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Our Faculty
Tammy Franklin- Founder & Director- Tammy started performing at the ripe old age of 6. She
holds Bachelor and Master's degrees from the University of Colorado. Tammy has directed
many of our Rising Curtain productions: Disney's "101 Dalmatians- Kids", "Who Am I This
Time", "The Tale That Wagged the Dog", "The Gift of the Magi", Disney's "Beauty & The Beast",
"The Sound of Music", "Miracle on 34th Street", "Damn Yankees", "Shenandoah", Disney's "High
School Musical", "The Seussification of Romeo & Juliet", Disney's "Cinderella- Kids", "Once
Upon A Mattress", "Seussical" and "Steel Magnolias". She was been the lead director for all of
our groups traveling to Musical Theatre Competitions of America, with selections from Disney's
"Beauty & The Beast", "big- the musical" and "Little Shop of Horrors". For other groups, she has
been musical director on "Oliver Twist" and "Free to Be, You and Me" and directed Rogers &
Hammerstein's "Cinderella", "If the Shoe Fits", "The Wizard of Oz", "Brigadoon", "Bye Bye Birdie"
and "Honk!". Not a seamstress, but a gifted shopper, she has also costumed many shows.
Her own performing credits include: "Brigadoon" (Meg), "The Sound of Music" (Liesl),
"Oklahoma!" (Ado Annie), "The Sound of Music" (understudy- Maria), "Shenandoah" (chorus),
"The King and I" (chorus), "State Fair" (chorus), "South Pacific" (chorus), "Annie" (Grace Farrell),
"Nunsense" (Mother Superior) and "Honk!" (Ida). Her family attends Highlands United
Methodist Church, where she is the worship accompanist. Tammy 's biography is featured in
the 2006 and 2008 editions of "Who's Who Among American Women" and in the 2007 edition
of "Who's Who in America". She also reviews theatre for National Youth Theatre
(www.nationalyouththeatre.com). The biggest accomplishments she sites so far, though, are
her 2 boys, Peter and Cole.
Eric Franklin- Director, head of technical theatre- Eric is pleased to be part of Rising Curtain's
team. He has designed the sets and ran the technical perspective on many shows, including
"Wizard of Oz", "Yearbook", "Free to Be, You and Me", "Brigadoon", "Bye Bye Birdie", "Honk!",
Disney's "101 Dalmatians- Kids", "Who Am I This Time", "The Tale That Wagged the Dog", "The
Gift of the Magi", Disney's "Beauty & The Beast", and "The Sound of Music", "Miracle on 34th
Street", "Damn Yankees", Disney's "Aladdin", "Shenandoah", Disney's "High School Musical",
"The Odd Couple", "The Seussification of Romeo & Juliet", Disney's "Cinderella- Kids", "Once
Upon A Mattress", "Seussical", "Steel Magnolias", "Willy Wonka" and "My Fair Lady". When
convinced to do it, he is a great actor, having played such parts as Samuel in "The Curious
Savage", Marley in "A Christmas Carol", a police officer in "Annie", Bullfrog in "Honk!", Kris
Kringle in "Miracle on 34th Street", Oscar Madision in "The Odd Couple" and the irrepressible
Alfred P. Doolittle in "My Fair Lady", here at RC and on other stages.
Buffy Barfoot- faculty/ choreographer- Buffy holds a Master's Degree from the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an emphasis in choreography and performance. She
received her Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Alabama. The Ashiya
International Ballet in Japan commissions her for a guest artist residencies each year. She is
also a certified yoga instructor. Buffy has choreographed on "Once Upon A Mattress" and "My
Fair Lady".
Sheri Despain, faculty/ musical director- Sheri started playing the piano when she was 11
years old. She has always enjoyed playing both piano & clarinet + singing. She has
participated in many choirs through her life as singer, accompanist and director. She has been
part of church productions of "The Wizard of Oz" and "My Fair Lady". Her proudest moments are
as a wife and mom to three talented children. She has been a piano teacher for the past 10
years and enjoys helping her students to develop their talents. Sheri has been blessed and
challenged to be the organist at her family's church for the past 7 years. She has been part of
several productions- "Damn Yankees", Disney's "High School Musical", "Once Upon A
Mattress", "Seussical", "Willy Wonka", and "My Fair Lady".
