Classes and Workshops

Joelle (she/her) brings 20 years of teaching theatre and public presentation to the table. She LOVES sharing the joys of theatre, helping children gain confidence and have a blast while doing so. Through energy instruction, young actors will learn the wonderful world of sharp theatre and technique! Her OTHER favorite things are currently eating interesting food and reading children’s stories… out loud.

Liv Wilson (she/they) is a playwright, librettist, and teaching artist based out of Washington, D.C. Their work has been seen at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, The Tank, Dramatic Question Theatre, Folger Theatre’s Works in Progress, Boise State University, The University of Texas at El Paso, and at The Premiere Theatre Playwriting Competition. Liv is the recipient of the Howard Scammon Prize for Drama and the Martin Jurow Theatre Arts Award for artistic excellence. Liv has worked as the Resident Dramaturg for Ford’s Theatre, Cadence’s Sitelines BLM series, the National Playwrights Conference, and countless independent works. Liv also writes for Cadence’s TV series, Bloodlines. They are a National Theatre Institute alum and a current Pipeline New Works Fellow.

Seth Davis (he/him) is the Executive Director of The Lyric Theatre, with over 20 years of experience in professional theatre. Prior to beginning his tenure at The Lyric, Seth served as a music director for regional theatres throughout the Southeast, followed by a nine-year position as Resident Music Director for Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke, VA.  He has worked on pre-Broadway productions, award-winning regional theatre productions, new musicals, and film & television productions. Seth has also served as musical director for Georgia Tech, Oglethorpe University, and Hollins University in addition to teaching at The Alliance Theatre, Aurora Theatre and judging many regional music and theatre festival competitions. Seth is passionate about sharing his love of music and theatre with students of all ages!

Kayla Lees. Kayla caught the theatre bug around 20 years ago and has been working on and off
the stage ever since. She is a self-taught artist who has helped create sets, props and costumes
for hundreds of productions. She has worked on everything from community theater, to murder
mystery dinners, to Shakespeare, tv, indie films, even immersive horror and art experiences.
She is so excited to share her love and knowledge of theatre and creating!

Susie Young is a choreographer, director, educator, and community and cultural organizer based in Roanoke. She recently got her M.F.A. in Directing and Public Dialogue at VT in May 2023 after a fifteen-year career directing and choreographing in theaters and schools nationwide. She is an artist-in-residence with Roanoke City and works at The Cranwell International Center as a program coordinator. Her most recent work has been a series of performance projects exploring the intersection of theater, dance, and agriculture. She works in various ways with farmers and artists across the Roanoke Valley to make art projects that explore food systems and land connections.

Lucinda is an award winning playwright, actor, director, intimacy professional and teaching artist with over 20 years of working with diverse groups to write, devise, create,and perform.

As a playwright, the majority of her plays are research based, creative non-fiction including her solo actor play, “O’Keeffe!”, about artist Georgia O’Keeffe which she has toured nationally and internationally and is published through Playscripts, Inc. The award winning, “Shatter the Vessel—the Controversial Life of Bishop James A. Pike”. She has penned several plays for Colonial Williamsburg and facilitated/directed the critically acclaimed devised piece, “Journey to Redemption”. She has had commissions from Hampton History Museum, Chrysler Museum of Art, The Gibbes Museum of Art, Generic Theatre, Birmingham Children’s Theatre, Washington & Lee Univ., and others. She is Teaching and Touring Artist with the Virginia Commission for the Arts, a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and Actors Equity Assoc., and holds an MFA in playwriting from UVA.

As an actor, Lucinda has performed on stage, film, and TV. She premiered her solo-actor play about artist Georgia O’Keeffe, O’Keeffe! (with McDermott in the role) in NYC at the William Redfield Theatre, later at Primary Stages. She has toured the show nationally and internationally. Other favorite roles include Clairee in Steel Magnolias  and Mrs. Peacock in Clue at Wolfbane Productions, Miss Hannigan in Annie with Roanoke Children’s Theatre and Lily in Annie at The Haymarket, many productions with Mill Mountain Theatre, the Nurse in Wings at Firehouse Theatre/Richmond, and many others. TV: FBI Files, The New Prosecutors. Many independent films and commercials for Honda, Ford, Lester Cabinets, Delta Dental, etc.

Lucinda is a member of Actors Equity Association, and is on the Touring and Teaching Artist rosters with the Virginia Commission for the Arts. She has taught acting at VCU, UVA, VT, RU, and Hampton Univ. She has directed many productions, and is also an Intimacy Choreographer.

Lucinda holds an MFA in Playwriting from the UVA, a BFA in Acting from VCU. She studied extensively in NYC with acclaimed actor Michael Moriarty and with the famed HB Studios. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild, and Actors Equity Association. For more info please visit LucindaMcDermott.com