INSTRUCTORS
Tammy Francis is a Lockhart resident who has been part of the Gaslight Baker Theatre for 14 years and is currently on GBT’s Board of Directors and chairs the Education Committee. She studied acting and radio television in college and has extensive theatre experience. She received a Best Actress award for her role in Our Town. She’s been awarded the Austin Broadway Award for Best Set Design and Best Costuming for Godspell. She recently directed Elf: The Musical, breaking every record at GBT, which featured many current and former Youth and Teen campers. She is also a substitute teacher for the Lockhart Independent School District and has been a Girl Scout Leader. This is her eleventh year with educational programming.
Liza McCarthy has a Master’s in Fine Arts and has been involved with the theatre for the past nine years. She is on the Executive committee of the GBT Board of Directors and is the director of the popular variety show Vaudeville which includes many of our youth and teen actors. She is also a GBT set painter and costume mistress. This is her ninth year as co-instructor. She is also an art teacher with the Lockhart Independent School District.
Ella McCarthy is currently pursuing her degree in theatre at Texas Lutheran University. She is on the GBT Board of Directors and was a teen mentor for seven years before becoming a lead instructor. She has been recognized for her singing and acting in recent productions like Godspell and Annie Get Your Gun. She most recently wowed audiences in the role made famous by Dolly Parton in 9 to 5. This will be her eighth camp to run.
Melissa Hardaway is a Lockhart resident and has taught at Lockhart Highschool for 15 years, coaching UIL Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking, and Oral Interpretation with students achieving regional and state levels. She continues to sing, act, dance and Assistant Direct at GBT and is currently on the Executive Committee for the Board of Directors as Secretary
Tifani Pust is a theatre teacher in Luling and has taught theatre for eight years. She has a Masters in Theatre for Youth and is currently on the GBT Board of Directors. She recently directed Christmas at Pemberly and you might remember her performance in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. This is her second year teaching at GBT. When not teaching, directing, or acting, she is a rescue dog mom.
Denise Riendeau has been an educator for the last 19 years. She is currently a Special Education Math teacher with Hays CISD. This is Denise's second summer musical camp with the Gaslight Baker Theater and is looking forward to seeing the talent and enthusiasm of this season’s campers. When not working with kids, Denise can be seen on the GBT stage or working with her animals at Barking Dog Ranch just outside of Lockhart.
Mercy Olguin is currently a student at Oklahoma City University and is double majoring in Elementary Fine Arts Education and Acting. Mercy is a GBT veteran and even attended GBT camps as a youth and teen! She has worked with ZACH Theater under their theater teaching internship and has taught at multiple dance camps and elementary schools in the Central Texas and Oklahoma area.
Three-four junior and teen mentors will return this year to assist with the early learner, elementary and junior camps to help lead improvisation games and facilitate one-on-one monologue review and four-to-one ratio.