Heather Sherrill- Troupe Director
A brief history of Mrs. Sherrill: Heather Bair Sherrill started her theatre career in 1st grade in California, as the maid in The King and Queen Who Would Not Speak and a weeklong stint on the PBS Television show Romper Room, in 1980 something. After that, she was hooked! Some of her most favorite musical roles have been Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Rose in The Secret Garden, and Charity in Anything Goes. Some of Heather's favorite roles in plays have been Libby in Blue Window, Jan in Bedroom Farce, and the Senator in The Boys Next Door. As a result of all of this theatre stuff, she decided to major in theatre in college. Heather was nominated for the Irene Ryan award in 1997 for her role as Jan in Bedroom Farce. Spring of 2009, Heather graduated from Cal State Bakersfield University third in her class, with a BA in Theatre.
Growing up in Cali allowed her to go Disneyland countless times. As a result, Heather worked for Disney while in college! She loves all things Disney and knows a ton about it! But her all time favorite character is the Cheshire Cat! So what brought her to Ohio you say, a boy! In 2009 she married Tom Sherrill and moved across country to Columbus. She answered a call for Associate Theatre Director for Darby in the fall of 2014 and Troupe Director in 2017. And the rest is history. :)
A brief history of Mrs. Sherrill: Heather Bair Sherrill started her theatre career in 1st grade in California, as the maid in The King and Queen Who Would Not Speak and a weeklong stint on the PBS Television show Romper Room, in 1980 something. After that, she was hooked! Some of her most favorite musical roles have been Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Rose in The Secret Garden, and Charity in Anything Goes. Some of Heather's favorite roles in plays have been Libby in Blue Window, Jan in Bedroom Farce, and the Senator in The Boys Next Door. As a result of all of this theatre stuff, she decided to major in theatre in college. Heather was nominated for the Irene Ryan award in 1997 for her role as Jan in Bedroom Farce. Spring of 2009, Heather graduated from Cal State Bakersfield University third in her class, with a BA in Theatre.
Growing up in Cali allowed her to go Disneyland countless times. As a result, Heather worked for Disney while in college! She loves all things Disney and knows a ton about it! But her all time favorite character is the Cheshire Cat! So what brought her to Ohio you say, a boy! In 2009 she married Tom Sherrill and moved across country to Columbus. She answered a call for Associate Theatre Director for Darby in the fall of 2014 and Troupe Director in 2017. And the rest is history. :)
Craig Lohmann- Accociate Director
Craig Lohmann got his start in theatre in the fifth grade when his music teacher tasked him with singing a song (“I Love My Locker”) about a student’s love/hate relationship with his locker in the school’s musical performance, School Daze. Although it was a fun experience, it did not create a lasting theatre impression on him. Theatre opportunities came again in 7th grade when Craig’s Language Arts teacher noticed that he had a little extra energy to expend in class that needed to be steered in a positive, productive direction. His teacher directed him to the middle school’s drama club, who were already in the midst of rehearsing for their upcoming comedic play, Frumpled Fairy Tales. Craig seamlessly joined the group and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of playing Rapunzel’s ambling prince as well as a not-so-threatening wolf chasing after Little Red Riding Hood. Later that year, he joined the 7th/8th grade musical, School House Rock Live! Jr., where he portrayed an Elvis character who sang about the life cycle of blood in the body (“Circulation”). He developed many close friendships with his theatre peers, and he felt that he had found a place where he could express himself and have a blast. He continued his theatre career in 8th grade in that year’s 7th/8th grade musical performance, Gone with the Breeze. In high school, Craig performed in the chorus and took on minor roles in Beauty and the Beast, Annie, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. In his senior year, he switched gears and played trombone as a part of the pit orchestra for the school’s performance of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Now that he is a teacher at Hilliard Darby High School, Craig is excited to be involved in the Darby Theatre where he hopes to guide students on their own theatre journey and help them find as much enjoyment from the theatre experience as he did.
