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Joshua Peterson is a Texas transplant via Paris and New York but is now proud to claim Knoxville as his home. Prior to moving to Knoxville, Joshua served as the Artistic Director of Firebone Theatre Company in New York City. Joshua received his MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He also holds a BA in Theatre from Oklahoma Baptist University. Between pursuing his degrees Joshua spent two years living and working for a humanitarian aid organization outside of Paris, France. He made his Knoxville acting debut in Clarence Brown Theatre's A Christmas Carol. Other Selected Regional Acting credits include Measure for Measure and Much Ado About Nothing (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival), Barry Love in House and Garden (Theatre Three), Gail in Our Lady of 121st Street (Kitchen Dog Theatre) and Jon in Tape (Dallas Theatre Center.)
Kenneth Herring grew up in Oak Ridge, TN, just 25 miles from downtown Knoxville. Kenneth holds a BA in Communications for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a Masters in Business Administration from Bethel University. Kenneth has a non-traditional theatre background, having spent the 10 years working in Information Technology sales. Kenneth is a former member of the Hammer Ensemble, which performed at Knoxville's Flying Anvil Theatre. Kenneth is passionate about content creation and creating inclusive environments. Kenneth enjoys basketball and spending time with his son, Rayne.
Ashley Helton grew up in Chattanooga, TN and has become a proud Knoxvillian after moving here in 2013. Ashley graduated from Maryville College (Go Scots!) with a BA in Religious Studies and The School of Theology at The University of The South, Sewanee with a Master of Divinity. Her experience as an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church has fostered her passion for connecting people to grow and transform communities through shared story. Ashley is an outdoor enthusiast with a love for growing heirloom tomatoes, mountain biking Knoxville’s incredible trail systems, sipping excellent coffee and craft beer, and absorbing as many books as possible. She lives in North Hills with her husband, Nathan and their two children.
Scott is beginning his third year as River and Rail’s Technical Director. He graduated from Samford University in 2022 with a B.A. in theatre. Since then he has worked as both the technical director on River and Rail’s productions as well as serving as the technical director for the River and Rail Performing Arts Label. As well as technical direction, he worked as a lighting designer on A Case For The Existence of God, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, and Fat Ham. He also provided the scenic design for The Mountaintop and Moon Man Walk. He welcomes you to OCPAC.
Afton Howard is River and Rail’s Business Administrative Assistant and a dean’s list student at the University of Tennessee’s College of Music. Afton is currently pursuing a B.M. in Music Education and is involved with UT’s choir program. She is a Knoxville native and a Central High School alumni. Her theater history is dominated mostly by performance; most recently, Afton has had the pleasure of portraying roles such as Éponine Thénardier in Les Misérables, and Ms. Darbus in High School Musical. Afton heavily values the power of theater and music and hopes to reach more people to share the power of theater with the community.
Rachel has returned to River & Rail in a full-time capacity after having served as an intern with our company in 2019, and again in 2021. She has worked in theatre both on and offstage since graduating with a BFA in Musical Theatre in 2022. Away from our office, Rachel is an accomplished seamstress with a great love of most handcrafts a person can think of. She’ll even be using those crafting skills here at River & Rail as she takes on the role of Costume Designer for several of our upcoming shows.
Amelia Peterson is a Knoxville native and a graduate of Bearden High School. She earned her BFA in Theatre Studies from Southern Methodist University where she studied directing under Stan Wojewodski, Jr. (former Artistic Director of Yale Repertory Theatre). She has spent much of her career working with budding playwrights on new works. In New York, she co-directed the world premier of MORBID POETRY at the Incubator Arts Project and a folktale adaptation series LONG, LONG AGO with Firebone Theatre Company. She has also directed new works for the CalArts Arts in the One World conference (Valencia, CA), the Kennedy Center’s Page to Stage Festival (Washington, DC), and the Inkwell Theatre’s Showcase Reading Series (Washington, DC). She is a mother, a teacher, and a writer.
Logan Mahan moved from Little Rock, Arkansas to Knoxville, Tennessee three years ago, and has enjoyed getting to know a new little river town. Logan has worked in prisons, rehabs, churches, and on mountain tops building community and challenging stigma through storytelling and story listening. As the Community Engagement Director for River & Rail, Logan will work to actively refine and implement R+R’s vision for a professional theatre company that elevates unheard stories in an innovative and redemptive way. Logan earned a BA in English Literature from Harding University where he won the Jo Cleveland Writing Award for Non-fiction. He is a contributing writer for RootsRated, a publication focused on increasing awareness and access to local outdoor resources and activities.
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ADDRESS
111 STATE STREET
KnOXVILLE, TN 37902
CONTACT US
865-310-2664