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The Play of Herod: Directors

Kelly Morris, Director

2004—present: The Play of Herod
1988—present: President, Atlanta Camerata
1980—88: President, The Seed & Feed Corporation
1976—present: Founder, Seed & Feed Sacred Harp Singing
1974—present: Founder, Seed & Feed Marching Abominable
1974—present: Singer and programmer, Schola Cantorum of Atlanta
1974—1999: The Play of Herod
1972—79: Director, Kelly's Seed & Feed Theatre, Atlanta

In addition to his directoral expertise, Kelly Morris was head of publications at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia, from 1976 to 2011. He has edited and overseen the publication of all printed materials of the Museum in that time, including the publishing of more than 125 catalogues and books, including works co-published with Abrams, Hudson Hills, Rizzoli, Yale University Press, University of Washington Press, and University Press of Mississippi.

Link to older Interview with Kelly Morris about this production.

Kevin Culver , Music Director

Music Director Kevin Culver is the Choir Master of the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta. In 1976 Kevin co-founded the Atlanta Singers, an internationally acclaimed group which he led for fifteen years. He is known for his collaboration with various theatrical groups in Atlanta. In May of 2003, Culver co-created the Archdiocesan Festival Choir of Atlanta which is comprised of auditioned singers from more than thirty parishes throughout the Archdiocese. Culver and Morris have teamed up to bring ancient music to rapt audiences for several decades.

Morris-Culver Sacred Music-Drama Collaborations in addition to Herod:

2008: Via Crucis with Cathedral of Christ the King Choir (music by Franz Liszt)
2006—2007: Visions of the Cross with Cathedral of Christ the King Choir
2003: Miserere, with Cathedral of Christ the King Choir (featuring Barber's Agnus Dei)
2002: Miserere, with Cathedral of Christ the King Choir (featuring Allegri's Miserere)
2001: Mother of Sorrows, with music by John Tavener and Arvo Pärt
1999—2000: Ordo Virtutum by Hildegard von Bingen
1996—97, and 2010: Pilgrim Trail (14th-century Spanish music and puppet drama), with Cathedral of Christ the King Choir
1995: Te Deum by Arvo Pärt, with Cathedral of Christ the King Choir
1991—92: Requiem Mysticam, with the Atlanta Singers (meditation on St. Teresa of Avila, with Victoria's Requiem)
1990: Stabat Mater by Arvo Pärt, with the Atlanta Singers
1984—86: Ordo Virtutum by Hildegard von Bingen (12th-century musical morality play)

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The Play of Herod: Singers

Adrin Akins, Shepherd

Counter-tenor Adrin Akins holds a Bachelor's Degree from Columbus State University, and played French Horn with the Lagrange Symphony Orchestra for several seasons. He has sung with many church choirs, including guest solo performances with the Chorus Peregrines based in Dalton, Georgia, and the Decatur First United Methodist Church. He is a member of the St. Bartholomew's Choir, where he also plays Celtic harp. Adrin is currently teaching. This is Adrin's fourth year in The Play of Herod.

Heather Almond, Angel/Innocent

Heather has been playing an Angel/Innocent since 2003. Heather's acting/singing resume includes shows with Dad's Garage, Onstage Atlanta, Atlanta Camerata, Atlanta Classic Theater, Village playhouse of Roswell, Schola Cantorum and with Barbara Hawkins. Heather sings soprano in the Saint Bartholomew's Canterbury Choir.

Nancy Bryant, Shepherd

Nancy J. Bryant, mezzo-soprano, is a staff singer at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, and a member of the Atlanta Schola Cantorum. She has held staff positions at The Temple, Grace Methodist, and St. Luke's Episcopal, and has sung at other churches and synagogues in the Atlanta area. A graduate of Wellesley College, she pursued advanced vocal studies at Boston University, Mannes College of Music, and Queens College. She participated in the Harrower Summer Opera Workshop at Georgia State University, the Aspen Music School opera program, and the Phyllis Curtin Seminar for Singers at Tanglewood. Nancy studied with Irene Harrower. She is married to composer Curtis Bryant. By day, Nancy is a web manager at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is her fourth year in The Play of Herod.

