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How SLT Alum Amelia Jo Parish Leapt to Professional Contracts and a National Tour

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How SLT Alum Amelia Jo Parish Leapt to Professional Contracts and a National Tour

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On stage, Chicago based performer Amelia Jo Parish is magnetic. Her warm, bubbly persona translates to lovable characters that audiences root for. She flexes powerful vocals and bold performances that feel completely natural, but Parish insists that polishing her talents required a lot of hard work. Springfield Little Theatre was a major part of the training ground that helped her grow into starring roles.

“I learned about SLT just from going and seeing such wonderful productions. It was definitely a place where I was seeing that I wanted to get up on stage,” Parish reflected. “I started doing School’s Out Workshops and Play in a Day at SLT. I auditioned for a few things, and then I got to be in CINDERELLA in 2007, and it was just a blast. That’s how I started – through the education program.”

Parish is now living the actor’s dream, and she sees threads from her SLT years running through every aspect of her career. Her resume boasts professional contracts around the country and the lead role in a national tour. Parish says that some of her earliest professional credits came onto her radar through SLT relationships. She landed her first contract in a Tent Theatre production of OKLAHOMA! while only a teenager when SLT Education Director Lorianne Dunn promoted the audition.

“I love when Lorianne talks about being a sponge and following those leads. I got to work with Lorianne, who choreographed that show, so I got to do an equity show in high school so I could really see what this world was that I was getting into,” Parish marveled. “So many of my friends that I have worked with and that I have met through SLT have gone on to be friends that I have done things with professionally, like Cody Collier and Imari Stout.”

Fellow SLT alums Collier and Stout have also developed careers in the theatre. Stout has acted on network TV, performed in a national tour, and is now Production Manager of High Tide Theatrical. Collier toured in the original cast of the North American leg of Nickelodeon and Hasbro’s PEPPA PIG LIVE. He eventually became Associate Director of that tour and urged Parish to audition. She rose to the occasion and utilized the SLT facilities to prepare her audition.

“Cody asked me to audition and then I booked a studio at The Judy and filmed it,” Parish explained. “I do think it’s such a lifelong community that you’re joining when you’re joining SLT. It’s not just that stage. You’re there for each other throughout it all, giving each other tips.”

Her preparation and dedication landed Parish the title role of Peppa in the US/Canadian tour of PEPPA PIG’S ADVENTURE. The show blends high energy performance and puppetry for young audiences. It’s a highly physical, demanding role, but Parish has nothing but smiles when she remembers the experience.

“PEPPA was so much fun. I loved going on tour,” she gushed. “Just the fact that I’ve gotten to work contracts – as soon as one ends, there’s no promise that another one is ever gonna come, so you really soak that in. I’m just grateful that I’ve gotten so many opportunities to stretch my wings and be part of a show. That’s my favorite thing to do.”

The roles haven’t stopped for Parish. She has appeared in GREASE at The Muny, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE at Goodspeed Opera House, ONE MAN, TWO GUV’NORS at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, HAIRSPRAY at Timber Lake Playhouse and more. Although expectations are high and there’s a rigor to working at a professional level, Parish felt that her SLT experience had prepared for the rehearsal process.

“It’s definitely a different schedule, but other than that, [SLT is] doing such great work on a limited schedule, which I think is really impressive and a testament to the passion that everybody is bringing to the plate,” Parish admired. “We’re not rehearsing all day long. We only have three hours at the end of the day. If anything, I feel like we’re working doubly hard in those three hours. I think that that’s cool that there are people that are willing to do that and put that extra work in. I learned at SLT how to behave at a professional theater.”

Parish emphasized that preparedness is key when cast and crew are volunteering their time. Rehearsals are brief and there’s not much time to refresh memories. After a full day of work and family obligations, to come in and dedicate time to crafting a fully mounted production as a volunteer is remarkable, she observed.

“When we block a scene, we’re going to come back and have it memorized. When we learn a dance, we’re going to come back and it’s going to be ready. Because you have so little time, it makes the time you have so much more potent in rehearsal, I think” she said.

Between contracts, Parish has returned to SLT to teach, direct, and perform. In 2022, she held the lead role of Woman 1 in SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD at The Judy. Parish recalls that show running on an abbreviated rehearsal schedule.

“I think SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD went up in like a month and a half,” she recalled. “It’s always amazing when we’ve really just been meeting up in the evening and now, we’ve got a whole show and we’re going to invite the community to it. It’s different because of the time, but the effort and the talent is the same.”

