Trustus Staff
Jim Thigpen, Co-Founder/Artistic Director, received his training at the University ofIllinois, Furman University, the University of South Carolina and City College of New York. Jim has been an award-winning educator, including local and state Educator of the year. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities award and is a master teacher designate. Jim has spent over 30 years in the business as a director and actor.
Kay Thigpen, Co-Founder/Managing Director, comes from a theatrical family; her father is Lou Kaplan and her mother, Hazel, was a makeup artist. She holds degrees in theatre from Columbia College and an MLS from USC. After 20 years of teaching in public schools in South Carolina, New York and Wisconsin, she and her husband, Jim, decided to start a professional theatre in 1985 and she has been serving as its Managing Director since then. Kay infrequently appears onstage and has appeared at Trustus in Frankie & Johnny in the Clair De Lune, Torch Song Trilogy, The Woolgatherer, The Food Chain, Talking With and the Late Night production of Mavens.
Larry McMullen, Technical Director, has seen it all after 30 years of theatre productions, and radio and television jobs in Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska. He finally received his B.F.A. in Theatre in 1988 from Nebraska and completed his M.F.A. in Theatre from USC in 1991. He has been involved with the Trustus family since 1991as actor, director and techie. He and his wife, Barbara, live in Cayce and Barbara works for the Lexington County Sheriff’s office as a sworn officer and administrator.
Brandon McIver, Assistant Technical Director, having just joined Trustus a year and a half ago, is one of the newest company members. He received his B.A. in Sociology from USC-Aiken so it only seems logical that he would become involved in theatre. As assistant to Technical Director, Larry McMullen, he has worked on almost every show since joining the Trustus family, and designed his first set for Trustus for No Place Like Home. He looks forward to many more seasons at Trustus and learning all he can about stage design and construction.
Elisabeth Gray Heard is Production Manager, Lead Teacher for the Trustus After School Program and Coordinator of the Apprentice Company. She is a recent graduate of USC with a BA in Theatre. Favorite credits include: Amy in Tape and Poona in Poona both with Armed Chair Productions, Melibea/Isabelle/Hippolyta in The Illusion, Cherie in Bus Stop, Skinheadgirl in Polaroid Stories all with Theatre South Carolina. Most recently she appeared as Patty in Holy Ghost at Trustus. EG is a graduate of Florida State University’s London Theatre Experience and is also a founding member of Trustus Theatre’s young adult company Armed Chair Productions. EG is very excited to be teaching at Trustus this year as part of the Richland One After-school Program. Many thanks to the Trustus family, her loving parents and friends, and, as always, PK.
Joe Morales is excited to be the new Box Office Manager for Trustus. Joe’s involvement with Trustus goes back to 1990 and even further than that with Jim Thigpen. Joe has worked for the theatre in many capacities over the years, from building sets to acting and everything else in-between. Some of Joe’s favorite roles at Trustus have been: Howard Wagner in Death of a Salesman, Alan Foster in Straights, Mr. Martin in The Bald Soprano, Ali, King Carlisle, P.J. in Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Cupid in The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. Joe has also performed at other theaters around Columbia. Most recently Joe was seen in the Workshop Theatre production of Sordid Lives as Wardell. Joe is also married to a very beautiful and talented actress Elena Martinez-Vidal. Finally Joe would like to thank Jim and Kay for the many opportunities and love and support that they have provided him over the years.
Jon Tuttle is Trustus’ Playwright-in-Residence and Literary Manager and Professor of English at Francis Marion University. His plays have received over 100 productions in 25 states and include Trustus Playwrights Festival winners Holy Ghost (2005), Drift (1998) and The Hammerstone (1994). His other published plays include The White Problem, Terminal Café, A Fish Story and Sonata for Armadillos. Jon and his wife Cheryl live in Florence and are the very proud parents of Staci, Jill and Josh.