John Carter, Scribe/Henchman

John Carter is Choirmaster-Organist of Episcopal Church of the Holy Family in Jasper, GA, and has been a member of the Atlanta Schola Cantorum since 2011. He holds degrees in music from Birmingham-Southern College and Reinhardt University. This is his first year in The Play of Herod.

Lisa Caspall, Angel/Innocent

Lisa is a choreographer at Sugarloaf Performing Arts, St. Thomas More School, and St. Thomas More theater ministry. She currently cantors and sings with the St. Thomas More choir under Mozelle Cole. She holds a B.A. in humanities with an emphasis in music from Hendrix College. In addition to the solace found in singing sacred music, Lisa also enjoys performing in musical theater. This is her third year performing in The Play of Herod.

James Engstrom, Scribe/Henchman

James Engstrom joins the cast of Herod for his second year in the role of scribe and henchman. He has been singing with the choirs at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church for eight years. When he is not singing, James is a professor of geography at Georgia Perimeter College.

Barton Gilleland, King Herod

Baritone Barton Gilleland joined the Herod cast in 2010 in the title role. A versatile dramatic actor and singer, he is often seen on the operatic and oratorio stages, most recently as a regular with the Gwinnett Symphony, the Meridian Chorale, and as a soloist in collaborations with regional companies. Mr. Gilleland is also on the faculty at Piedmont College in Demorest, GA, and a staff singer at the Cathedral of Christ the King. Other notable appearances in past seasons have included The Villains in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Stanley Kowalski (A Streetcar Named Desire), Guglielmo (Cosí fan Tutte), John Proctor (The Crucible), title roles in Rigoletto and Don Giovanni, Horace Tabor (The Ballad of Baby Doe), and Marcello (La Boheme). Recent oratorio appearances have included Carmina Burana, Brahms' Deutsches Requiem, Handel's Messiah and the Mozart Requiem. Mr. Gilleland's engagements have sent him to Europe, South America, Mexico, Canada, and throughout the whole of the United States.

Mr. Gilleland completed his undergraduate training in both Voice and Conducting at Baylor University, and his Master's tuition is from The Ohio State University in Vocal Pedagogy. When not on stage, he can be found working either as an operations and business development manager, or as a husband and father to two fabulous little girls.

Eliza Guinn, Angel/Innocent

Eliza Guinn is currently a junior at DeKalb School of the Arts, where she studies acting and plays in the orchestra. She studies voice with Wanda Yang Temko and has been playing the harp for 5 years. Her most current performances include Dark of the Moon by Howard Richardson and William Berney (musician), and Requiem by Gabriel Faure. This is her second year in The Play of Herod.

Patty Guenthner, Shepherd

Patty returns to Herod this year as a shepherd, having previously been seen as an angel/innocent. She currently sings with the Cathedral Choir and Schola Nova at the Cathedral of Christ the King. Patty has also performed in numerous theatricals in the Atlanta area over the past 25+ years. A proud Georgia Tech grad, she is employed by day at the CDC in the field of HIV research.

Matthew Ireland, Magus

Matthew Ireland has been involved with the Play of Herod since its reincarnation in 2004. His formal education includes a B.S. in Theater from Northwestern University in 1982. In the Atlanta area he has performed in such diverse places as the Aurora Theater in Duluth, the Square Globe theater in Marietta, and the 14th Street Playhouse in Atlanta. Matthew is a cantor/soloist at Christ the King Catholic Cathedral. He earns his living as a Senior Software Engineer.

Ian Kincaid, Scribe/Henchman

Ian Kincaid joined the Herod cast in 1996, and has enjoyed playing the part of dutiful scribe and sword-wielding henchman ever since. Ian sings with the Christ the King Cathedral Choir and has also sung with the Schola Cantorum. When not slaughtering innocents at the dictate of a paranoid autocracy, he makes a living doing interactive design, animation & medical illustration.