Kerry Greenhill- faculty/ musical director- Kerry is the Associate Pastor and Choir Director at
Highlands United Methodist Church, and is proud to carry on a family tradition of a love of music
and theatre. She has sung in choirs and other musical groups for almost as long as she can
remember, and started directing them while still in high school. Kerry has also performed in
musicals and plays from "Oliver!" and "Godspell" to "Auntie Mame" and "A Midsummer Night's
Dream", and once directed a student production of "The Importance of Being Earnest". Having
served many of her teenage years volunteering in church nurseries, she has worked with
Highlands UMC's Vacation Bible School program for the past two years. Kerry graduated with a
Master of Divinity from the Iliff School of Theology, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and
Education from the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Kerry has served as director on RC's
Developing Dramatics productions of "Stories from Pooh" and "Alice in Wonderland", did the
musical direction for Disney's "101 Dalmatians" and "Shenandoah".
Jaclyn O'Hara- director/ choreographer- Jaclyn has been dancing since birth and acting from
the minute she could speak. She teaches many of our off-site classes and enjoys young
children. She was Assistant Director and Choreographer on Disney's "Cinderella" and has
choreographed for "My Fair Lady". Jaclyn has many, many years of dance experience in a
variety of disciplines and has been part of the RC program since the very beginning. Past roles
include the Enchantress in Disney's "Beauty & The Beast", Doris in "Damn Yankees", Annelle
Dupuy-DeSoto in "Steel Magnolias" and our lovely Lady Larken in "Once Upon A Mattress".
Meghan Rowe- faculty/ choreographer- Meghan is a graduate of Benedictine College in
Atchison, Kansas, where she graduated with honors magna cum laude. She has been
featured in "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges (2006-2007
edition) and was named to the National Dean's List. She has taught dance and served her
internship at Benedictine College and was captain & choreographer for their Varsity Spirit
Squad. Meghan has choreographed our Competition Class for two seasons and traveled with
us to California. She has also choreographed for "Seussical" and "Willy Wonka" and graced
our stage as Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie in "Steel Magnolias".
holds Bachelor and Master's degrees from the University of Colorado. Tammy has directed
many of our Rising Curtain productions: Disney's "101 Dalmatians- Kids", "Who Am I This
Time", "The Tale That Wagged the Dog", "The Gift of the Magi", Disney's "Beauty & The Beast",
"The Sound of Music", "Miracle on 34th Street", "Damn Yankees", "Shenandoah", Disney's "High
School Musical", "The Seussification of Romeo & Juliet", Disney's "Cinderella- Kids", "Once
Upon A Mattress", "Seussical" and "Steel Magnolias". She was been the lead director for all of
our groups traveling to Musical Theatre Competitions of America, with selections from Disney's
"Beauty & The Beast", "big- the musical" and "Little Shop of Horrors". For other groups, she has
been musical director on "Oliver Twist" and "Free to Be, You and Me" and directed Rogers &
Hammerstein's "Cinderella", "If the Shoe Fits", "The Wizard of Oz", "Brigadoon", "Bye Bye Birdie"
and "Honk!". Not a seamstress, but a gifted shopper, she has also costumed many shows.
Her own performing credits include: "Brigadoon" (Meg), "The Sound of Music" (Liesl),
"Oklahoma!" (Ado Annie), "The Sound of Music" (understudy- Maria), "Shenandoah" (chorus),
"The King and I" (chorus), "State Fair" (chorus), "South Pacific" (chorus), "Annie" (Grace Farrell),
"Nunsense" (Mother Superior) and "Honk!" (Ida). Her family attends Highlands United
Methodist Church, where she is the worship accompanist. Tammy 's biography is featured in
the 2006 and 2008 editions of "Who's Who Among American Women" and in the 2007 edition
of "Who's Who in America". She also reviews theatre for National Youth Theatre
(www.nationalyouththeatre.com). The biggest accomplishments she sites so far, though, are
her 2 boys, Peter and Cole.