Parish credits SLT with encouraging her to try her hand at multiple positions in the theatre beyond performance. That support, she says, helped her to fall in love with the whole process, take ownership, and try new things. Her journey has included being a member of Y.E.S. Troupe, assisting with Play in a Day Workshops, volunteering on crew, and working in the office.

“If you’re ready to learn and you want to learn and you’re willing to help out, they will always find a place for you to go,” Parish praised. “I don’t know that I would have believed in my own abilities to do anything other than just be on stage, but [Executive Director] Beth [Domann] and Lorianne were always like, ‘You can do this.’ I think that kind of support and belief in you before you can believe in yourself is really helpful. When you decide to do art professionally, it does look different every time. You’re not always on stage. Sometimes you are teaching, sometimes you are helping backstage. It’s better to have that spirit of, I just love being here, I love theater, and I love this process, so I want to help it happen however I can. That community minded approach to just jumping in I think is helpful and that is just very specific to SLT.”

One of Parish’s proudest accomplishments was directing an Education Series production of CHARLOTTE’S WEB at The Landers. Among all her unique experiences, she still feels that directing that cast ranks among her favorite memories.

“It was such an honor, and I am so grateful for that trust in me to be able to take on a whole production. It was one of my favorite experiences to date, for sure,” Parish smiled. “Those kids were so fun and ready to work. It was just really cool to direct something and go up on that stage. Very unique to SLT to give those opportunities and take a chance on folks.”

Parish returns to SLT as her schedule allows. She enjoys being involved with guiding the next generation of performers on their path. As for advice, she hopes that the current SLT students can appreciate the moment they’re in before they spread their wings.

“Try not to be in a rush,” Parish advises. “Soak up every moment of this because this is a place that you won’t find very often. If you audition for a show and didn’t get in, can you get on crew, can you ask if you can assistant direct? It’s such a pick-your-own-adventure at SLT. Don’t pigeonhole yourself into anything. Try and really soak every single part of it up.”

Explore opportunities for young performers to get involved this season.

Broadway Star Kim Crosby Kept SLT in Her Heart Amid a Professional Performance Career

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Springfield Little Theatre alum Kim Crosby was appearing in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Berkshire Theatre Festival while composer Stephen Sondheim was crafting a new musical weaving together classic fairy tale characters. When a casting director scouted Crosby, she exuded the qualities Sondheim had envisioned for a new ingenue role. After five auditions, Crosby was crowned Cinderella in Sondheim’s exciting new work, INTO THE WOODS.

Before crossing paths, Crosby had previously appeared on Broadway in JERRY’S GIRLS – a send up to another musical theatre great, Jerry Herman. Sondheim had already emerged as a musical theatre titan with hits like SWEENEY TODD, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, WEST SIDE STORY, and GYPSY.

“Once you get past the fact that you’re working with a god like Stephen Sondheim, everybody gets down to work. He was tremendously accessible,” Crosby explained. “Obviously, we were all in this together and it was imperative that he be able to [make changes]. I was constantly getting notes from him. I even saved a lot of the little, square, post-it sized notes that he wrote out when he would watch the show.”

INTO THE WOODS was still very much in progress when the cast and creative team met in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre. Creating a brand-new show with Sondheim and legendary director James Lapine was intense work that required every bit of Crosby’s signature professionalism and focus. Much of the rehearsal process was a whirlwind as Sondheim and Lapine molded the complex ensemble narrative into a cohesive whole.

“Much changed in the process,” Crosby revealed. “We would have entirely new songs go in one night that were not there the day before, changing lyrics, changing blocking, jumbling scenes. It’s like everything gets pixelated and then it comes back together again. It was very intimidating at first, obviously, to be working with Sondheim. But that quickly vanished, especially when we were in the trenches trying to implement every change they made and make it the best it could be.”

With characters shifting, scenes moving, songs being inserted and removed, the cast and crew had to remain fully focused. One notable change Crosby recalled was the Narrator played the Wolf in an early rendition, but later the Wolf was reassigned to the Prince Charming actor. Some of the updates blurred together in the chaos of rehearsals, but one special addition remains crystal clear in Crosby’s mind.