Camille LaScalla, Mary

Camille LaScala is a sophomore at Decatur High School. She studies theater at DHS, performs with the World-Traveling DHS Marching Band, dances with the Decatur School of Ballet, and studies voice privately with Catherine Dunne. Her theater roles include the Princess in The Princess and the Pea, the teacher in The Story of Ruby Bridges, and various roles in Julius Caesar. Camille has been cast in PSAs including one for Georgia Equality and had a starring role in The Intruder Within, which won a CINE Golden Eagle Award for WIFTA and the Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She is thrilled to be playing Mary in her first production of The Play of Herod and dedicates this performance to her great grandmother whose strong devotion to Mary brings special meaning to this role.

Steve Lindsley, Joseph

Steve Lindsley worked as an actor from 1974 - 1988 with Kelly' Seed and Feed Theatre, the Academy Theatre, the Southern Conspiracy Theatre, Seven Stages, The Theatrical Outfit, the Alliance Studio Theatre as well as Joke Rodeo. He currently works for Southface Energy Institute.

Cat Lyons, Angel/Innocent

Cat first performed in the Play of Herod in 2004, returned to the cast from 2007 - 2010, and for Saturday's performance at the Monastery this year. Cat is an entertainer at Renaissance festivals in Georgia and North Carolina, and currently lives and works with a medical practice in South Carolina.

Nell Mermin-Bunnell, Angel/Innocent

Nell Mermin-Bunnell is a high school student at the Paideia School. She has sung in the Atlanta Young Singers of Callonwolde, attended Interlochen for musical theater, and acted in several school productions including Oklahoma! (Laurey), Bye, Bye, Birdie (Helen), What's Eating Katie? (Katie). This is Nell's first year in The Play of Herod.

Jonathan Pilkington, Archangel

Jonathan Pilkington holds degrees from Shorter College (B.M.) and Westminster Choir College (M.M). Pilkington is currently pursuing a DMA in voice performance at the University of Georgia. He has recently been a featured soloist in Orff's Carmina Burana, Bach's Cantata No. 4, Bach's Magnificat, Bruckner's Te Deum, and Schütz's Weihnachts Historie. Mr. Pilkington was the tenor soloist for Elliott Carter's The Defense of Corinth at Avery Fisher Hall in New York, and sang the tenor solo in New York's premiere of Felix Mendelssohn's "Humboldt" Cantata. He also is a frequent recitalist, with recent recitals featuring Vaughan Williams' On Wenlock Edge, Britten's Winter Words, Beethoven's An die ferne Geliebte, Schumann's Dichterliebe, as well as other selections from the art song repertoire. While in New York, Mr. Pilkington frequently sang as a professional chorister, performing many major choral works with the New York Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Little Orchestra Society. Recently, Mr. Pilkington has made appearances as guest lecturer on vocal pedagogy topics at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and in Sautee, GA for the Sautee Chorale. He currently teaches voice at Piedmont College in Demorest, GA, and is a staff singer at Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta.

Anna Ridgeway, Angel/Innocent

Anna Ridgeway is a high school sophomore at Cumberland Christian Academy in Powder Springs. She sings with the praise and worship team there and has been a member of the Atlanta Young Singers under the direction of Mrs. Paige Mathis for 6 years. She is currently studying voice with Dr. Wanda Yang Temko. She has toured extensively internationally and nationally with the Atlanta Young Singers and some of these places include Ireland where she had training with Maev from Celtic Woman and under such resident composers in Atlanta as Moira Smiley and Takana Miyomoto. She performed at the World Choir Games this past July and will be preparing a trip with the AYS to World Choir Games in 2014 in Latvia. This is her first Herod performance.

