DIRECTOR
Ron Watson (Director) became the Executive Artistic Director of the Georgetown Palace Theatre in April of 2019, after serving as the Technical Director since 2013, and has been directing for the Palace since 1999. He performed in first show with the Palace in 1998. Ron is an award winning director with more than 50 productions to his name. Past Directing credits include The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Peter Pan, A Few Good Men, Singin’ in the Rain, Man of La Mancha, Beauty and the Beast, A Tuna Christmas, Noises Off, and The Play that Goes Wrong. He also served as Production Stage Manager for the State Theater Company and the Austin Shakespeare Festival for several seasons. Ron holds a BFA in Directing from Texas State University. Ron would like to thank his beautiful and talented wife, Samantha, for all her love and support.
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Neal Gibson (Music Director) Neal has been active in Austin area theater since the mid-1980s. Over the years, he has received numerous nominations and awards for his work as an actor, music director, and choreographer. He is also an accomplished music arranger, having written the music arrangements for several cabaret acts and the award-winning Stephen Sondheim revue, Simply Sondheim: the Musical Story, for which he also received the award for Best Music Director. Other recent music direction credits include Palace productions of The Secret Garden, Sweeney Todd, Disaster!, and Crazy For You. As an actor, he has performed in countless productions on almost every stage in the Austin area, including six Palace productions. Next up, he can be seen in Entr’acte’s concert version of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along.
CHOREOGRAPHER
Jesee Smart (Choreographer) Jesee is originally from Chicago, IL. She has been performing and choreographing at the Palace since 2006. In 2010, she began teaching for the Palace Education Department. The Palace Performance Company formed shortly after that and Jesee has been the PPC Manager since the beginning. Jesee is currently the Education Manager, PPC Manager, choreographs for a variety of levels, and teaches many of the dance classes for the Palace Education Department. Previous choreography credits with Palace include: 42nd Street, Rock of Ages, Mary Poppins, Joseph and the … Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Singin’ in the Rain (just to name a few of 50+ she has performed and choreographed in during her tenure at the Palace). She has studied dance for more than 20 years under various professionals including Lisa Boehm (Ballet), Frank Boehm (Jazz), Randall Newsom (Ballet, Graham Technique), Judith Chitwood (Ballet, Horton Technique), Paula Frasz (Modern, Tap, Musical Theatre), Karen Williamson (Ballet, Modern), Lila Dole (Spanish), Danny Herman (Broadway Jazz, Tap), Rocker Verastique (Broadway Jazz), Kenney DeCamp (Jazz, Performance), and Joel Hall (Jazz). Jesee moved to Austin in 2006 after graduating from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management (Human Resources) and a Bachelor of the Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Education. She currently choreographs and performs in and around Austin, including multiple performances per year at the Georgetown Palace Theatre. Jesee taught ballet, pointe, modern, tap, and jazz for ten years prior to moving to Austin. She was a founding member of the award winning competition group “Petite Feet” with DancEncounter in Geneva, IL. While attending Northern Illinois University, Jesee was the director and producer of Art for Life, an AIDS benefit concert associated with Dance for Life in Chicago.
The Creative Team
Scenic Designer –
Ron Watson
Costume Designer –
Alyssa Marquez
Lighting Designer –
Faith Castaneda
Sound Designer –
TBD
Production Stage Manager –
Annabelle Hicks
Assistant Stage Manager –
Maria Kruger
Properties –
TBD
Wig Stylist –
TBD