Brandon Cavender Smith
Brandon Smith has spent the past two decades dedicated to the idea that the arts can change lives. A Chillicothe native, he began his first summer season at Tecumseh! in 1994 as a ticket taker. Within two years he was Theatre Manager and over the next 5 summers he and Marion Waggoner created a template for operations that is still being used at theatres all over the country. Between summers at Tecumseh! he studied acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory with the likes of Elaine Stritch, Yoshi Oida, Tony Randall and James Tripp. After graduation he looked to combine the practical skills from Outdoor Drama with the artistic sensibilities learned in New York. Over the next decade he served in a variety of capacities from the smallest regional theatres in New England to new Outdoor Dramas in Ohio and the Catskill Mountains. In New York, he worked both on and off Broadway in marketing, management and box office. Following the summer 2005 season of Johnny Appleseed Outdoor Drama, he turned his attention to symphony orchestras. He oversaw a period of unprecedented growth at the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra as its General Manager. During his tenure, the orchestra tripled its number of concerts, doubled its fundraising dollars and established a major education program. He was thrilled to have the opportunity in 2010 to go to the birthplace of Outdoor Drama and became theatre manager at The Lost Colony in Manteo, NC. During his four seasons there he also served as interim CEO and guided the organization through its landmark 75th Anniversary season. It was honored with the Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre, the only historical outdoor drama in the country to be honored in such a way. Brandon is happy to be home now as CEO of Tecumseh! He looks forward to building on the foundation laid by his predecessors and taking the organization to a new level of excitement, artistic excellence and financial stability. He is a proud member of Rotary International, the Human Rights Campaign and the NAACP. He lives, quite literally on Sugarloaf Mountain, with his husband, Kody.
Marcia Holton
Marcia is thrilled to be returning this season! She has been with Tecumseh! since 2011, first in the box office and then moving to her current position with The Scioto Society in 2014. With well over 2 decades of combined experience in customer service, administration, and accounting, Marcia currently oversees the financial operations and human resources for the Scioto Society. During the off-season, you can find Marcia at the office creating budgets, directing the cash flow, working on fundraising events, and preparing for the next season of Tecumseh!. Marcia would like to thank Brandon and the Board of Trustees for being such a wonderful team to work with, and she sends her love to her family! Last, but certainly not least, Marcia would like to thank you for traveling here this summer to see this amazing cast and crew produce the world’s greatest outdoor drama. Without you, we simply could not tell this extraordinary story. Enjoy the show!
Raymond Speakman
Raymond is a 60 year resident of Ross County, Ohio. In his 40 plus years at TECUMSEH! He has portrayed many characters on stage while also attending to his duties as Head Pyrotechnician. Ray spent five seasons in Nashville, Tennessee working as the Assistant Technical Director for the Nashville Children’s Theatre. While in Nashville, Ray served as Fight Director on several productions including MOST VALUABLE PLAYER, THE EMERALD CIRCLE, PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, and MAN OF LA MANCHA. Ray returned to Nashville in 1999 to serve as Assistant Director and Movement Coach for a reprise of MOST VALUABLE PLAYER. Ray spent the 2000 thru 2002 seasons as the Technical Director for “Shakespeare on Sugarloaf’s” productions of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and TWELFTH NIGHT as well as fulfilling the duties of Fight Director for TECUMSEH!. The 2022 season marks Ray’s 22nd as the Technical Director for TECUMSEH! and his 38th season as the Head Pyrotechnician. His hobbies include hunting, stage combat, archery, black powder weapons, tomahawk throwing and, of course, spending time with his family. He is a former member of the Society of American Fight Directors as a certified Actor/ Combatant. Ray would like to dedicate his work this season to his sons: Caleb and Lloyd.
Karen Bright
Karen is thrilled to be coming back to the mountain for her 21st season. She graduated from Jackson High School and has multiple years of experience in customer service and accounting. She has worked in the box office and the gift shop. She enjoys the atmosphere and patrons at Tecumseh! “I really enjoy seeing all of the regular customers come back each season; but, I love meeting new friends even more! It always seems like one big family every summer.” Karen would like to thank her husband, 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren for their support over the years! Karen is from Jackson, OH.
Lee Crouse
Lee is excited to return for an eighth season at TECUMSEH! He has appeared on stage in the roles of Reverend Wood, Captain Dawes, Captain McDonald (US), and additionally worked as an Assistant Director, Stage Manager, and as the production’s Fight Captain. Lee holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Performance from The University of Southern Mississippi. Directing credits include Frankenstein (Scioto Society); Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf (Tennessee Williams Tribute); Silent Sky (Mississippi University for Women); Schoolhouse Rock Live (MUW); Taming of the Shrew (MUW); Almost, Maine (MUW); Wait Until Dark (MUW); Twelfth Night (MUW); Lysistrata (MUW); The Good Doctor (MUW); and Night of the Living Dead (MUW). Theatre performance credits include Jenny Wiley Theatre; Southern Arena Theatre; Theatre West Virginia; BLUEJACKET Outdoor Drama; Bravvo! Productions National Tour; and the Showboat Becky Thatcher. TECUMSEH! is a doubly special place for Lee, as this is where he met Pauline, his wife. They have a son and daughter, who they hope will be future cast members. Lee is a proud Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.