MEET THE SPRING THEATRE TEAM!
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FOUNDER / EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Erinn Dearth ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Dan Beckmann 2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Current as of June 2024 Morrissia Ravenell, President Jennifer Flury, Vice President Terri Beckmann Mitch Neuhauser Kenya Heck Grace Reasoner Mathew Schantz |
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Founder
Erinn Dearth (Spring Theatre Founder/ Executive Director) grew up in North Carolina and is the proud daughter of Janice Dearth and the late Pat Dearth. In addition to her work with Spring Theatre, Erinn tours nationally and internationally with her USO-inspired performance group that honors veterans, active military and their families called Letters From Home, which completed a 50-States Tour in 2023. Erinn has been involved in over 300 theatrical productions as an actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, board member, director, and producer. She is the co-founder of First in Flight Entertainment and of the NC Triad Theatre League, as well as being a full-time lover of life! Catch Erinn on the live interactive talk show, rileyLive (facebook.com/HiItsRiley). AND, she is married to the amazing Dan Beckmann, officially making her the luckiest woman in the world. www.ErinnAndDan.com
leadership team
DAN BECKMANN (Spring Theatre Artistic Director) is an actor, singer, director, writer and photographer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He holds a BFA in acting from the University of Minnesota, Duluth and is a member of Actor’s Equity Association. Addicted to laughter from an early age, Dan has been entertaining since he could first make noise, and eventually made it his career to to collaborate with with Tony-nominated directors and Broadway legends on regional and Off-Broadway productions, concerts, national tours, cruise ships and international venues across the globe. To date, Dan has had the pleasure of performing on 6 out of 7 continents (looking to put a shrimp on the barbie ASAP, mate). In the past few years, Dan has developed an obsessive passion for photography, and now has his own business (creatively named Dan Beckmann Photography.) The pandemic led Dan into the world of editing, filmmaking, and audio engineering, bringing him to create two socially-distanced films, several digital concerts and music videos, and myriad other projects from the quiet seclusion of his own bat cave. He owes everything he has to the support of his wonderful family and to ADHD. www.ErinnAndDan.com
Morrissia Ravenell (Spring Theatre Board President) is an actress/singer who grew up in New York and moved to North Carolina with her parents and sister. She attended college for Culinary Arts and Hospitality. Morrissia has been singing since she could make a sound. Her mom and grandma always talks about the first time they heard her sing being when she was 3 in the car seat, singing a Yolanda Adams song word for word. She hasn't stopped singing since. Even though Morrissia hadn't officially stepped on stage until 2018, she has been acting all her life. Loving to smile, laugh and have fun have lead her through life. She has had a many roles with Spring. Some of them include; Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray, Eve in Children of Eden, and Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. She has also done other shows in the triad area. Some of the shows include playing Effie in Dreamgirls and Sofia in The Color Purple. Morrissia loves the stage, she is working towards breaking into film and voice acting very soon.
Grace Reasoner (Spring Theatre Board Member) is a playwright, actor, and stage manager based in Chicago. She has a BA in Acting and Playwriting from Columbia College. Grace has grown up with Spring Theatre, getting her start as Lucy in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. She would continue to perform in shows with Spring such as Seussical Jr., Guys & Dolls Jr., STARBOUND, Fables, Almost, Maine, and Newsies. Her experiences at Spring Theatre have given her experience that a young performer can't find anywhere else. She is the Co-Founder/Vice President of Spring's sub-company SPARK. She has also directed and produced two of original plays at Spring, Conversations and Me, My Brain, & I. Her play Pillars of Salt recently premiered in Chicago. She is also the winner of Horizon Theatre's 2022 New South Young Playwrights Contest. Grace hopes people will continue to support young creatives in all communities where art is made.
Mathew Schantz (Treasurer of Board) has been with Spring Theatre since the beginning, serving as one of the original members of Spring's Board of Directors. He currently serves on the board as Treasurer. Mathew is an Estate attorney in Charlotte, NC by day and sketch comedian/actor by night. He has been involved in theater from a young age and is currently a member of Charlotte's award winning comedy group Robot Johnson.
