Brady grew up in rural West Tennessee, where he spent his childhood and adolescence performing in local community theatre productions. He moved to Knoxville in 2017 to attend the University of Tennessee, where he graduated with his B.A. in Theatre in 2021. He has acted in productions at various theaters in the Knoxville area and now enjoys sharing his passion for the performing arts as an instructor at Knoxville Children’s Theatre, where he encourages students to explore creativity, confidence, and collaboration through storytelling.
Cadence Collins has been teaching theatre to students of all ages for over 10 years. With a background in musical theatre, she has also performed professionally at regional theatres in New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and, of course, in her home state of Tennessee. Cadence holds a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Services and is passionate about helping young performers grow in confidence and creativity. Her favorite stage role was Wendy in Peter Pan, but her favorite role of all is being mom to her wonderful two-year-old daughter, Ottillie.
Ethan Graham (EG) is multidisciplinary theatre maker and arts educator. He has been an academy instructor at KCT since 2022, and was the director of THE MAGIC TREEHOUSE: DINOSAURS BEFORE DARK in 2024. A Knoxville native, EG maintains professional engagement with local theatres as an actor, director, and playwright, including projects with the Clarence Brown Theatre, River & Rail Theatre Company, the WordPlayers, and the University of Tennessee. He is also the founder of First Take Co., a theatre and entertainment company based in Knoxville. Further afield, his career includes performances with the Boise Contemporary Theatre, Great River Shakespeare Festival, the Iowa New Play Festival, and the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (CPIP), as well as directorial, educational, and playwriting engagements in London, England. He holds an MFA in Actor Training & Coaching from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, as well as an MS in Information Sciences and a BA in College Scholars from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Krista is originally from the Pacific Northwest, and spent nearly a decade as a teaching artist and singing actress in Seattle before moving across the country to Orlando to work for the Walt Disney Company. She made magic for nearly five years in the parks, and spent a majority of the time in entertainment as both a character attendant and show facilitator. Krista was part of the cast for Enchanted Tales with Belle in Magic Kingdom, the villagers on Batuu in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with Lucasfilm favorites like Chewbacca and the Storm Troopers, and also escorted the Festival of Fantasy parade down Main Street, USA. She also sang with the Candlelight Processional alongside the Voices of Liberty during the holiday seasons in EPCOT at the American Gardens Theatre, sharing the stage with celebrity narrators like Jodi Benson, Brendan Fraser, John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, and Josh Gad. Krista holds a Bachelor of Arts in both music and theatre from Western Washington University, with emphasis in vocal performance, education, acting, and musical theatre. While earning her degree, she competed as a finalist in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Musical Theatre Scholarship Audition series twice. She was also selected to study in New York City with the Open Jar Institute, working with Broadway professionals for a week-long intensive with Jeff Whiting (Hunchback of Notre Dame), James Gray (Bullets Over Broadway), Danny Burnstein (Fiddler on the Roof), and Thayne Jasperson (Hamilton). On stage, favorite roles include Sally Brown in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Arts Unlimited), Olive Ostrovsky in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Arts Unlimited), Sister Robert Ann in Nunsense (Act I Productions), and the title role in Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Cascade Community Theatre). Krista has also taught with Village Theatre Kidstage, Bellevue Children’s Academy, Sammamish Children’s School, and Joy Music Studios. In her spare time, Krista composes her own music, draws digital art, and also does voice acting for independent video games and audio books. Krista believes in empowering youth, giving them a chance to find their voice and let their light shine through creative outlets and artistic communities- theatre is a chance to hone in on life skills, and continue to be a part of the art of being human.
Marlie is a student at the University of Tennessee from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She has had a lifelong passion for singing and the performing arts, spending several years performing in local musical productions, choir, teaching summer camps, serving as a music director, and singing with her church’s worship band. Marlie trained at Center Stage Performing Arts in Louisiana as both a student and later an instructor, where she developed a strong foundation in theatre and experienced its ability to instill confidence and compassion in others. After moving to Tennessee for college, she started teaching at Knoxville Children’s Theatre hoping to help young performers grow their own love for theatre and encourage them to be the best versions of themselves both on and off the stage!
Rylee Connors is a Knoxville native who grew up performing in community theatre, where she developed a lifelong love for the arts. She is currently completing her degree in Theatre Performance with a concentration in Education and hopes to inspire future generations through theatre education. Rylee believes the arts have the power to build confidence, foster creativity, and create lifelong connections. She is so thankful to be teaching at KCT and cherishes the welcoming community and enthusiasm that make it such a special place.
Taylor Wingerter is a lifelong comedienne; improvising since 2007, and instructing since 2010. She taught in Denver, Colorado, at the Bovine Metropolis Theater (closed in 2020) and then at Rise Comedy through 2022. Taylor also trained at the Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles. She is excited to teach improv in Knoxville at Manatee Vanity Improv and Knoxville Children’s Theatre. You can see her performing with Pretend Friends Improv and Fish Sticks Comedy locally and nationally.
Taylor comes to us from Louisiana, where she served as the Education Coordinator and House Manager for the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts and the Class Coordinator for CYT Baton Rouge. Outside of the Columbia and CYT, she is a theatre artist and educator who has worked as a director, fight choreographer, actor, and hosted a wide range of workshops for various theatres in southeastern Louisiana. She has 4 and a half years of experience in the classroom teaching both English and Theatre. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Southeastern Louisiana University and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Education from the Mississippi University for Women. She is thrilled to be a part of the KCT family!