Sue Reynolds, Shepherd

Sue Reynolds has sung in various choral groups including the Bristol (UK) Bach Choir, Renaissance & 20th century polyphony & Latin chant in Toronto, Canada, the Atlanta Schola Cantorum and Atlanta Choral Artists, and she has been a staff singer at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church since 2004. Sue has participated in The Play of Herod since about 1993 as an Angel/Innocent. This is her third year in the Shepherd role.

Stephanie Roberts, Angel/Innocent

Stephanie has previously performed in the Atlanta area with the Atlanta Schola Cantorum, the Atlanta Celtic Christmas Concert and the Emory Early Music Ensemble. She is the Assistant Director for International Student and Scholar Services at Emory University, where she is also a part-time student in Public Health Informatics. This is Stephanie's fourth year in The Play of Herod.

James Robinson, Herod's Arminger

James Robinson, baritone, received his B.Mus. degree with majors in Voice Performance and Music History and Literature from Georgia State University, Atlanta, where he studied voice with the late Peter Harrower. He received his M.Mus. degree from Florida State University also with majors in Voice Performance and Music History and Literature where he studied with Betty Jane Grimm. Most recently, Jim has studied with Irene Callaway Harrower.

Mr. Robinson has devoted recitals to the music of J. S. Bach, George Frederick Handel, Peter Cornelius and other baroque, classical and romantic period composers. In 1980, he inaugurated Georgia Public Television's Opus series with a performance of Franz Schubert's Winterreise. James recently appeared in recital at Saint Peter's Church in New York City where he premiered The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, a song cycle by Atlanta Composer Curtis Bryant. He has also performed the role of Alcindoro in Capitol City Opera's production of La Boheme. Jim has portrayed Herod's Arminger in the Atlanta Camerata production since 1975.

Jennie Saliers, Angel/Innocent

Jennie performed in The Play of Herod from 1983-1995 and again from 2000-present, and she sang with the Atlanta Schola Cantorum from 1983-1996. Husband Bill Levisay serves as the house manager for Herod performances.

Peyton Sammons, Angel/Innocent

Peyton Sammons returns for the fifth year as an Angel/Innocent in the Play of Herod. A high school senior, she is very active in the Advanced and Select choruses at her school and the Atlanta Public Schools Honor Chorus. She has appeared in numerous musical and theatrical roles, including a performance as Ariel in an Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern production of "The Tempest," in numerous performances under Dr. William Baker, and as a guest performer in programs at area churches. She has sung with the Atlanta Young Singers under Paige Mathis, and has studied under Christian Schoen and Dr. Wanda Yang Temko. She has been a long time voice student of Dr. Phillip Rogers.

Philip Sasse, Magus

Bass/Baritone Philip Sasse was one of the Magi in Herod from 1993-1999, and again since the show's reincarnation in 2004. Philip has been a member of the professional music staff at Atlanta's Cathedral of Christ the King as a staff singer/soloist/cantor since 1986, and over the years has performed with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony, The Atlanta Singers, The Colson Chorale, and other area choral groups. A Research Engineer by day, his other claims to fame include twenty-two US patents and a successful three-day stint on the game show Jeopardy!

Chrissy Spencer, Midwife/Mother

Chrissy Spencer, soprano, can regularly be heard with the St. Bartholomew's Compline Schola and Evensong Choir. She is a founding member of the Atlanta-based Uncommon Practice and sings with Atlanta Schola Cantorum. She plays viola da gamba and organizes workshops at the regional and national level to promote performance on viols and other early instruments. By day she is a faculty member in the School of Biology at Georgia Tech. This is her third appearance in The Play of Herod.

Kevin Streiter, Magus

A New Jersey transplant, Kevin has been interested in music of all types for as long as he can remember. He has spent many years playing in alternative rock and jazz bands and has kept his hand in musical projects with friends in Atlanta as well as back north. Kevin has been a member of the bass section in the St Thomas More choir for the last 14 years. By day, Kevin manages the facilities at the High Museum of Art. This is Kevin's fifth year performing in the Play of Herod.