“I’ll just never forget, my favorite moment was when Steve Sondheim came in. We were all pulled into the rehearsal room because he had a new song that he wanted to put in called ‘No One is Alone,’” Crosby reminisced about her character’s tender ballad near the close of the show. “So, I have a recording of him singing, ‘No One is Alone.’ That I got to sing that first was a tremendous privilege. I’m just so proud of that.”

INTO THE WOODS is known for its lush sets and elaborate costumes, but at its heart, the story explores the joys and heartbreak of relationships and parenting. Crosby didn’t yet know that the show would become deeply engrained in the throughline of her own family.

Enter Prince Charming. When INTO THE WOODS moved to New York, Robert Westenberg stepped in to originate the dual role of Prince Charming/The Wolf on Broadway and would later earn a Tony nomination for his performance. Crosby and Westenberg married and had three children together.

Increasing her ties to the legacy of INTO THE WOODS, her father, Don Crosby, eventually closed his dental practice here in Springfield to pursue his own passion for acting. Despite starting later in life than his daughter, his career was a success, and he earned his first equity card in the national tour of INTO THE WOODS as Cinderella’s Father.

“[INTO THE WOODS] just gave me my life. It gave me all the things that are important to me,” Crosby reflected. “I will forever be grateful to have been cast in that. To James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim. What a rarefied air to get to breathe for a while.”

The full circle moment began many years back when Crosby’s father introduced her to Springfield Little Theatre and she was instantly smitten with the stage. At five years old, Crosby sang in the children’s chorus of THE KING AND I. The production was a true family affair as her father played the role of Lun Tha and her brother and sister were also in the cast.

“Every once in a while, in some shows, you’ll just get this little pang of pure joy,” Crosby recalled of being on the Landers stage. “I just had that so many times there where I think, ‘Gee, I love what I do. I love this.’ It’s magic. It’s really magical to hear the strings of a live orchestra playing an overture. It’s thrilling and terrifying and really fun at the same time.”

Her mother, Donna, was a mainstay behind the scenes throughout Crosby’s many seasons performing at the Landers.

“Mom was always involved in some way or other. If she wasn’t sewing costumes, she was running the box office or serving on the board. Doing anything and everything,” Crosby remembered. “She’s the epitome of a volunteer. In a community theatre like that, it’s absolutely required to make it run. She was just full of all that passion.”

Growing up, Crosby maintained ties to the Landers Theatre, including a successful bid for America’s Junior Miss which was hosted at the historic location. Crosby attributes her ultimate success in the competition to her familiarity with the location.

“When I was in high school, I was in the America’s Junior Miss pageant, and it was onstage at the Landers. I have to say I think it gave me an unfair advantage,” she laughed. “I just felt at home. I was at home. I had been down in those dressing rooms. I had climbed up those stairs from the basement hundreds of times.”

From a young age, Crosby felt confident that the theatre would be her future. She moved to New York to attend the Manhattan School of Music studying opera, but her heart told her that musical theatre was her true calling. Ever since her earliest experiences at SLT, she felt happiest in a musical.

“I’ve just felt really privileged to have [SLT] available to me,” Crosby professed. “Had I not lived in this community or had Little Theatre, I don’t know what else I would have done. Whether I would have found my way into the profession that I eventually had if not for that. It’s just a rare and wonderful thing.”

Success bloomed early for the talented vocalist. Credits stacked up including GUYS AND DOLLS on Broadway, MY FAIR LADY at the Muny, and national tours of OKLAHOMA! and PETER PAN. Although she was booking top tier professional gigs, Crosby never forgot her home stage and returned to Springfield Little Theatre in guest roles over the years in MY FAIR LADY, MARY POPPINS, MAMMA MIA!, and even INTO THE WOODS. Crosby said it was no question that any time she was invited back, she was excited for the opportunity.

“The [SLT] productions are always so first rate. It’s not just the talent that’s on stage, but it’s production value and just the commitment to the art form. It’s just so rare,” she praised. “What Little Theatre has been and means to the community. There are so many people to commend for keeping it up and running and maintaining the quality of what is constantly presented. It’s why people passionately support it. It’s a gem. It’s a real gift to humanity.”

Crosby remained close with her family, but she credits her husband with steering them back toward Springfield where they settled for more than a decade after years in New York and Colorado. Westenberg moved the family to Missouri to lead the respected theatre programs at Drury University and Missouri State University. The move opened Crosby to more opportunities to perform live for her hometown.

Crosby praised the growth she’s seen in SLT’s programming, particularly for students. She is an advocate for the arts and the skills that are formed through learning live theatre.

