About The Trusted Gentlemen TTS

Michael has acquired an extensive knowledge of theatre over the course of his career as a theatre teacher and director. Michael retired from the public school systems of Missouri in 2021 after 31 years of service. He was the theatre teacher/director at Kickapoo High School for twenty-two years. He has directed and produced 100’s of theatrical productions including his all-time favorites Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera. Michael earned his bachelor’s degree in Speech and Theatre from Missouri State University and holds a Masters from Drury University. In 2019, his student’s production of Into the Woods was selected to perform at the Kansas City Music Hall. His students have won many State Thespian Conference awards and scholarships. Many of his students have qualified to compete at the International Thespian Festival and several of these students have placed in the top 10 in the world and have received international scholarships. His students have also won district and state honors through MSHSAA one-act play and readers theater competitions. Michael is an instructor for Drury University’s Pre-College program, serves as an instructor for the Missouri Fine Arts Academy, and is an instructor/director at Gloria Deo Academy. Many of his former students have gone on to have successful careers as professional actors, performers, and teachers. He is a member of the Speech and Theatre Association of Missouri, The Educational Theatre Association, and the National Forensic League.

Austin has been in and around theatre his entire life. Austin earned credits for a minor in Theatre from Missouri State University. He began working professionally at the age of 17 and has worked numerous productions including the Broadway Tours of Phantom of the Opera and Wicked. He has continued his passion for the theatre by working in local venues in the Springfield regional area. He has served as technical director at Kickapoo High School since 2017. In 2020, he launched the Trusted Gentlemen to especially assist high school theatre directors.

Curt has been a videographer for live stage productions for over 20 years. He is an experienced video producer with many years of experience in the video production industry. He has told thousands of stories and won multiple Addy and Telly awards. Curt's video storytelling career began in TV news at a time when working at a TV station was the only way to break into the business, short of moving to Hollywood. Curt has worked in a broad range of industries and video applications including producing video content for broadcast and cable TV, social media, web-product videos, corporate training, retail, manufacturing, travel and tourism, and economic development.

Jordan's level of expertise in the area of sound and audio are second to none. Jordan has an extensive background in musical theatre and has served as a conductor and audio engineer for numerous musical and theatrical performances. Jordan is a certified teacher and taught in public schools for 8 years. Jordan holds a Masters of Music Education Degree from Evangel University and two Bachelor Degrees in Music Education and Piano Performance both from Missouri State University.

Troy’s passion and hobby has always been photography. Whether landscape, natural portraits, and numerous acting shots, Troy will bring your photos into the emotion and frame of the moment. Troy has been doing theatrical photography for over a decade and has the knowledge and expertise on how to take the best photos in an actual stage setting. Troy directs the Drury Panther Marching Band, Bandther Athletic Band, and Wind Symphony. Before his appointment at Drury, Mr. Peterson taught public school for 31 years in California and Missouri.

Theatrical Marketing and Consulting

Russell has been involved in theatre for almost 40 years. He led his Theatre League and International Thespian Society troupe in high school, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Theatre Studies from Dallas Baptist University. From there he began a 16-year professional theatre journey leading to amazing experiences and thousands of performances. Russell traveled with a touring company performing a one-man show, The Prisoner, at public and private schools all over the country. He also worked with a company helping cities raise money for renovations of historic theaters. He performed in many of these historic venues and even directed a few of the productions for these fundraisers. In 1986 he landed the lead role of Eugene in the southwestern premiere of Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs in Tulsa Oklahoma. Russell spent the last six years of his professional acting career in Branson, Missouri performing the role of Satan in the highly successful musical production, The Promise, and the role of Kaspar in Two from Galilee. Though he is no longer a professional performer, he values what he learned through his experience and still uses those skills in his work as a learning consultant. He has since earned an MBA from The University of Texas at Arlington and has been developing sales and marketing leaders for the past 10 years. Russell is the creator and host of the Drama Teachers Be Like… podcast and his passion for educational theatre can be heard in every episode.