Current Teachers:
Alana Smith
Alana Smith came to CharacterWorks from the theater department at Virginia Tech. While studying acting, she also discovered a love for teaching. God’s plan sent her back to Richmond to continue pursuing her passion in her hometown. Some of her favorite roles include: Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, the title role in Eurydice; on the local stage with Quill Theater as Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing and the Evil Queen in Cymbeline; and with Virginia Rep as Red Dog in Go, Dog, Go! She has been teaching with CharacterWorks since 2008 and has had the wonderful opportunity to direct many CWorks shows since 2010. She lives in Midlothian with her husband, Daniel, and their 3 sons.
Ashley Love
Ashley has her B.S. in Performance Pedagogy and an M.A. in Performance Studies from Bob Jones University. After grad school she taught junior high and high school English, theatre, and public speaking for ten years at a private school in South Carolina. During these years, she started a theatre program at her school and directed and coached over eighteen youth productions, while also co-founding a children’s theatre in Myrtle Beach, SC. She recently received her M.F.A. degree in Theatre Pedagogy at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Audrey Snyder
Audrey is a graduate of William & Mary with a BA in Music. She also studied acting at W&M and musical theatre at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts CAP21. After graduating she performed professionally in the Richmond area and NYC in dozens of productions. She is now mom to 3 girls, teaches preschool at West End Presbyterian Church and works as a voiceover artist.
Blair Keeley
Blair Keeley graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Furman University, attended the film school at the School Of The Art Institute of Chicago and graduate school at the Portfolio Center in Atlanta. Blair has been a parent, a volunteer and a board member with CharacterWorks since 2010. Blair has seven kids, and every single one has participated with CharacterWorks in classes, camps and shows. Blair and his lovely wife Hannah are entrepreneurs and operate multiple business in their spare time. Blair is also a very serious person, never served in the Prussian military and is bald by choice.
Charlotte Elliott
Charlotte has been involved with CharacterWorks since 2011. Throughout high school, she performed in shows and began working as a CWorks teacher and music director in 2019. She received her B. M. in Music Education from VCU and has taught K-12 music in both public and private schools. Charlotte loves being able to share her passion for the arts with her students as well as help them find ways to use their gifts for God’s glory.
Charlotte George
Charlotte George has been doing shows with Characterworks Theater since she was 11 years old and has recently been the teaching assistant for Imagination Kids. Her passion for singing, acting, and dancing started when she could talk and she could always be found putting on plays with her little sister from an early age. As she grew older, she found a passion for teaching children and has assisted in children’s birthday parties and painting classes with the Art Factory for two years. She has enjoyed volunteering at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk. She graduated from Christopher Newport University with a degree in Psychology, and the Arts.
Jacob Filegar
Jacob Filegar is a graduate of Liberty University’s Theatre Arts program and is a CYT Richmond Alumnus and CWorks staff member. Previously, Jacob has performed and stage managed with Alluvion Stage Company and toured with Virginia Rep On Tour (formerly Theatre IV On Tour), performing for elementary and middle school students across the country. During the school year, Jacob directs, stage manages, and designs for CWorks shows, teaches classes, and helps manage CharacterWorks' sets and props inventory. In the summer, Jacob serves as one of CWorks' Summer Day Camp Directors.
Joy Osborne
Joy began with CharacterWorks (then CYT) in 2003 as a college student working in the first CYT summer camp program and has been on staff in different capacities ever since. She is an alumna of both Liberty University (B.S. Consumer Sciences) and Virginia Tech (M.S. Ed). When not at CWorks, Joy homeschools her four children, runs with her dog Luna, and teaches AWANA at Swift Creek Baptist Church.
Katy Anna Harris
Katy Anna is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Theatre Performance. After graduating, she went to London to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she received a certificate for Shakespearean Acting. Katy Anna is also an Elby Award winning chef, graduating from Culinard in 2015, just before giving birth to her daughter, Marlowe. Some of her favorite theatrical roles have included "Beatrice" from Much Ado About Nothing, "Cassandra" from Agamemnon and His Daughters, "Fred" from Once Upon a Mattress, and "Slater" from Catacombs.
Michelle Longest
My name is Michelle Longest, and I am so excited to join the CWorks family this fall. With over 20 years of experience in dance, and many musical theater performances, I am happy to share my love for God, dance, and music in such a fantastic Christian theater environment. My husband and I have lived in Chesterfield County for 19 years. Our son, Garrett, is a junior at Virginia Tech majoring in mechanical engineering, and our daughter, Liza Grace, is a freshman at Cosby High School who always enjoys her CWorks classes and camps. We are going to have lots of fun!
Rebecca McNamee
Becky started dancing at 3 years old after she saw Singin' In The Rain and never looked back. She graduated with a BA in Musical Theater from James Madison University in 2009. Becky was fortunate enough to direct as well as perform at school and found that she loved teaching and directing as much as she loved performing. Becky performed professionally at various regional theaters and in DC before moving to Richmond. Some of her favorite past roles include Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Hunyak in Chicago, Rusty in Footloose, and Sally in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. She enjoys sharing her love of Jesus and performing with her students both in our Academy class program and as a show director. Becky and her husband, Shane, have 2 daughters, Emma and Clara.
Sarah Vranas
Sarah Vranas has grown up in CharacterWorks, her family beginning the program in 2003. Sarah was a part of 36 CharacterWorks productions and has assistant-taught Sprockets classes, taught music for Spectacular Kids Camps, and has music directed for CharacterWorks main stage productions as well. She is completing her senior semester with Liberty University Online to receive her B.S. in Graphic Design. Sarah loves to sing and enjoys helping kids grow more confident in their singing as well as harmonizing skills.
Tracia Everton Austin
Tracia Everton Austin received a Bachelor of Music Education from James Madison University and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University. After teaching music in both public and private schools, she began teaching classes for CharacterWorks and for almost two decades has served as one of the Music Directors. Tracia also works in film and TV as a casting assistant at Anne Chapman Casting, has a private vocal studio and has helped coordinate the Kings Dominion Festival of Music for over three decades. She and her husband, Terry, who has conducted several pit orchestras for CWorks, love to travel and have twin sons, Joshua and Seth, who are CWorks alums.