Theatre Faculty

Claudia A. Beach, Ph.D.,   

Director of Theatre

Professor of Theatre Arts

Ph.D., Texas Tech University

Directing, Acting I & II, Acting for the Camera, Voice & Diction, Playwriting & Theatre History

beachcl@hsu.edu     870-230-5037  

Office Arkansas Hall 119

Claudia has directed for professional, university, civic, community, and high school theatres, and acted professionally in summer stock, dinner theatres, and television commercials.
She has been named “College Teacher of the Year” by the Arkansas Communication and Theatre Arts Association and inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Arkansas Thespian Society. She is the Immediate Past Chair of Region VI of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

 

Douglas Gilpin 

Designer/ Technical Director/ Facilities Manager/ Director
Professor of Theatre Arts
M.F.A., Texas Tech University 1988
Stage Design, Stage Lighting, Stage Management, Stagecraft, Dramaturgy, Technical Direction 
gilpin@hsu.edu   870-230-5338  

Office Arkansas Hall 223

Douglas' work is published in Scene Design and Stage Lighting, 2008 ed., featured in the USITT 2006 TD&T Design Expo and he is a 2007 Arkansas Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowships recipient.
Recent designs include Bus Stop, Much Ado About Nothing, and Suddenly Last Summer . In addition, Douglas has designed Noises Off for the University of Memphis, as well as designed several seasons for: Minnesota Repertory Theatre, Emporia Summer Rep, and Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival.

USITT and USITT/SW member, Chair of USITT's Design Expo committee and former ACTF Region VI Design Chair & Design Vice-Chair.
 

William Henshaw      

Resident Costume Designer

Associate Professor of Theatre Arts

M.F.A., San Diego State University 1996

Costume Construction and Design, Stage Makeup, Play Analysis

henshaw@hsu.edu    870-230-5423  

Office Arkansas Hall 118

 
William has designed costumes for Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival, Houston Children’s Theatre Festival, San Diego University Opera and designed make-up for Fort Worth’s Circle Theatre & Houston Children’s Theatre Festival. He has been a costume technician at Utah Shakespearean Festival, The Old Globe Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Santa Fe Opera & Glimmerglass Opera. 


William is a member of the USITT Costume Commission and his designs recognized by Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. He has also contributed to Developing and Maintaining a Design & Technology Portfolio by Raphael Jaen.
 

Jennifer Maddox   

Artist in Residence, Dance
B.A., University of Arkansas, Little Rock
Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Dance History & Choreography
maddoxj@hsu.edu   870-230-5168  

Office Arkansas Hall 112A

Jennifer is currently an artist in residence at Henderson State University; where she is the dance program director, instructor, and the HSU dance company director & choreographer. She is also instructor of dance at Ouachita Baptist University and the Arkansas Arts Center Summer Theatre Academy. 

Jennifer is a recipient of a 2007 Individual Artist Fellowship from The Arkansas Arts Council recognizing her artistic ability in choreography. Annually, she is a modern master teacher for The American College Dance Festival Regional Conferences throughout the country. Jennifer has taught for Hendrix College; where she co-founded, choreographed, and directed the Hendrix Dance Ensemble. 
She has also been instructor of dance at UALR, director and choreographer for the Arkansas Celebration of Dance, instructor for the ARC National Performing Arts, and instructor of dance for the Little Rock Arts and Humanities Commission.
 

Jana Jones, Ph.D. Fine Arts 

Instructor of Communications and Theatre Arts

AEA/SAG; BFA, Missouri State University; MLA, Henderson State University; Ph.D. Texas Tech University

Oral Communications, Humanities:Theatre Arts

jonesj@hsu.edu   870-230-5443   

Office Arkansas Hall 217

Jana is an Active member of Actor’s Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild. Her professional acting credits include The Guiding Light on CBS, the New York City Opera, Off-Broadway productions at The Theatre for the New City, 13th Theatre, and The American Theatre for Actors. Jana has presented at the International Conference of the Association of Arts Administrator Educators and the Association of Theatre in Higher Educations Conference."