“I have to say, just the strength of the programs for kids, what that has bred in the community and what talent has come out of that because of the great instruction and consistency. It’s such a rare thing,” Crosby admired. “Especially now where most people only venture in that tiny little phone. You have so few opportunities to put it down and actually be live opposite someone else and be able to express yourself in person. It’s just awful that that’s a very rare thing, but I think that’s why we love it so much and how important that is to connect to people live. It gives us courage. You overcome your fears, you walk on stage, you say your lines until the jitters in your voice subside, and it’s a victory to be able to get out there and tell a story and to be brave. It’s just so gratifying.”

After a lifetime of being tied to Springfield Little Theatre and INTO THE WOODS, Crosby still cherishes both.

“INTO THE WOODS is woven into our family,” Crosby declared. “My brother, Craig, played Jack the first time that they produced INTO THE WOODS at Little Theatre. [SLT] was my life and my haven and my happy place for all the while we were there and remains so. When and if I ever get another opportunity, I would gladly come back and work there again.”

Explore audition opportunities this season at Springfield Little Theatre.

OKLAHOMA! Star Gabby Catlin Spent Years Looking for an Artistic Outlet Like SLT

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Growing up in Indiana, OKLAHOMA! was one of the first musicals that captured the imagination of actor Gabby Catlin. She remembers that as a child, her family owned a VHS copy of the classic along with CATS and WEST SIDE STORY. This sweet memory sparked her excitement to audition for the final production of Springfield Little Theatre’s 90th EMERALD ANNIVERSARY SEASON. Even with her lifelong affinity for the show, she was surprised to land the lead role of Laurey Williams.

“When I found out [SLT was] doing OKLAHOMA!, I was like, I have to audition,” Catlin gushed. “I just have to be in the show because it’s gonna be so memorable for me to be able to live out little Gabby’s fantasy of this show. Then the cast list came out and I was flabbergasted and so honored. I started crying in the car. I just was so excited that I feel like from day 1, I was automatically connected with her and felt like I knew her.”

Although she has spent a lifetime watching Laurey’s story, Catlin started fresh in her preparation. She dug deeply into the character, even preparing a music playlist to align her mindset with Laurey’s.

“It’s kind of a fun thing to do because I use all types of music,” Catlin shared. “Modern music and old music and musical theatre and non-musical theatre. It’s just all about the feelings it evokes and how to get yourself in the right space.”

Tracks where she finds inspiration include ‘You’re the One that I Want’ and ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ from GREASE but also music from Sara Bareilles, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dion. These powerhouse women guide Catlin through Laurey’s strengths and stumbling blocks.

“Some folks might hear that and think, ‘Well how in the world?’ But really, it’s about I’m listening to a song and think, ‘Oh no, that’s Laurey. She’s in there,’” Catlin explained. “So, I add it to the playlist to just again make that connection, get those feelings, find those moments to speak deeper to get into the zone.”

During the rehearsal process, Catlin has been digging into the text under the guidance of director Clayton Avery. Laurey is the show’s protagonist, but not always its heroine. She can be daring and independent, but also fickle and immature. Catlin is sympathetic toward Laurey’s faults as well as her moments of triumph.

“One of the things I love about working with Clayton is that he does a lot of table work and scene work with his actors just so they know the background and the history. Their relationships with others,” she praised. “Getting to explore those pieces is what really fleshed out Laurey for me. There’s moments where as an audience member, you maybe don’t like her and moments where you think, ‘Why did you do that?’ But as the actor, you always have to be your characters’ biggest advocate. In real human life, not every choice everyone makes is agreeable. Not every choice is something that we want to root for.”

Catlin studied theatre during undergrad at Millikin University, but discovered a second passion that led her to pursue a masters degree. That training led her to become Director of Student Conduct at Missouri State University where she oversees disciplinary matters for the institution. She helps guide struggling students to recover from their mistakes; a trait she sees reflected in Laurey’s journey.

“I found that is kind of a connection with my job. One choice does not a person make,” Catlin philosophized. “It tells the larger story. In finding Laurey, she makes some choices, and she makes some statements, and she does some things that to the onlookers, it frustrates you or infuriates you, but how human is that? To portray a character that’s perfect all the time, that’s not real to life. I love that Laurey really shows a true to life person that deeply deals with struggles and makes choices and isn’t somebody you always want to root for, but as the actor, my job is to tell the complete story and find the humanity through it all.”