Rachel Wong, Angel/Innocent

Rachel Wong is currently a junior at The Lovett School in Atlanta, where she is a member of the Lovett Singers under Dr. Jerry Ulrich. From 2007 to 2009, Rachel was a participant of the Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwolde. She is also a two-time participant in the Spivey Hall High School Honor Chorus. Additionally, Rachel will have the opportunity to compete at Carnegie Hall in New York City with Lovett's choral program in March. She currently studies voice with Dr. Wanda Yang Temko. Aside from singing, Rachel is an active Admissions Ambassador for Lovett and enjoys volunteering. This is her second year with the Play of Herod.

Wanda Yang Temko, Midwife/Mother

Soprano Soprano Wanda Yang Temko holds a doctorate in performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana along with degrees from Georgia State University and Emory University. Acclaimed for performances on operatic and concert stages, she has performed as a guest soloist with area ensembles such as Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, New Trinity Baroque, and the Michael O'Neal Singers while maintaining a career as a professional chorister singing with the Cathedral of St. Philip and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Chorus. A multi-faceted performer, she spent seven years as classical music host on WABE, 90.1 FM. Dr. Yang Temko is also an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and College Music Society, and serves as board President of Festival Singers of Atlanta and board member of Atlanta Early Music Alliance and Friends of Theater at Emory.

Wimberly Grace Thomas, Angel/Innocent

Wimberly Thomas, Soprano, earned her B.A. in Music: Vocal Emphasis at the University of Southern Mississippi, M.A. in Musicology and Historical Performance in Voice at the University of Wales, Bangor, and is currently working on her Doctor of Worship Studies degree (D.W.S.) at the Robert E. Webber Institute in Orange Park, FL. She sings with the Atlanta Schola Cantorum and the Cathedral of St. Philip Schola. During her years in Mississippi and Wales, Thomas sang with Mississippi Opera, Southern Opera and Musical Theater Company, Bangor Baroque Opera, The Mississippi Chorus, Swansea Philharmonic Choir, Hattiesburg Choral Union, Southern Chorale, and the Royal School of Church Music. She is the Area 4 Communications Chair with Handbell Musicians of America. Thomas is a staff soprano at Northside Drive Baptist Church in Buckhead, a certified music teacher, and maintains a private piano and voice studio. This is her second year in the Play of Herod.

John Yntema, Scribe/Henchman

John Yntema performed in the Play of Herod from 1985-1999 and rejoined the cast in 2009. He has sung with several church choirs (currently with the Epiphany Episcopal church), with the Atlanta Symphony Chorus (1992-1993), with Just Voices (2003-2008), and he recently rejoined the Atlanta Schola Cantorum with which he sang for several years in the 1980's.

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The Play of Herod: Consort

Lynda Anderson, Recorder

Lynda Anderson has been a recorder player since 1972. She has performed with various early music groups in the Atlanta area, most notably THE GOLIARDS OF ATLANTA which specialized in medieval music performance. She has been part of the Herod consort since 1995.

Rhett Barnwell, Harp

Rhett Barnwell has undertaken a varied career as a classical and Celtic harpist, organist, composer, conductor, cellist, pianist, and French horn player. As a harpist, he has concentrated on music for healing, sacred and meditative purposes, and has frequently performed in churches, hospices, nursing homes and hospitals. He has given concert tours of Ireland and Italy, and has performed throughout the US and at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. He is also an internationally known composer and arranger of music for the harp, and his recordings and sheet music editions are distributed in the US, Europe, Canada and Australia. His music has also been featured on television and radio and he is in demand as a clinician and performer at harp conferences and festivals around the country. Mr. Barnwell's academic credentials include a Master of Music degree in French horn performance from Saint Louis Conservatory and Doctoral study in organ and choral conducting at the University of Georgia. He is currently Director of Music and Worship Arts at Embry Hills United Methodist Church.

