Laurie, a lyric soprano with an extension of range, first encountered the stage at the young age of six and has been involved in the field ever since. Early on, Laurie began performing in community theatre earning multiple awards, including “People’s Choice,” for her acting and musical talents. Additionally, she has had the privilege of competing in, and obtaining, young performer’s awards for a mixture of vocal competitions. She has participated in several auditioned honors choirs and has gained experience as a section leader, competitor, and conductor. Laurie earned her BM in Vocal Performance from East Tennessee State University in 2001 and MEd from the University of Dayton in 2005. She performed in numerous operatic, theatrical, and solo performances during this time. Her favorites of these being Monica of Menotti’s “The Medium”, Madame Goldentrill of Mozart’s “The Impressario”, and Gretel of Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel”. Since then, she has performed as the soprano soloist for Faure’s Requiem, and in multiple galas and events. Her choral, theatrical, and solo work has taken her throughout much of the States and beyond with some of the most formative choral performances being hosted at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Grand Ole Opry, and Notre-Dame Cathedral. Laurie also managed and taught for an independent vocal studio for over seven years. In addition to her musical efforts, Laurie was an educator for six years working with general education, music education, and special needs students in grades K-12. That seems like many moons ago though. Presently, Laurie continues to enjoy working on stage and behind the scenes. She is thrilled to have directed “Mary Poppins Jr.”, “Moana Jr.”, “Junie B. Jones JR” in partnership with SHEEP, and “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” through Stage House! During the 2023-2024 school year she will be directing “Narnia” as well as enjoying a fifth whirl of co-directing “House for the Holidays”. Laurie is a homeschooling, kiddie craft making, coffee drinking, and picture taking mother, and wife to her husband, Mark.

Rachel Premo was homeschooled throughout grade school, along with her five younger siblings. She then attended Anderson University, where she received her Bachelors of Music Education (Vocal/Choral) in May of 2015. During her time in Anderson, she received multiple performance-related honors and scholarships for piano and was a featured guest soloist with the Anderson Symphony Orchestra. She was also privileged to be one of the founding members of the breakthrough piano ensemble, Noteworthy, and served as the accompanist and music director for multiple collegiate performances, including Barnum, Mary Poppins, and The Corn Is Green. Rachel completed her student teaching clinical by directing five choirs and teaching AP Music Theory in one of the top choral programs in the state at Seneca High School. Since graduating college, Rachel has become an entrepreneur music teacher, performer, and arranger. She gives private vocal and piano instruction in her home studio and is blessed to be able to play and sing in many capacities, including dinner parties, weddings, and a large variety of school and professional accompanying opportunities. Rachel works as the Administrative and Worship Assistant at her home church and is also an active singer in the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Chorus and the Taylor Festival Choir. She enjoys working as an “arranger-for-hire” in her spare time and has completed two books of hymn arrangements, multiple collections of wedding music, and an orchestral reduction for a musical theater production. As a director, Rachel has been privileged to conduct multiple homeschool choirs in the Lowcountry area since 2015, and she is currently the music director and vocal coach for SHEEP Musical Theater. She is thrilled to now be a choral and music director for House Theater Inc. Since July of 2016, Rachel has been happily married to Craig Premo, who is a local real estate agent. They enjoy long evening walks, reading novels out loud together, eating homemade pizza, camping in the mountains, and spending quality time with their families. Rachel is extremely passionate about music and loves the thrill of serving others through her playing, singing, and directing.

Quin Gray grew up in a small town in East Texas. After graduating, he attended Mississippi State University, where he received his Bachelor of Music Education (Instrumental) in 2020. While at MSU, he performed with the Famous Maroon Band, the MSU Wind Ensemble, the Haute Brass Quintet, and the Starkville Symphony Orchestra. He also received the Keyone Docher Award for Student Achievement and was the keynote performer for the 2019 Templeton Ragtime Festival. During his college years, he also worked as an Assistant Band Director with the Starkville Homeschool Music Cooperative under the direction of Dr. Clifton Taylor. After graduating college, Quin began teaching band with the Longview ISD Band Program in Longview, Texas. In 2021, Quin married his wife, Haydon, and moved to Charleston as the Director of Orchestras for River Oaks Middle School. While at River Oaks, Quin expanded the Orchestra Program from 12 students to more than 50 and was awarded the Rookie Teacher of the Year Award through Dorchester District 2. He went on to represent the district as a State Finalist with the South Carolina Association of School Curriculum Directors. As an orchestra director, Quin received Superior ratings through SCMEA Concert Performance Assessment and had multiple students receive placements in Regional and State ensembles. Throughout his young adult life, Quin has been heavily invested in music ministries in various churches, most recently serving as a Worship Assistant at Crossroads Community Church. He maintains an active performance schedule with the Charleston Wind Symphony and local playing engagements. In 2023, Quin left teaching to become a full-time Children and Families Pastor at Crossroads Community Church. Quin loves to worship the Lord and sees the art of teaching as the greatest service one can give to others.