Laurey and Catlin share a bold independence and a powerful soprano range. They have also both been imbued with resilience after learning that getting what they want hasn’t been a straight line. Catlin enjoyed performing while growing up in Indiana and decided to pursue theatre in college. After several disappointments, she pivoted to crisis management.

“In college, there really wasn’t anything locally besides the productions that we would do in school, and I never got cast in school,” she revealed. “So, I saw everything, but I never got cast while I was in college. I kind of got the message that, ‘Well, maybe you’re just supposed to be a theatre enjoyer and not a theatre performer.’ Which is kind of why I set my sights elsewhere.”

Catlin accepted a job offer and moved to Springfield without knowing a soul. She found it difficult to make connections at first and treated herself to a solo night out to see MATILDA at Springfield Little Theatre. She recalls texting a friend to share her admiration for the performance and expressed interest in joining the organization. She passed on the next audition but eventually stepped up to take a shot at CINDERELLA. Her audition didn’t go as planned, but the experience drew her in, and her efforts paid off.

“I went [to audition for CINDERELLA] and funnily enough, I ended up getting up on stage to sing my song and I forgot everything and had to start over again. And I was like, ‘Well, what do you do?’” she laughed. “But everybody was so nice, they were so encouraging. I had so many people just come and compliment me and say kind things to me. Chyrel Miller was the director and said, ‘You did a beautiful job,’ and I just left the space feeling so encouraged. I thought, even if I don’t get a callback, what a positive experience I had that I could come back and do this again and feel the same way. So, then the callback happened and then I got cast and the rest is history.”

Catlin admits that she would have liked to have had more access to the arts growing up. She performed in choirs and did plays in school and church, but she marvels at the SLT youth programs.

“Coming here and seeing just how high of caliber the showmanship, the performances, the quality is. And that it’s all volunteer based. I had never experienced anything like that,” Catlin noted. “As I have been more and more exposed to the Judy and the [Springfield Little Theatre] education department and education series, I think about the different trajectories my life could have had if I had had education and training exposure at such a young age. I’m so thankful that I’ve got that now, but it’s really, really incredible to watch these kiddos get to experience these things and have these teaching moments that even if they decide not to go on and pursue theatre professionally, they’ve got such fundamental life skills from being able to be in productions. To think quickly, to manage time well, and build relationships in such a high stakes environment while creating art bringing together community. I’m envious of that and so grateful that I’ve found that now.”

In only a few short years, Catlin has found her name on several cast lists in the Ozarks – often as the lead. She finds gratitude in the way her life has unfolded and the opportunity she now has to balance two of her passions every day.

“I really just think that hopefully folks can take from my story, even if somebody tells you ‘no’, if you have the passion to pursue something that you should continue to chase that,” she encouraged. “Though my 8-5 job is different than this, I still very much view this as a part of who I am. That I am very much an actor and a performer and an artist and just encouraging folks that if that’s your dream, if that’s your passion, don’t let anybody stop you from that. That’s so vital and the right people will come along at the right time to help that come to fruition.”

After a long day at a demanding office job, Catlin treats playing to a house of more than 500 people like her second job. She prepares, shows up, and delivers. “Sometimes the opportunities aren’t there, and we create them ourselves, but if you have the passion and the drive for doing that, you are the artist that you say you are.”

Tickets are now available for the final weekend OKLAHOMA! at Springfield Little Theatre.

Clayton Avery’s Journey from Student to Closing Out the 90th Season As OKLAHOMA! Director

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In the nearly 20 years since Clayton Avery made his mainstage Springfield Little Theatre debut in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA, he has steadily ascended to direct another beloved classic by the legendary Broadway duo. Avery helms a cast of more than 40 performers in the pivotal classic American musical, OKLAHOMA! The song and dance spectacular closes SLT’s 90th EMERALD ANNIVERSARY SEASON. Avery says that he is aiming to deliver the beauty and joy that audiences expect while viewing the work through a fresh lens.

“I’m going for a traditional look. [We’re] absolutely honoring the text, but the original script has a lot of subtexts and a lot of sarcasm and a lot of saying one thing but meaning another thing. I am just curious what happens if a lot of that is taken away and what you say is what you feel,” Avery explained after studying the script and other stagings including the 2019 Broadway revival. “There is a way to kind of combine the two. That’s kind of what I’m going for. It will still absolutely be traditional, pretty, happy OKLAHOMA!”