Jonathan DeLoach, Recorder

Jonathan DeLoach has performed with Ritornello Baroque Ensemble since its debut in 2000; the group has appeared at numerous local venues, including the concert series of Emory University, St. Batholomew's Episcopal Church, and the Cathedral of St. Philip. He has also performed with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra and New Trinity Baroque. In June 2012 he participated in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's production of John Adams' opera A Flowering Tree. Jonathan holds a B.A. in Music from Florida State University, where he played recorder in the early music ensembles in addition to his studies in piano, organ, and music history. He holds a Master of Sacred Music in organ performance from Emory University, and he is the organist at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Grant Park.

Susan Whaley, Viola da Gamba

Susan Whaley has played cello in Symphonies throughout the Southeast, including the Columbus and Chattanooga Symphonies. On her viola da gamba, Susan has performed with Ritornello Baroque Ensemble since its debut in 2000 as well as various other ensembles. She teaches music at the Atlanta Speech School and holds degrees in music education from Georgia State University and the University of Georgia. Susan studied cello with Eugene Eicher and later privately with Martha Gerschefski and performed in masterclasses for Dimitry Markevitch, Margaret Rowell, and Janos Starker. Her viola da gamba teachers include Martha Bishop, Wendy Gillespie, and Alison Crum and Gail Ann Schoeder. She is the current president of the Atlanta Early Music Alliance and is one of the leadership team of the Appalachian South region of the Viola da Gamba Society of America.

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The Play of Herod: Crew

The Play of Herod wouldn't be complete without many volunteers behind the scenes.

What would an evening at The Play of Herod be without cider, cookies, and carols after the show, sung by the audience and cast together? Having the cider heated to the perfect temperature - it takes the length of the show to make it so - and the cookies arrayed to please the palate is crucial. Taking over this important job from Rob and Kate Anderson, we now owe a big thank you to Julie Green and friends!

Former Angel/Innocent Karen Morris serves as the costume wrangler during the production. And where would the cast get light at crucial moments if not for the timely assistance of Ayako Ichidawa, who joined the production team in 2004. The gentle authority at the door who makes sure the cast members' entrances are not interrupted by late-arriving audience members is Bill Levisay. He also makes sure that any audience members' special needs are accommodated.



Paul Clifton is a second generation member of the Herod crew who has run the right follow spot since 2007. In his spare time, he is a PhD student at Georgia Tech in Digital Media and another one of those crazy cyclists.




Bill Scott controls the stage lights. Bill has been associated with The Play of Herod since its second year in the old Seed & Feed Theatre downtown. Over the years he has performed a variety of services from projecting the translation slides to running spotlights to driving the truck. Bill also has a long history as a trumpet player with the band Kelly started, the Marching Abominable. During the day Bill is an information specialist.

Spotlight specialist Henry Slack began assisting set-up for The Play of Herod in the 1970's, ran lights in the '80's and '90's, and rejoined the lighting crew for Herod in 2008. Henry also ran a followspot for the recent Atlanta Camerata production of The Pilgrim Trail. Like Bill Scott, Henry has been part of the Marching Abominable since it started. Henry's day job is as an indoor air expert for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Ellen Wilson has run the translation slides for the past several years. Ellen is in her 8th year as an alto member of both Cathedral Choir and the Schola at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip. She has also sung with Atlanta Schola Cantorum since 2003. By day, Ellen works for Verizon Business.

Gone but not forgotten: Fu'ad Ashkar, a former member of the Magi trio, who crafted costumes for The Play of Herod for many years. We will miss him.

Cary Cleaver, HerodPlay.com webmaster

Cary Cleaver performed in the Play of Herod as an angel/innocent and shepherd from 1974 to 2009. She has sung with the Atlanta Schola Cantorum and the Con Spirito Vocal Ensemble. From 1981 to 1996, Cary was the director of Georgia's artists-in-education program, and retired from consulting in the arts in 2010. She exhibits her hand-colored photography with pARTicular Women Artists.