Tennessee Shakespeare Company Unveils New Board Leadership, Staffing & More

Tennessee Shakespeare Company has unveiled new Executive Committee of its Board of Directors, the expansion of its administrative staff and Board membership, and the successful conclusion of its 16th theatre season in Memphis.

During its Annual Board Meeting in May, members voted to approve Michael R. Marshall as TSC’s new President. Mr. Marshall is Senior Legal Counsel at Evans/Petree PC, where he is the co-leader of the Labor and Employment section. He was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2024 for the seventh year. Mr. Marshall has served as TSC’s Vice President for the past five years, and Evans/Petree PC has been the generous title sponsor of TSC’s annual Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series for the past four years.

Pete Pranica, a four-year member of TSC’s Board, was voted the new Vice President. Mr. Pranica is the award-winning TV play-by-play announcer for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis attorney J. Walker Sims (Treasurer) and chief prosecutor in the Bartlett/Millington courts Rhea Clift (Secretary) were voted to return to their executive positions after multiple years in their positions.

Mr. Ernest G. Kelly, Jr. transitions from TSC Board President to Immediate Past President. Mr. Kelly served as President for the past five years, strategically guiding TSC through a pandemic that paused or shuttered many regional theatres across the country.

“Let there be no doubt,” said founder and Producing Artistic Director Dan McCleary, “Ernest Kelly is the reason TSC found a way through the tragic storm. His positive and spirited leadership, care, generosity, and friendship won the day – and many long nights. Memphis has Ernest and his wife Pat to thank for a stronger, healthier professional Shakespeare company in residence here. We all are deeply grateful to Ernest, and we are honored he will remain on the executive team with us.”

Voted onto the Board as a new member was long-time supporter Dr. Owen B. Tabor, Jr. of OrthoSouth. The slate of returning Board members voted to new three-year terms were Elise L. Jordan, Anne O. Keeney, Mr. Kelly, Dorothy O. Kirsch, Milton T. Schaeffer, and Deborah Dunklin Tipton. All positions began July 1.

Staff additions and transitions effective this month include naming Stephanie Shine as Associate Artistic Producer with new oversight in artistic expansion and partnerships in the state, nation-wide, and internationally. Shine launched TSC’s nationally-renowned Education Program and has directed many of TSC’s mainstage productions.

Sarah Hankins was named the new Director of Education and Outreach. She served as the manager of the programs for the past six months after leading Triad Stage in North Carolina as its Artistic Director.
Longtime TSC artist Lauren Gunn was named Senior Resident Actor/Teacher/Choreographer, and recent TSC Classical Theatre Apprentice Logan McCarty was named Box Office Manager/Education and Outreach Programs Manager. Leslie Sweeney was named TSC’s new Bookkeeper after many years serving the non-profit sector. TSC, Tennessee’s only permanent professional Shakespeare company, finished its 16th season on June 30 with unprecedented success: over 23,000 points of service were created with seven stage productions, the Children’s Literacy Gala, Education programs in more than 30 area schools, and Outreach programs that included patients at the Memphis VA Hospital and detained youth in the Memphis Juvenile Justice system and seniors of Creative Aging.

“For the past three seasons, we have attempted to position our management and financial base as as a launch pad for our classical theatre/education/outreach inspirations for the date that our federal Recovery Grant would expire on June 30, 2024” said McCleary. “We have accomplished that. The Recovery Grant served its outstanding purpose for our mission and community, and we did not want to squander the opportunity by suddenly discovering a financial hole we could not fill once funding ceased. We have built a responsible cash reserve that includes our first interest-bearing investment portfolio. This enabled TSC last month to pass a Season 17 plan that projects modest, achievable growth on a budget that will exceed one million dollars for the second consecutive year.”

TSC will announce its upcoming performance season and new Tabor Stage design later this month.

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