The original 1943 Broadway debut stunned with the spectacular dream ballet that integrated story and dance to further the plot. Avery recruited fellow Silver Dollar City performer Melody Boyens to choreograph the show, including the iconic ballet. Details like finding the right choreographer for his vision and overseeing the construction of the 19th-century costumes fill Avery’s to-do list.

“I’m just swimming in documents of cast conflicts and this version of a rehearsal schedule and that version of a rehearsal schedule and costume concepts,” he described. “You’ve got to think about how many days does this take place over? How many costumes does this person [need]? Honestly, some of this stuff is probably more than I need to be doing. Doing it, even if it’s outside of my technical job description, it helps me learn the show by doing all the things.”

Many SLT students on a professional trajectory have dreamt of sitting in the directors’ chair on a mainstage production. While a creative vision and a broad technical understanding of staging a musical are critical, Avery shared that there is more to directing than many people appreciate.

“Leadership is probably #1. Being a good leader,” he explained. “Being able to collaborate with everyone on the creative team. The actors. I like using the actors’ input. A lot of times they have better ideas than I do. Just being an actor for so many years before directing, I just know what I liked from directors, or didn’t like from directors. It’s just been a process mainly from being a performer of seeing what I like, what I don’t like.”

Avery began training at SLT as an actor in elementary school. He initially took an acting class from Executive Director Beth Domann and an improv class from Y.E.S. Troupe alumni Lucas Grabeel and Susan LaBarr. After attending Summer Stages, Avery began auditioning for mainstage productions, eventually landing an ensemble role in CINDERELLA.

“I still remember choreo from that show, but I don’t remember choreo from a show that was like two or three years ago,” he joked. “It’s funny how strongly that first one sticks in your brain and is so magical.”

Avery closed out his final two years of high school as a member of Y.E.S. Troupe in what he remembers was “such a strong group.” Under the tutelage of Tony nominee Robert Westenberg, Avery studied theatre at Drury University. He ultimately double majored in both theatre and music in preparation to work as a music director.

Professional theatres in Kansas and Colorado quickly came knocking. Avery spent time at various playhouses including Great Plains Theatre and the Glenwood Vaudeville Review. He recalled learning classic vaudeville-style during his residency in Glenwood Springs and that those skills enhanced his performances at Silver Dollar City. However, he can trace the origin of his comedic skills all the way back to his childhood.

“We lived out in the country. I didn’t have any neighbors. I was just always at home pretending,” Avery remembered. “My mom would take me to the theatre a lot as a kid. I saw a lot of theatre combined with being at home and having no friends around me and just using my imagination. I feel like I always kind of had a bit of a theatrical something inside of me. For me, I’ve always loved finding the physicality and the voice of a character. Then, being a musician I feel like also helps with comedic timing.”

His unique style and mesmerizing stage presence captured lead roles in SLT productions including THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY, HELLO, DOLLY! (Cornelius Hackl), and THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG (Max). When Avery set his sights on returning to the Ozarks, an opportunity that combined his talents appeared, solidifying his next move.

“It was kind of perfect timing because the Welk in Branson announced they were doing SHREK in the summer and it was a really well paying, long run. SHREK was one of my favorite shows that I did at SLT,” he said. “I ended up playing Lord Farquaad. That was the summer of 2019. While I was there, that’s when I met [my partner] Brian [Kress]. He was also working in Branson at the Showboat [Branson Belle]. Then COVID happened. I just ended up staying. That’s when more of the directing things started coming.”

Avery began his SLT directing run in the education program in the 2016-2017 season. His success led to larger assignments including music director for THE WIZARD OF OZ, THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MUSICAL, and CLUE THE MUSICAL. Eventually, he stepped up to direct mainstage title SCHOOL OF ROCK.

“It just started with JR. shows, and I guess I proved myself,” Avery reflected. “I don’t know. Beth just continued asking. Then OKLAHOMA is the biggest one I’ve had, definitely, so far. SCHOOL OF ROCK was a big one. That was a mainstage and a full two act show.”

Avery aims to continue growing and learning with a goal to pursue a masters’ degree. Until then, he expressed gratitude for the training ground SLT has provided in fostering his career. The community theatre label has never diminished his view of the programs.

“I think most of the shows that I’ve done or seen at SLT have been better than many of the professional shows I’ve been in.”

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