Sarah probably watched the Wizard of Oz every day of her life the first few years of her existence; possibly to her parents' mental exhaustion. This adventurous L. Frank Baum world gave way to a passion for musical theatre and filmmaking. Starting in middle school, Sarah began to pour over all things theatre and film production- what did it take to make a film and what did it take to be a strong performer. She joined a community theatre, dabbled in art, band, and operatic vocal lessons. As she began her high school journey, she found herself immersed in all-things theatre production. From the hair/make-up side to stage managing, by her Junior year, Sarah was co-directing her first 1.30 hour production under the guidance of her teacher. This instilled a passion for bringing the entire symphony of a production together. All of the elements from cues, hair/make-up/wardrobe, set design, dialect, projection, inflection - all of it came together into a bigger dream. Sarah desired to pursue the stage after high school but found an opportunity to work in her other passion: filmmaking. She began filmmaking courses at a local college and during her first semester was offered the opportunity to work in Rock Hill and Charleston on the historical film, The Patriot. This underscored her passion for bringing productions to life since it enhanced her organizational skills for production workflow. Through the remainder of her college years, she pursued various other film, commercial, and television productions such as Cold Mountain and The Notebook. While working on these various productions, she also pursued community theatre as a theatre teacher with a local church from 2006 to 2016. This journey fostered an environment for teenagers to pursue their various theatrical skillsets in a God-focused environment. Seeing families and friends of the church and students attend these performances brought together the realization that 1 Corinthians 10:31 is at the root of all she aims to do. She is currently a photographer, photographer instructor, film teacher, social media manager, and most importantly - a homeschool parent.

Bethany Willis grew up as a homeschooled LCHEA student with her 3 siblings. Bethany began her dance experience at Metro North Dance in the Cecchetti method of Ballet and passed Cecchetti exams 1-6. She then trained at Robert Ivey Ballet Academy in the Vaganova method of Ballet. Bethany is also trained in Modern, Jazz, and Tap. She graduated from the College of Charleston with a BA in Psychology and Dance, concentration in performance and choreography. Upon graduating college, she began dancing professionally with a local Modern dance company called Annex Dance Company. She also teaches dance at SHEEP, LC3, and Robert Ivey Ballet as well as being a part-time nanny to two sweet girls. Bethany has been teaching dance in the Lowcountry for 10 years and has a passion for teaching students to use their dance abilities for the glory of God! She currently lives in North Charleston with her husband, Justin, and Husky pup, Juneau. Bethany is beyond excited to teach dance with House!

Before moving to South Carolina in 2015 Adelaide lived in Georgia, and this is where her passion for the arts began to grow. Her first musical was in 8th grade: The Little Mermaid Jr and she played- can you guess?- Sebastian! She quickly realized that theatre was a huge outlet for her creativity! After a couple more years in Georgia, she moved to South Carolina where she really honed her skills. From high school through college, she found every opportunity to perform and has done a variety of shows: straight plays, improv, musicals, cabarets, and reviews! She performed as Gertrude in The Seussical, Connie Miller in 1940's Radio Hour, and Golde in Fiddler on the Roof just to name a few! One of her most memorable moments was co-writing and directing a CSU show, Dis Connected, during the height of Covid-19. Adelaide graduated from Charleston Southern University in May of 2021 with a degree in Marketing and Theatre and currently works as a Communications Specialist at the David M. Gilston Agency.

She enjoys Orangetheory Fitness, authentic ramen, and moments alone on the beach. One of her lifelong goals is to hike the Appalachian Trail in one go! She feels blessed to be given an opportunity to connect with talented individuals in House Theatre and is looking forward to the growth of this amazing program.

Buck's first taste for the performing arts began when he was a high school freshman in Southern California. He chose choir and theatre as electives but soon discovered he was a natural performer with exceptional public speaking skills. He spent the rest of his high school years participating in various choir and theatre productions, including assisting behind the scenes for "Little Shop of Horrors" and performing scenes from "Grease" for local theatre competitions. Two weeks after graduating from high school, he joined the United States Navy as a Nuclear Machinist Mate. Throughout his years of active service, he had the privilege to serve at several shore duty commands and aboard aircraft carriers such as the USS Abraham Lincoln, USS George H.W. Bush (pre-commissioned), and USS Nimitz. During his time in the navy, he met his wife Maria in 1999. Together, they have three children: Noah, Alyssa, and Eli. In 2009, Buck and Maria became homeschooling parents. As a homeschooling dad, Buck felt led to serve in church youth programs, such as Awana. Since then, the Lord has continued to stir his heart to work with youth ministry and lead devotional time at homeschool co-ops.

