Touring Theatre of NC

Artists

Founder and Producing Artistic Director,

Brenda P. Schleunes

Ms. Schleunes has adapted, compiled and directed more than 30 productions for Touring Theatre of North Carolina. Her stage adaptations range from educational programs for school children, to sophisticated and insightful productions for adults.

When choosing material for adaptation, Ms. Schleunes often uses poetry and short stories. However, Touring Theatre’s strong repertoire also includes productions based on diaries, interviews, letters, and culturally significant music. Her productions have been presented throughout the Eastern United States.

Ms. Schleunes holds an MA from UNC Chapel Hill in Communication Studies with a concentration in Performance Studies. She also studied theatre at Lakeland College (Wisconsin), the University of Minnesota,and UNC Greensboro. Ms. Schleunes is the recipient of the 2008 O.Henry Award from the Greensboro Partnership and the 2005 Literary Laurel from the Greensboro Public Library.

Music Director, Wayne Seymour

Folk musician, storyteller and composer, Wayne Seymour teaches dulcimer, and plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, piano and any other instrument needed to enhance the words and images that are a part of Touring Theatre’s repertoire. He has worked as Touring Theatre’s Music Director since 2000 and has composed two violin scores, and directed, accompanied and composed original songs or arrangements for existing songs for eight additional productions. With several productions he created a musical accompaniment as actors rehearsed. Mr. Seymour has made several CD’s and performs at festivals and leads workshops in folk instruments across North Carolina. He is also the author of an instruction book for dulcimer.

PhotographeR, Kathy dollyhigh

Contracted Artists

Betsy Brown, remembered for her work with Touring Theatre in its celebration of North Carolina poetry, This Is the Place Where I Live, is featured as in Look Back the Maytime Days: from the Pages of Fred Chappell. Ms. Brown also appears frequently with the Broach Theatre and the Barn Dinner Theatre.

Dauna Brown-Jessup appears in Touring Theatre’s productions, Star-Spangled Girls, The Life and Times of Fannie Lou Hamer and Piece Work. Ms. Jessup owns The Fine Arts Center of the Triad and has appeared professionally with The Barn Dinner Theatre and The Broach Theatre as well as in major films such as The Color Purple.

Laurine Concutelli is featured in Touring Theatre’s Star Spangled Girls, Piece Work and portrays Leokadia Jaromirska in Letters from Leokadia. Ms. Concutelli has also appeared professionally with the Broach Theatre and is well-known regionally as a professional vocalist.

Drew Dupont is featured in Touring Theatre’s Birds of a Feather, Let Your Children Tell, Letters from Leokadia and Look Back the Maytime Days: from the Pages of Fred Chappell. He holds a BA in Theatre Studies from Guilford College. Mr. Dupont has worked with the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, the Informal Theatre Company and is a former member of the John Gamble Dance Theatre.

Juan Fernandez toured with The Touring Theatre in Let My People Go. He has also appeared with The Dallas Theater Center, The Circle Theatre, The Jubilee Theatre, and Casa Mañana Theatre in Ft. Worth, Texas, and locally with the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, The Barn Dinner Theatre, and films for NBC and PBS.

Stephen Gee founder and Artistic Director of The Broach Theatre Company, is featured in Touring Theatre’s The Life and Times of Fannie Lou Hamer and Look Back the Maytime Days: from the Pages of Fred Chappell. Mr. Gee also appeared with The Touring Theatre in productions of Let my People Go and The Exonerated. This talented artist directs and performs with The Broach Theatre and appears in regional theatres across the southeast.

Lian Holmes violinist and actress, performs in the Touring Theatre productions Let Your Children Tell and Letters from Leokadia. Ms. Holmes has acted extensively Off-Broadway, regionally and in major motion pictures. She received a B.S. in Music from Wellesley College and her MFA in Theatre from Trinity Rep. Ms. Holmes has taught in the Theatre Department at Greensboro College and is presently a faculty member for the Theatre Department at Bennett College in Greensboro, NC.

John R. Kernodle holds a degree in theatre from Elon College. In his capacity as Touring Theatre intern, he is filling the role of company stage manager and Administrative Assistant.

Junious Leak is featured in Touring Theatre’s The Life and Times of Fannie Lou Hamer and Piece Work. Mr. Leak performs with Triad Stage, Open Space Theatre and as a guest artist at Clemson, Virginia Tech and North Carolina A & T universities. Regionally, he performs his original, one man production about the life of Paul Robeson for performing arts venues and is featured in numerous commercials, television productions, and films including The Color Purple.

Linda Lindsly is featured in Touring Theatre’s Star-Spangled Girls. Linda studied acting for the camera with Deborah Kintzing of Greensboro and directs theater in Lewisville, NC.

Camilla Millican performs with Touring Theatre’s production of Star Spangled Girls. Ms. Samuelson has experience performing locally with The Broach Theatre and regionally with The Repertory Theatre of America, The Palmer Theatre, The Reynolds Theatre and has appeared in several films.

Ashby Pettigrew, a graduate in theatre from UNC Ashville, has appeared in the Touring Theatre productions, Trickster Tales and Under the Sombrero and is currently in Letters from Leokadia. Ms. Pettigrew is also an accomplished stage manager and serves in that capacity for local professional theatres and dance companies.

Ueli Schweizer returns to the Let Your Children Tell cast several years after his debut with Touring Theatre in 2001. Mr. Schweitzer serves as concert master of the Lee County Symphony and has performed with the Greensboro Symphony and the Santiago Chile Symphony.

Joseph Shelton is the featured fiddler in Look Back the Maytime Days: from the Pages of Fred Chappell. Mr. Shelton is a veteran of fiddle playing for more than 30 years, appears with the Home Town Boys and other groups that focus on Appalachian music. In addition to performing, Mr. Shelton teaches dulcimer and fiddle and repairs stringed instruments.

Kay Thomas is featured in the Touring Theatre productions, Star-Spangled Girls, Let Your Children Tell, and Letters from Leokadia. Ms. Thomas holds degrees in vocal performance from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has worked with the Triangle Dinner Theatre and as Choir Director in churches in Wisconsin and North Carolina. Ms. Thomas also works with Touring Theatre as Contract Coordinator, Road Manager and Stage Manager.

Cassandra Williams portrays Fannie Lou Hamer in The Life and Times of Fannie Lou Hamer and was featured in Touring Theatre’s production Family Business. Ms. Williams performs professionally with the North Carolina A&T Theatre Department, the Barn Dinner Theatre, Triad Stage and the North Carolina Black Repertory Company as well as regional theaters throughout the southeast and in Washington, D.C. She is retired from a career as teacher and founder/director of the Dramatis Personae Acting Company of Southeast Guilford High School.

VIdeo clips

The Life and Times of Fannie Lou Hamer: Rehearsal Clips

Let Your Children Tell: Wake County Arts Festival Showcase Scene