), Virginia Tech
BFA (Dance), University of North Carolina Greensboro
J. K. Curry
Professor of Theatre History
PhD, City University of New York, Graduate Center
MA, Brown University
BFA, University of Illinois
Brook Davis
Professor of Acting
PhD (Theatre History/Theory and Criticism), University of Maryland College Park
MFA (Acting), Virginia Commonwealth University
BA (Theatre and Psychology), Wake Forest University
Rob Eastman-Mullins
Professor of Design & Production
MFA (Scenic and Costume Design), North Carolina School of the Arts
BLS (Theatre & Theatre Management), Mary Washington College
Kevin Frazier
Associate Professor of Design & Production
MFA, Virginia Tech University
BA, Furman University
Cynthia Gendrich
Department Chair; Professor of Acting and Directing
MA/PhD, University of Missouri-Columbia
BFA, Illinois Wesleyan University
Kaylin Gess
Postgraduate Teacher-Scholar Fellow in Design
MFA (Lighting Design), University of Tennessee-Knoxville
BA (Theatre), Davidson College
Karsen Green
Assistant Professor of Design & Production
MFA (Theatre Design), University of North Carolina Greensboro
BA (Theatre Arts and Psychology), Furman University
Jonathan Herbert
Assistant Professor of Theatre
MFA (Dramatic Writing), Missouri State University
MA (Theatre), Missouri State University
BA (Theatre Performance), University of Missouri, Columbia
Michael Huie
Adjunct Instructor of Theatre
MA (Theatre), Wake Forest University
BA (Theatre), Wake Forest University
Michael Kamtman
Assistant Teaching Professor of Performance
MFA (Directing), University of North Carolina Greensboro
MA, University of Connecticut
BA, Bucknell University
Leah Roy
Teaching Professor of Performance
MFA (Acting), University of Wisconsin-Madison
BFA (Acting), University of Montana
Stephen Wrentmore
Assistant Professor of Theatre
B.Ed Hons, University of Cambridge
Alice Barsony
Costume Studio Manager
Costume Shop Hours: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday
Corey Gilliam
Director of University Theatre
MFA (Music Production and Sound Design for Visual Media), Academy of Art University;
MMEd (Music Education), Boston University;
Grad. Cert. (Educational Leadership), The College of New Jersey;
BMus (Music Education, Drama minor), University of Georgia;
Extended Study (Bass Performance), Berklee College of Music
Corey is the Director of University Theatre, overseeing the operations of getting productions on the Wake Forest stages smoothly. His career in music and theatre production has taken him around the globe. Corey also oversees the Participation and Intro to Theatre Lab courses.
Lara Ianni
Academic Coordinator
BFA (Musical Theatre), Ithaca College
Lara is an accomplished administrative professional with over 10 years of experience in high level office administration and operations, including work in the legal, financial, real estate, and education sectors. Additionally, she is a professional actor, musician, and teaching artist working in theatre, film and television. Teaching appointments have included Utica College (Adjunct Lecturer), LeMoyne College, Roberts Wesleyan College, and Geva Theatre Center. Lara holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Ithaca College.
Ryan McCollum
Instructional Technology Specialist
MMus (Jazz Performance), North Carolina Central University;
BA (Music Performance), Wake Forest University
Mr. McCollum graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Performance and later received his Master of Music in Jazz Performance from North Carolina Central University. Mr. McCollum has been on the staff at Wake Forest since 2009, previously working as an audio-visual technician for Brendle Recital Hall and Wait Chapel before becoming the Instructional Technologist for the Music and Theatre & Dance departments.
Chi Sharpe
Accompanist
Chi Sharpe is a percussionist extraordinaire. He is a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he began his music career with his family band “Hell ‘n’ Highwater.” The band, together 14 years, provided him with most of his early musical experience. His first formal lessons of Afro-Cuban music were in Portland, Oregon during 1976. In 1979, he began to study West African music in Brooklyn, New York. Then on to Toronto, Canada, in 1979, Mr. Sharpe accompanied exercise and dance classes revolving around African drumming, as well as provided music for African dance troupes. The first dance company he performed with was composed of musicians from South Africa. In 1985, he continued his continental drum study journey in several countries in West Africa and has since returned several times to further develop his craft.
As a freelance musician, he has worked with various artists playing many styles of music in diverse venues ranging from small clubs, theaters and concert halls, to television, film and audio recordings. In the late 1980’s and into the 90’s, Mr.Sharpe played percussion on several world tours with accomplished musicians such as Harry Belafonte, Bruce Cockburn, Rodney Kendrick, Big Ron Hunter, Jose Neto, Otesha Creative Arts Ensemble Caren Calder (dance/folktales), Matilda Giampietro, Tariq Abubakar & The Afro Nubians. He also accompanied these musicians on various media recordings including CDs, film and television.
In 1995, he moved overseas to Amsterdam and worked extensively across Europe with several artists from Guinea, West Africa who were living in the Netherlands. Chi returned to the States in 1997.
Teaching Experience:
*Helena Theatre Group. Brazilian Percussion Class for kids, Toronto, Canada.
*Goliath Music and Dance Center. African Dance Class. Adults, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
*South African Cultural Center. Six-week Drum Course. Adults / kids, Toronto, Canada.
*Connecticut Public Schools. Assemblies and African Drumming Classes.
*Washington Montessori School. One-week. Drum and Dance Course, New Preston, CT.
*Lotus Music / Dance Studios. Drumming / African Dance / Performances, New York, NY.
*Mount Zion Baptist Church. African Drum Class. Kwanzaa Celebration,. Winston-Salem, NC.
Go to his website for more information.
Lu Anne Simpson
Academic Coordinator
BA (English Literature), High Point University;
AA (Accounting), Randolph Community College
Lu Anne Mollman Simpson is Academic Coordinator in the Department of Theatre & Dance. Mrs. Simpson previously worked as the Office Manager/Client Coordinator in the Elder Law Clinic at Wake Forest University. Originally from Asheboro, NC, Lu Anne lives in Thomasville where she enjoys sewing and embroidering as well as reading, writing poetry, painting and yoga. She has served as a leader of journaling classes for teenage girls at the Baptist Children’s Home in Thomasville, and has also worked with incarcerated young men who are maximum security prisoners in Washington State. She loves working with undergraduate students as well. She is the proud grandmother of two beautiful grandchildren who live in California.
Leslie Spencer
Audience Services Coordinator, Community Ballet Registrar
BA (Arts Management), Salem College
Leslie joined the department in 2001 and received her bachelor’s degree in Arts Management from Salem College. She supervises the Theatre Box Office staff, who handle all ticket sales for the theatre and dance events. She is responsible for publicity, marketing, social media, and front-of-house operations for University Theatre productions and Dance concerts. Additionally, she is the Registrar for our Community Ballet program. For information on the season, ticket sales, or venue, please see our Box Office page
Box Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 1:00-5:00 pm and 1-hour prior to curtain
Thomas Williams
Technical Director
Mr. Williams studied Technical Direction at Chicago State university. He worked for companies such as The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, Triad Stage, Majestic Scenic, Festival Stage of Winston Salem and has done Sound Engineering and rigging work at Imagine Design and Production.
Darwin Payne
Professor Emeritus
Harold Tedford
Professor Emeritus
Mary Wayne-Thomas
Professor Emeritus of Design & Production
MFA, Ohio State University
BFA, Pennsylvania State University
Donald Wolfe
Professor Emeritus