Board Members
Cookeville Theatre Company
Our Board of Directors is made up of dedicated leaders from across the Upper Cumberland, each bringing unique experiences and perspectives to help guide Cookeville Theatre Company.
Renee Craig, President
Kaitlyn Craig, Vice-President
Kaitlyn Craig is a music educator at Cookeville High School, where she has witnessed firsthand how life changing music can be. She has seen its power to build confidence, create community, and shape her students’ lives in meaningful ways. Kaitlyn has been involved in local musical theatre since 2014, and the magic of live performance has become one of her greatest passions.She has previously served as music director for Mamma Mia (2022), Legally Blonde Jr. (2023), and The Sound of Music (2025) at Upperman High School, as well as Cookeville Theatre Company’s We Rise Above (2025) and Oklahoma! (2026). Each production has deepened her love for guiding performers and bringing stories to life through music.Kaitlyn is elated to be a part of the Cookeville Theatre Company team and honored to share the love of theatre with this beautiful community!
Bralin Moss, Treasurer
Josh Cremeans,
Kendall Smith,
Kendall Smith is a current Junior at Tennessee Tech University majoring in Musical Theatre Performance.Kendall has been doing theater in Cookeville for the past five years. He has performed on nearly every stage there is in town. While Kendall loves performance, he has found a passion in fostering that same love for the next generation. He has been helping with youth theater camps for 4 years now for that exact reason.Having worked with Cookeville Theater Company multiple times before, Kendall believes we can become something extraordinary and allow everyone on our stage to shine!
Latrece Willis,
Tanya C, Secretary
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Kathleen Gilpatrick,
Kathleen Gilpatrick co-founded Cookeville Theatre Company (formerly Storyteller Theatre Company) in 2019. She has been involved in theatre for over 50 years.Kathleen Gilpatrick co-founded the Backstage at CPAC with Rick Woods in 1993.She founded her production company, Out On A Limb Productions, from 1991 to 2024, where she served as writer, producer, director, and occasionally an actor for her company. Kathleen served as the Director of Theatre at the Wesley Foundation for 12 years and was instrumental in crafting the Theatre program at Upperman High School. She was a guest director at Cumberland County Playhouse for 5 years. Now retired (Ha!) continues to freelance as a director and occasionally gets back on stage to “act”. Cookeville Theatre Company has been a passion project for Kathleen as she sees the life-changing effect theatre can have on individuals and families. She is married to Michael Gilpatrick and is a grandmother to 6! Madison, Harrison, Jackson, Zosia, Althea, and Matthew
Ella Grace Clopton,
Marketing Director
Ella Grace Clopton is the owner and founder of UC Stars Dance, where she serves as a director, instructor, and choreographer. In addition to her work at UC Stars, Ella Grace is the coach of the Prescott South Middle School Dance Team and serves as Marketing Director at Skender-Newton Realty.
A professional choreographer since 2021, Ella Grace has choreographed Oklahoma (2026), Fiddler on the Roof (2024), Newsies Jr. (2023), The Little Mermaid Jr. (2022), Frozen Jr. (2021), The Fantastics (2020), Matilda Jr. (2020), and many more! While her work in theatre has played a meaningful role in her artistic journey, her primary passion and expertise lie within the competitive dance industry. Her choreography for UC Stars has earned multiple first-overall placements and entertainment awards, with her routine The Room Where It Happens earning recognition on the Star Dance Alliance Power Rankings.
As a studio owner and educator, Ella Grace is passionate about expanding opportunities for dancers throughout the Upper Cumberland. Through UC Stars, she strives to bring those opportunities closer to home while preparing dancers to be confident, professional, and well-rounded performers.
Above all, Ella Grace is committed to providing quality dance education to the Upper Cumberland and being a positive mentor and role model for the next generation of dancers. She is excited to work on the Cookeville Theatre Company board and expand their marketing. @coachellagrace
Austin Hickey,
