Meet Our Staff
Rising Star Theater Staff Members
Our staff consists of over a dozen dedicated members (most are pictured here) who love theater, working with young people and putting together high quality shows for the community to enjoy.
Directors
Theresa Hengeli (left) and Nancy Thompson (right) are the co-founders of Rising Star Theater. Theresa is the director & music director and Nancy is the assistant director & stage director of the Theater. Both ladies have been teaching children for over 30 years and have been friends & colleagues for most of that time. After beginning a theater program 18 years ago in a tiny classroom with only 10 students, Theresa started her own theater company of nearly 100 students with the help of Nancy Thompson, creating Rising Star Theater in 2024. Each year they continue to put on amazing shows while creating a uniqhttps://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/76adada4-764c-4369-a90b-2b95fd3ed431/Directors.jpeg/:/cr=t:21.8%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:56.39%25/rs=w:1200,h:902,cg:trueue atmosphere to teach theater and music. Theresa's favorite part of teaching is sharing her love of music with kids and watching them develop a love for music as well while Nancy's favorite part of teaching is seeing the kids raw talent develop throughout the show process.
Choreographers
Juliane Parks (left) and Renee Parks (right) were cast members in our shows for many years and are now part of our staff. Juliane is the assistant choreographer, social media coordinator and activities director while Renee is the lead choreographer and photographer. Juliane's favorite part of being a staff member is watching the kids build their confidence over just a few weeks of rehearsal. Renee's favorite part of being a staff member is seeing all of the kids every year and sharing her love for the performing arts with them.
Lighting Design & Sound Technician
Dorothy Nugent was a cast member in our shows for many years and is now our lighting designer and sound technician. Her favorite part of being a staff member is making sure all the kids have what they need to produce the best show possible. She also enjoys watching the kids learn and grow theatrically each year.
Producer
Jennifer Morgan is our producer. Her favorite part of being a staff member is working behind the scenes to help build the show.
Costumers & Prop Designers
April Whitt (top left), Jennifer Saunders (top middle) and Kimberly Marandola (top right) are our costumers. Megan Tighe (bottom left) and Jennifer Menasion (bottom right) are our prop designers. Their favorite thing about being a staff member is all the same thing. They all love to watch the show grow and come together in just two and a half weeks. They say it amazes them to see just how much can be accomplished in such a short amount of time.