Kenya Heck (Spring Theatre Board Member) Kenya Heck, a loving wife and devoted mother of two beautiful girls, Kennedy (10 years old) and Daaiyah (6 years old), as well as a bonus son, Jayden (20 years old), has cherished 12 wonderful years of marriage to her husband, David Heck. Her heart is filled with joy through the roles of wife and mother, which she holds dear. Beyond her family, Kenya has a passion for the arts, finding solace and expression in singing, dancing, and the world of art. She embarked on her academic journey at Winston-Salem State University, earning her Bachelor's degree in 2003. Kenya's dedication to education has spanned two decades, encompassing roles in childcare, substitute teaching, and presently, as a Kindergarten teacher at The Arts Based School. Throughout her journey, she credits her faith, acknowledging that it is God who continually guides and sustains her in all aspects of life.
Terri Beckmann (Board Member) is a retired healthcare executive who had the privilege of leading teams and managing overall operations for several Minnesota organizations. Terri splits her tine between Burnsville, MN and Winston-Salem, NC with her husband Jerry of 41 years and our two dogs, Laney & Miley. She is a mom to Dan and Laura. As a "theatre mom", Terri has been involved in various aspects of theater for over 20 years, and was in Spring Theatre's socially-distanced film "Lock In". She is thrilled to support and be a part of the Spring Theatre family.
Mitch Neuhauser (Board Member) is Vice-President and Assistant General Counsel—Regulatory at RAI Services Company in Winston-Salem. He is very involved with United Way: having been Chair for the Tocqueville Leadership Society for several years and is now on the Oversight Board for the Place Matters program. He is also the Chair of the Board for Take the Lead North Carolina which teaches ballroom dance to 5th graders across Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. Mitch enjoys sports of all kinds, traveling, singing, and tap dancing. He has had the good fortune of performing in two previous Spring Theatre Productions including the ABCs of Broadway and The Secret Garden. He is married to Stacey, and they have two great kids, Hannah and Joey, who are both in college.
artistic team
Beth Frack (Spring Theatre Writer/Director) is a composer and songwriter of children's music. For more than 30 years she has shared her talents across the nation. Her passion for music and her love for children are reflected in her memorable songs and energetic, lively performances. Beth has written hundreds of original children's songs that teach valuable lessons and also written six musicals including “Trouble In Paradise.” Beth currently teaches a Musicare program at several local preschools and daycares. She also teaches private piano and ukulele lessons. She is know for her spectacular camps and choir programs including Jr. Beat for K-1st grade, Give Me The Beat for 2nd-4th grade, and Camp Oonie Koonie Cha. Beth has directed and written I Promise, Trouble in Paradise and Camp Wildernotes for Spring Theatre.
Christian J Albee (Spring Theatre Music Director) currently works at Elon University as a University Accompanist. He was awarded a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has served as music director for shows with Greensboro Creative and as a pianist for Community Theater of Greensboro. Mr. Albee has performed with several area ensembles, including Bel Canto Company and served as the pianist for Triad Pride Performing Arts across two seasons, including serving as the founding pianist for the Triad Pride Women's Chorus. CJ has music directed Hairspray, Alice and Wonderland, Cinderella, Beauty & The Beast Jr and Urinetown for Spring Theatre.
Serah Haley (Spring Theatre Music Director) has been singing and performing since as long as she can remember. While studying at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, she sang in and directed UNC’s oldest coed a cappella group, Tar Heel Voices. In 2010, Serah joined Erinn Dearth as they started what would become Letters From Home. For the next seven years Serah performed with Erinn and acted as the group’s musical director and arranger. While she has supported local community theatre as a performer, patron, and behind the scenes over the years, Serah has acted as musical director for the Spring Theatre holiday tour and the musical sensation Bring It On.
David Lane (Spring Theatre Composer) has music directed or played keyboard for several dozen shows in the Triad over the past decade in community theatres including Spring Theatre. He is currently the arranger of THE COLLINS BOY, a new musical being developed with Lisa Howard as lead, and appeared as a finalist in the Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival. He has composed film scores and concert music. You can find him and his music at www.davidlanemusic.com. He also teaches private lessons at Jackson's Music and Mitchell's Piano Gallery in Winston-Salem.