The Artistic Team is responsible for implementing the artistic purpose and vision of the organization through programming, education, advocacy, and community collaboration. From our organization’s beginning, the Artistic Team has shaped the course of the theatre by creating theatrical experiences for artists and patrons that were unlike anything else happening in the area. From full-scale productions, staged readings, and outreach programs, the Artistic Team's passionate efforts created a high artistic caliber that became synonymous with The 5 & Dime.
I am thrilled to introduce you to the newest members of the Artistic Team, who will continue to challenge what theatre is and has the opportunity to do in Jacksonville!
Chloe Cuff is a Jacksonville-native and is currently a second-year student at the University of Michigan pursuing her BFA in Directing. Before she left for Ann Arbor, she attended Douglas Anderson School of the Arts as a musical theatre major. She has been involved in theatre around the Northeast Florida community, working both on and off stage with DA and several local community theatres, including The 5 & Dime, Limelight, and Players by the Sea. While Chloe enjoys traditional means of theatre, recently she has been experimenting with creative activism with works that center around marginalized identities and bringing their stories to life. She has several creative activism credits, including “Break the Broom,” a filmed social activism piece centering young Black artists in Jacksonville, and “Black Voices Heard,” the first-ever all-Black cabaret created and performed by University Michigan School of Art and Design, and School of Music, Theatre, and Dance students. (Unfortunately, “Black Voices Heard” is currently postponed due to COVID-19.)
Lindsay Curry, Jacksonville native, storyteller, mental health advocate, and “Best Aunt Ever” award-winner, has been making theatre in Jacksonville for more than 15 years. As an artist, she has worn many hats on projects including director, actor, production manager, and stage manager, and contributed to creative teams through costumes, sets, and props. As a community member, she’s dedicated to diverse community involvement, specifically efforts to cultivate creative opportunities and develop creative spaces. She has served on multiple teams as a staff member, both in education and production roles, including Players by the Sea, the Ponte Vedra Cultural Center, and previously a member of The 5 & Dime’s Artistic Team. As an actor, some of her favorite roles include: “Dog Sees God” (PBTS), “The Lyons” (PBTS), “Clybourne Park” (The 5 & Dime), and “Night, Mother” (The 5 & Dime). As a director, she has been privileged to work on “Top Dog/Under Dog” (The 5 & Dime), “Constellations” (The 5 & Dime), “God of Carnage” (ABET), and most recently, “Sweat” (The 5 & Dime). Although she considers being an artist her calling, she has had the privilege of working as a program director for a local, independent elementary school for the last nine years. She intends on continuing to explore opportunities to link education, theatre, and mental health. She has an associate’s degree in theatre performance and a bachelor’s degree in human services from Florida State College at Jacksonville.
Born and raised in St. Augustine, Florida, Stephanie Santiago briefly studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She then transferred to Florida State University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She has been active in both the Jacksonville and St. Augustine theatre communities since 2017. Some of her favorite shows have been at The 5 & Dime, including “The Laramie Project” and “Lysistrata.”
Abby Gomez is a long time friend and volunteer of The 5 & Dime Theatre Co. A Jacksonville Native, she has grown up a part of our Jacksonville theatre community. She graduated from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in 2014 and has worked for multiple years in arts education. Abby is a passionate theatre practitioner and has volunteered for theatre across town performing, directing and working backstage. She is also an accomplished stage manager, having worked on 4 shows as stage manager with The 5 & Dime, including "Small Mouth Sounds", "Buyer and Cellar", "How I Learned To Drive", and "The Call". She has also had the privilege of working backstage for many other productions with the theatre. Abigail is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and is an aspiring theatre educator.
Kat McLeod is a Jacksonville native with a degree in theatre from Florida State University. She has been a stage manager in the Jacksonville theatre community for 15 years. She is also a writer and performer with Awkward Silence Jax, a sketch comedy troupe. She has in the recent years transitioned into local film work, utilizing her organizational skills and attention to detail as a producer and production designer.
These incredible artists join myself, Josh Waller, Zeina Salame, Craig Leavitt, Evan Gould, and Lee Hamby. As we forge ahead, I look forward to working with these artists to expand the impact and reach of the Artistic Team. We’ll be welcoming more members to the team; if you are interested in being considered for the Artistic Team, please stay tuned for an application!
- Bradley Akers, Managing Artistic Director