When Alyssa was 7 years old, she participated in her first local play. It was soon discovered that she shared the same love for theatre as her dad. Since then, Buck has been an avid supporter of theatre in the homeschooling community. During their time in Washington State, he served as a volunteer in a local theatre organization, gaining experience in serving as security during shows, moving sets with the backstage crew, and set building. In May 2022, Buck retired as a Senior Chief after 25 years of Naval Service. Moving forward, the Lord has remained faithful in opening doors to lead him into church ministry. He is currently on staff as the Assistant Student Minister at Northwood Baptist Church. Additionally, Buck is furthering his education in ministry as he works on pursuing his Bachelor's Degree in Biblical Counseling through Liberty University and becoming an ordained Pastor with the church.

Carrie Bennett is a fifth-generation teacher who is passionate about all things having to do with language and children. She began her career as an educator in 2004, teaching music in the church and in private studios before moving into the public school system as a fourth-grade teacher. Since then, she has continued to teach music even while she classically homeschools four of her seven children. Carrie has been teaching children how to read and write since 2009, and it was her love of language that spurred her on to pursue education in the first place. She has a bachelor’s degree in Music and Bible from Columbia International University and holds a Master of Arts in Teaching early childhood and elementary education from that same school. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing and writing music, playing games with her children, and spending time outdoors with her husband. She had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home and accepted Christ as a young girl. She and her husband Jason have seven children, five of whom still live at home, and they hope to see them accept the Lord at a young age as well.

Rachel Balakrishnan was homeschooled from pre-k through high school, which allowed her to pursue her passion in music. From a young age, Rachel Balakrishnan loved assisting her mother with learning and leading music at vacation bible school at their church. This love grew to a passion for learning to sing, play piano, guitar and pipe organ. After taking private lessons in these various instruments, by high school Rachel was assistant directing the children’s choir at her church. At age 16 she became a part time pianist and six months later, a full time organist. After graduating high school, she worked at a summer camp, leading the creative arts track group each week. She was then a barista for three years, all while continuing as a pianist, now at the military base chapel. She has sung with several church and community choirs, and been on mission trips which included teaching music to orphan children in India. Rachel has studied under Rachel Premo for the past two years, learning to direct choir, while also fine tuning her music skills. She currently works at Chic-fil-A as a team leader, while continuing with her many music ministries. One of her favorite Bible verses is Psalm 96:1-2 “Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.”

Serena Madden was homeschooled from kindergarten through high school, and she loved the opportunities that it provided her. Her parents and grandparents established a love of musical theatre in her from a very early age! She grew up watching musicals like My Fair Lady and Singin’ in the Rain, and loved reenacting them in her living room. She began her dance training at the age of 5 and continued to study ballet for the next 10 years. She also studied jazz, tap, lyrical, ballroom, and musical theatre dance. She discovered the magic of theatre in high school and continued to pursue that passion in college. While in college, she was presented with many opportunities which ranged from playing Viola in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night to directing a mainstage production of Steel Magnolias, and even writing and directing a Vintage Variety Show for her Dean’s Commendation Project. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in theatre performance and minor in music from Coker University in May of 2021. Since then, Serena has worked as a preschool performing arts teacher, performed in the 24 HR Musical Fundraiser, and has performed in some of House’s productions, including House for the Holidays. She is currently working as a ballroom dance instructor at Arthur Murray Dance Studio, and she loves sharing her passion for dance and music with her students there. From very early on, Serena knew that she was called to be a teacher in the arts. Being a part of theatre in high school, she saw the healing and growth that took place in her fellow students over the years. She saw how the arts could be used as a ministry to share the love of Jesus with people – both those in the audience and  those on stage. Serena could not be more excited to be a part of a ministry as special and close to her heart as House Theatre.

Kayleigh-ann Rutan is thrilled to work with talented children in the field she loves most and help lead the young leading ladies and gentlemen of House Theatre reach their full potential as performers. Kayleigh-ann always wanted to be in theater. She was homeschooled and spent many free hours daydreaming and telling stories. She would walk around outside and act out whole scenes from her imagination. She memorized, rehearsed, and performed entire movies for her mother. As time went on, she became the official bedtime book reader for her younger siblings, doing each character’s voice. Last year, Kayleigh-ann auditioned for Little Women with House Theatre and got her dream role: Meg March. She made new friends, grew in her gifting, and had a blast! She fell in love with the creative culture and excellence of House Theatre. She knew right away that she wanted to be a part of this amazing group of people in any way she could. She was delighted to be a narrator for House for the Holidays and when the opportunity is available, sings her heart out in the House Community Choir.

Kayleigh-ann works as a special care assistant for her younger sister, Isabella, who was diagnosed with profound autism. Since she has the opportunity to work from home, she participates extensively in the homeschooling of her younger siblings, from teaching parts of speech to making maps for history. Kayleigh-ann also loves helping her siblings practice scenes and songs for musical theater, and cannot wait to use her experience to help grow and develop other young students in the joy of musical theater.