Our creative team is passionate about theatre, passionate about the benefits of arts education, and passionate about impacting the lives of our students, families, audiences, and community.
Mrs. McCoy needs no introduction as she has directed many of our large spring musicals over the years including Bye Bye Birdie, Once Upon A Mattress, Annie Get Your Gun, Hello, Dolly, and our first musical, Oklahoma!; as well as our Black Box shows You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Rob West is one of the few native Floridians left. He acted in his first play in 8th grade and performance was infused into his soul. He continued to pursue acting in high school and college and even considered moving to New York to become one of those starving actors you often hear about. But, common sense won out and he decided to set his sights on succeeding behind the camera. After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a B.A. in Radio/Television, Rob set out to achieve his dreams in the glamorous world of television. Little did he know, that dream would be realized on the muddy sidelines of high school football games pulling camera cables. But, after several hot showers, Rob found success as a director of photography and editor. Working with clients such as AAA, American Express, The Walt Disney Company, Universal Orlando and a host of others, prepared Rob to run his own production company. Now, along with editing he writes, directs, and produces commercials and marketing videos. He has had the honor of working with the likes of Rudy Giuliani and Colin Powell but is confident that the experience God has presented him to work with the fine actors of CSA will surpass anything he has done. Rob is thrilled to be working with Circle Studio Players and is happy he no longer has to suppress the theater in his blood.
Dawn Flood is thrilled to be joining the Circle Christian Arts team this year. Her love for theater began at an early age. She grew up in Pennsylvania where she was active in theater arts throughout her educational years. She attended Huntington University where she recieved a B.S. in Educational Ministries. During her years at Huntington Dawn was active on stage performing such roles as Juliet in Shakepeare's "Romeo and Juliet", and Margaret in "The American Century" by Murphy Guyer. Upon graduation Dawn joined the staff of an Arts school in Pennsylvania where she taught theater and acting classes for eight years. In addition to teaching theater classes, Dawn also directed over 20 full-length productions at the school. Theater is truly her passion; and she counts it a blessing to be able to inspire students to love the arts through instruction, direction and reflection. One of her greatest joys is seeing students use their talents and abilities to bring the Lord honor and glory.
Katherine Land is a senior at the University of Central Florida, where she is completing a degree in Creative Writing and a double minor in film and theatre. She is a proud member of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and serves on the praise and worship team. She was first introduced to theatre in 1998 at the Ocala Civic Theatre and has been performing ever since. Some of her credits include: Marian Paroo in The Music Man, Winnifred in Once Upon a Mattress, and Cherubino Le Nozze Di Figaro. She has trained under Maestro Bill Doherty with the Lyric Opera Company and recently completed a three month tour with Missoula Children's Theatre Company. Katherine is currently employed at Universal Studios, where she performs as Taylor in Poseidon's Fury. She attends Summit church and enjoys serving in the Base Camp Live children's ministry. She hopes to use her passion for theatre and film to bring glory to God and inspire others to seek Him.
Olivia Richardson is thrilled to be back working with Circle Theatre Company, again, on the other side of the table. She has been dancing since the age of 2, studying a wide variety of styles with nationally renowned instructors. Olivia has worked as assistant choreographer for shows such as Little Shop of Horrors, School House Rock, Live! and Once Upon a Mattress, and choreographer for Aladdin Jr. and The Music Man.However, Olivia’s true passion lies with acting; She spent the fall of 2010 in New York City studying Musical Theatre and participating in workshops with CAP21, Dave Clemmons, and Paul Russell. She also spent a great deal of time auditioning and learning the ins and outs of being a starving artist! Some of Olivia’s performance credits include: Bye Bye Birdie (Rose Alvarez), Annie Get Your Gun (Annie Oakley), The Glass Menagerie (Laura Wingfield), Guys and Dolls (Miss Adelaide), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck/Robin Goodfellow). Olivia is so excited to have the opportunity to teach for the program that poured so much into her life.
Tim Saunders was born inPendia, Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea and has lived in various parts of the world, as hisfather was with the CIA. In 1978, Florida became home. He graduated from the University of Florida in 1980 with a B.A. in Philosophy.Tim has always had the gift of working with his hands and used that gift and his passion for music for his firstentrepreneurialadventure, The Saunders' Banjo Manufacturing Company. In 2002, Tim was asked to build a small set and the rest is history. Tim has designed and built sets for various organizations including Illumination Players, The First Academy, Children's Theatre of Florida, Summit Church, and Circle Theatre Company. In addition to set construction and design, Tim serves as the technical director for Circle Theatre Company. Tim is currently the owner of a local laser company and is on the Board of Directors for the 2nd Florida Volunteers Living History, Inc, a 501c non-profit organization. Tim, like his wife Becky, values arts education and believes theatre is a great way to promote teamwork and leadership skills into our youth. When not building sets, Tim most likely can be found on the battlefield as a "living historian" or seen playing the irish fiddle around town in local session groups with his son, Matt.
JEANNE RICHARDSON // managing director and costumer
Jeanne Richardson is the co-founder of Circle Theatre Company. A native Virginian, she has made Florida her home since 1997. She holds a degree in Business Management but has always had a passion for the arts, specifically costuming. After having the opportunity to work on the production of "Too Many Doctors", she realized what an impact the arts could have on the lives of students and knew this was where she wanted to invest her time and energy. Passionate about providing an outlet for students to realize their potential and explore their gifts, Jeanne loves the rewards that come from touching the lives of the students and families, and forming lifetime relationships -- that really matter. She resides in Orlando with her husband Lee and they are the proud parents of their lovely and talented daughter, Olivia.
BECKY SAUNDERS // managing director and administrative director
Becky Saunders is the co-founder of Circle Theatre Company. A native Floridian, her involvement in theatre began as a direct result of volunteering her administrative gifts to the creative team. After applying her twenty-five years of managerial experience to the production of Oklahoma! she realized there was no difference between managing a manufacturing facility and acting as a producer for a theatre production; except for the extraordinary opportunity to make an impact in the lives of students. She refers to it as her "defining moment" where she discovered her passion and purpose. Although she is still heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of a local laser company, she loves the rewards Circle Theatre Company provides for serving others and building relationships through theatre. Becky is passionate about providing opportunities for students to explore their gifts and talents through arts education and believes strongly in the benefits the arts provide to enrich the lives of students, families, and our community. Becky is married to Tim Saunders, who shares her passion, and they are the proud parents of their talented and gifted Irish flauntist son, Matt.