Eric Franklin- Director, head of technical theatre- Eric is pleased to be part of Rising Curtain's
team. He has designed the sets and ran the technical perspective on many shows, including
"Wizard of Oz", "Yearbook", "Free to Be, You and Me", "Brigadoon", "Bye Bye Birdie", "Honk!",
Disney's "101 Dalmatians- Kids", "Who Am I This Time", "The Tale That Wagged the Dog", "The
Gift of the Magi", Disney's "Beauty & The Beast", and "The Sound of Music", "Miracle on 34th
Street", "Damn Yankees", Disney's "Aladdin", "Shenandoah", Disney's "High School Musical",
"The Odd Couple", "The Seussification of Romeo & Juliet", Disney's "Cinderella- Kids", "Once
Upon A Mattress", "Seussical", "Steel Magnolias", "Willy Wonka" and "My Fair Lady". When
convinced to do it, he is a great actor, having played such parts as Samuel in "The Curious
Savage", Marley in "A Christmas Carol", a police officer in "Annie", Bullfrog in "Honk!", Kris
Kringle in "Miracle on 34th Street", Oscar Madision in "The Odd Couple" and the irrepressible
Alfred P. Doolittle in "My Fair Lady", here at RC and on other stages.
Buffy Barfoot- faculty/ choreographer- Buffy holds a Master's Degree from the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an emphasis in choreography and performance. She
received her Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Alabama. The Ashiya
International Ballet in Japan commissions her for a guest artist residencies each year. She is
also a certified yoga instructor. Buffy has choreographed on "Once Upon A Mattress" and "My
Fair Lady".
Sheri Despain, faculty/ musical director- Sheri started playing the piano when she was 11
years old. She has always enjoyed playing both piano & clarinet + singing. She has
participated in many choirs through her life as singer, accompanist and director. She has been
part of church productions of "The Wizard of Oz" and "My Fair Lady". Her proudest moments are
as a wife and mom to three talented children. She has been a piano teacher for the past 10
years and enjoys helping her students to develop their talents. Sheri has been blessed and
challenged to be the organist at her family's church for the past 7 years. She has been part of
several productions- "Damn Yankees", Disney's "High School Musical", "Once Upon A
Mattress", "Seussical", "Willy Wonka", and "My Fair Lady".
Kerry Greenhill- faculty/ musical director- Kerry is the Associate Pastor and Choir Director at
Highlands United Methodist Church, and is proud to carry on a family tradition of a love of music
and theatre. She has sung in choirs and other musical groups for almost as long as she can
remember, and started directing them while still in high school. Kerry has also performed in
musicals and plays from "Oliver!" and "Godspell" to "Auntie Mame" and "A Midsummer Night's
Dream", and once directed a student production of "The Importance of Being Earnest". Having
served many of her teenage years volunteering in church nurseries, she has worked with
Highlands UMC's Vacation Bible School program for the past two years. Kerry graduated with a
Master of Divinity from the Iliff School of Theology, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and
Education from the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Kerry has served as director on RC's
Developing Dramatics productions of "Stories from Pooh" and "Alice in Wonderland", did the
musical direction for Disney's "101 Dalmatians" and "Shenandoah".
Jaclyn O'Hara- director/ choreographer- Jaclyn has been dancing since birth and acting from
the minute she could speak. She teaches many of our off-site classes and enjoys young
children. She was Assistant Director and Choreographer on Disney's "Cinderella" and has
choreographed for "My Fair Lady". Jaclyn has many, many years of dance experience in a
variety of disciplines and has been part of the RC program since the very beginning. Past roles
include the Enchantress in Disney's "Beauty & The Beast", Doris in "Damn Yankees", Annelle
Dupuy-DeSoto in "Steel Magnolias" and our lovely Lady Larken in "Once Upon A Mattress".
Meghan Rowe- faculty/ choreographer- Meghan is a graduate of Benedictine College in
Atchison, Kansas, where she graduated with honors magna cum laude. She has been
featured in "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges (2006-2007
edition) and was named to the National Dean's List. She has taught dance and served her
internship at Benedictine College and was captain & choreographer for their Varsity Spirit
Squad. Meghan has choreographed our Competition Class for two seasons and traveled with
us to California. She has also choreographed for "Seussical" and "Willy Wonka" and graced
our stage as Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie in "Steel Magnolias".
