FACULTY AND STAFF
Brenda Shows
Owner / Artistic Director
Brenda discovered a love for musical theatre at R.H. Watkins High School in Laurel where she performed the leading female roles in The Sound of Music and Annie Get Your Gun under the direction of Michael Howard. She went on to play Domina in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Abigail in The Crucible at the University of Southern Mississippi. At Laurel Little Theatre and Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera she has played such quintessential leading ladies as Maria Von Trap, Nellie Forbush, Mame, Dolly Levi and Mama Rose. In 1989, she was selected Best Actress by the Mississippi Theatre Association for her portrayal of Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy which she also produced and directed. She reprised this role with Laurel Little Theater in 2014. In 2019 she played Mother Superior in Hub City Player’s production of Sister Act. Brenda has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern Mississippi where she studied theatre, voice, radio, television and film and received her teaching certification in English, Reading and Speech. She is perhaps best known as the former host of MIDDAY, a local community affairs and interview television program she hosted for 10 years on the local NBC affiliate where she also served as Marketing Manager.
Jennifer Timidaiski
Music Director / Software Administrator for Amilia and BAND
Jennifer is currently the elementary music teacher at Longleaf Elementary School and the children’s events coordinator for FestivalSouth. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Choral Conducting from The University of Southern Mississippi. While a student at Southern Miss, Jennifer was a member of The Southern Chorale, Carillon Handbell Choir, and Chamber Singers. She traveled extensively with those performing ensembles including tours of Italy, France, Scotland, Estonia, and Jamaica as well as many stateside tours. Prior to attending graduate school at Southern Miss, she served as the choral director at Bayou View Middle School in Gulfport. She previously served as the StageStruck Music Director from 2014 to 2017. Her experience at StageStruck includes Into the Woods Jr., Shrek Jr., The Lion King Jr., and Madagascar A Musical Adventure Jr. She resides in Hattiesburg with her husband, Grayson, and children, Margo and Cannon.
Jo Ignatius
Costume Design/Construction
Jo is a native of Sutton Coldfield, England. She came over to the United Stages in 1997 on a golf scholarship to the University of Mississippi. She was a 4-year letter winner while earning a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. After graduating college, Jo moved to Chicago where she worked as a Sales and Marketing Director for a national golf management company. In 2006, Jo moved back to Mississippi, and currently lives in Oxford with her husband Joe and her two children, Caldwell and Bodacious. Jo first got involved in building costumes for StageStruck Performance Studio’s The Little Mermaid Jr. in 2013, and has since designed and built costumes for StageStruck’s productions of Seussical Jr. (2014), Shrek Jr. (2015), The Lion King Jr. (2016), Madagascar a Musical Adventure Jr. (2017), Beauty and the Beast Jr. (2018), Elf Jr. (2018) Aladdin Jr. (2019), Frozen Jr., The Wizard of Oz, and The Little Mermaid.
Hannah Reid
Instructor / Assistant to the Director
Hannah Reid has recently joined the staff of Stagestruck Performance Studio as an assistant instructor in movement and acting. She was a student at StageStruck for six years where she played The Mad Hatter in Shrek Jr, Zazu in The Lion King Jr., Julian in Madagascar, A Musical Adventure Jr. Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast Jr. and the Genie in Aladdin Jr.
Hannah also painted the murals you see on the walls at StageStruck.
She is now attending Jones College and wants to further her studies to pursue a career in the field in mathematics.
Hannah is the oldest of five sisters and her hobbies include painting drawing and dancing!
Ryn Miles
Instructor / Assistant to the Director
Ryn grew up in Meridian, Mississippi, and knew from a young age that the theater was her home. She performed in numerous productions with Stage 2, Meridian Little Theatre, and the Meridian Community College Arts & Letters Series before attending the Mississippi School of the Arts to further her theatrical training. During her senior year and into college, she served as a student teacher for Take 1, an after-school theater program for elementary-aged students.
Since moving to Hattiesburg, Ryn has appeared in productions including The Bald Soprano (USM), Romeo and Juliet (Hattiesburg Community Theatre), and Net Cabaret (New Era Theatre).
When she's not performing, Ryn can often be found serenading her cats—Leroy, Sebastian, and Taz—or practicing "combat" with her friends from Aftermath LARP. She is excited to join the StageStruck Theatre family!
Wesley Carmical
Instructor / Assistant to the Director
Wesley is an actor and singer born and raised in Ellisville, Mississippi. From an early age, he participated in several theater programs, including StageStruck, which helped inspire his passion for theater and set him on the path to a career in the arts.
He recently graduated cum laude from the University of Southern Mississippi with a BFA in Theatre Performance. While at USM, he appeared in numerous productions, including Pete in The Seagull; Or, How to Eat It, Joey in The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Zacky Price in Big Fish, Salter in A Number, and most recently, Gabe in First Date. He also served as the 2025–2026 president of Alpha Psi Omega, the national theatre honor society.
Wesley is excited to return to StageStruck, where he hopes to inspire young performers, help them discover the joy of theater, and encourage those who may wish to pursue it as a career.
Hannah Smith-Phillips
Dance & Movement Instructor
Hannah Smith-Phillips is so excited to be joining Stagestruck as a theatrical dance and movement instructor this year. As a student at the University of Southern Mississippi, she has been focusing on the technical side of theatre and has been desperate to resume her passion for dance. Her knowledge of various dance genres, as well as leadership and teaching skills, have been developed by being dance captain for the Northwest show choirs: Allure, and Ambassadors. Hannah is great with kids and adults alike, and she is so grateful for the opportunity to help students develop a strong technical foundation and build the confidence needed for theatrical dance.
Rachel Boutwell
Choreographer / Social Media & Website Management
Rachel has been involved in music, dance, and performing arts since early childhood—including performing in StageStruck’s first production of Annie Jr. She continued performing throughout high school with the Golden Spirits Dance Team and CenterStage! Show Choir, as well as in regional competitions.
She started college at Mississippi State University as a member of the Pom Squad and later earned her business degree from The University of Southern Mississippi, where she also found an interest in marketing and design.
Today, Rachel combines her creative background and professional skills by choreographing and designing marketing materials for StageStruck shows. Her credits include Shrek Jr., Madagascar Jr., Beauty and the Beast Jr., Elf Jr., Aladdin Jr., Frozen Jr., The Wizard of Oz, and The Little Mermaid Jr. She lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with her family and works full-time for Yates Construction.