Craig Lohmann got his start in theatre in the fifth grade when his music teacher tasked him with singing a song (“I Love My Locker”) about a student’s love/hate relationship with his locker in the school’s musical performance, School Daze. Although it was a fun experience, it did not create a lasting theatre impression on him. Theatre opportunities came again in 7th grade when Craig’s Language Arts teacher noticed that he had a little extra energy to expend in class that needed to be steered in a positive, productive direction. His teacher directed him to the middle school’s drama club, who were already in the midst of rehearsing for their upcoming comedic play, Frumpled Fairy Tales. Craig seamlessly joined the group and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of playing Rapunzel’s ambling prince as well as a not-so-threatening wolf chasing after Little Red Riding Hood. Later that year, he joined the 7th/8th grade musical, School House Rock Live! Jr., where he portrayed an Elvis character who sang about the life cycle of blood in the body (“Circulation”). He developed many close friendships with his theatre peers, and he felt that he had found a place where he could express himself and have a blast. He continued his theatre career in 8th grade in that year’s 7th/8th grade musical performance, Gone with the Breeze. In high school, Craig performed in the chorus and took on minor roles in Beauty and the Beast, Annie, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. In his senior year, he switched gears and played trombone as a part of the pit orchestra for the school’s performance of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Now that he is a teacher at Hilliard Darby High School, Craig is excited to be involved in the Darby Theatre where he hopes to guide students on their own theatre journey and help them find as much enjoyment from the theatre experience as he did.
Shane Carpenter- Choreographer
Shane Carpenter is a singer/dancer/actor who has been working and teaching in the performing arts for the last 28 years. Shane landed his first "big role" as Huck Finn in a regional tour of Big River. He has been a performer (dancing, singing and acting) at Paramount Kings Island, Disney World and for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
Shane coached the Columbus Destroyers Bombshells at Nationwide Arena. He also choreographed the 2007 season opener for the Cleveland Cavs Girls. He has been a guest instructor for Auburn University in Alabama & the MAP program at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, as well as teaching and choreographing at various studios in the Midwest. He has choreographed for IMAGINE Theater Productions.
Shane has won many regional and national choreography awards and has former students dancing professionally and in colleges all over the country.
He is proud to be the Artistic Director for Infusion Dance and equally proud to share his knowledge, experience and passion with his students and fellow teachers. carpentershane@ymail.com
Shane Carpenter is a singer/dancer/actor who has been working and teaching in the performing arts for the last 28 years. Shane landed his first "big role" as Huck Finn in a regional tour of Big River. He has been a performer (dancing, singing and acting) at Paramount Kings Island, Disney World and for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
Shane coached the Columbus Destroyers Bombshells at Nationwide Arena. He also choreographed the 2007 season opener for the Cleveland Cavs Girls. He has been a guest instructor for Auburn University in Alabama & the MAP program at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, as well as teaching and choreographing at various studios in the Midwest. He has choreographed for IMAGINE Theater Productions.
Shane has won many regional and national choreography awards and has former students dancing professionally and in colleges all over the country.
He is proud to be the Artistic Director for Infusion Dance and equally proud to share his knowledge, experience and passion with his students and fellow teachers. carpentershane@ymail.com
Justin Gabriel Gates- Troupe Director Emeritus
(Mr. Gates is the one on the right!)
Justin Gabriel Gates swore off theatre after his tragic portrayal of Happy the Runaway Snowman in third grade, but fell in love with it in high school when Mrs. Brenneman forced him to be a Jewish Father for Fiddler on the Roof his freshman year. He graduated from Hilliard High School in 1991 and attended Otterbein University, pursuing a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre degree. He spent time with local community theatre as a performer and with ShadoArt Productions as a performer and as their Local Public Relations Director. He then moved to New York and worked on several off Broadway productions. He also tried his luck in Los Angeles and was a part of several movie projects, one of which brought him home to film in Columbus, Ohio. He then became involved with Columbus State's DEAFinitely Theatre production company, where he was lead voice for two productions, and where he met the love of his life, Lisa Gates. Graduating from Ohio Dominican University in 2005, he turned his sights on education. He was Darby's troupe Director from 2009 to 2017.
"There's a joy and a pain about directing, where the dreams you have are becoming concrete but the attention to detail, the need for time is such that it's overwhelming at times, and the stream of responsibility."
-William Shatner
-William Shatner
