Conservatory Staff

B.S., Longwood College

Jessica Lynn Hightower, M.F.A., has worked as a scenic designer, scenic artist and fabricator in various venues in Texas, South Carolina, New York, Ohio and Montana. Hightower received her Master of Fine Arts in scenic design in 2023. Her research focuses strongly on collaborative relationships in the arts. Other research interests include media design, collaboration methodologies, use of fabric in storytelling and pedagogical approaches to the elements and principles of design. She has received two Kennedy Center national awards for her projection design work on “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” and multiple regional awards in both scenic and media design from Southwest USITT, USITT Ohio-Valley and KCACTF Region 6. Hightower has just begun her collegiate teaching career in theatre design and technology. She hopes to eventually write a book on designer-based collaboration focused on helping early career designers succeed.

Alisa Holley is a creative who cultivates cultural exchange through encounters between artists and audiences. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of Performances & Engagement and Communications Manager at Shenandoah Conservatory where she helps promote vibrant performance experiences and champions its creative community of artists, scholars, educators, technicians, clinicians and leaders. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Cedarville University in Ohio where she studied flute and a Master of Science in Performing Arts Leadership & Management from Shenandoah University.

Fern Middleton, M.F.A., earned a Bachelor of Arts in theatre arts at Furman University and recently earned a Master of Fine Arts in drama with a concentration in design at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Their specialties are design for the stage and devised theatre. They have up to 16 lighting design credits, including professional and educational works. They most recently acted as production designer for the first devised production at UNCG, “Where•Else,” which premiered this past spring. In addition to their design and tech work, Middleton is also a trained performer and director. They are currently working this summer as an assistant director for Traveling Players Ensemble, a summer theatre camp in Leesburg, Virginia. They also have training in commedia dell’arte and clowning from Accademia Dell’Arte and are an avid juggler and birder. Their values as a theatre artist lie in the collaborative and supportive nature of the work. Middleton believes the best art happens when everyone’s unique, artistic voices are heard. They are thrilled to join this team of creative artists and educators to help uplift the work of the SU students.

Brennan Sullivan is a musician and sound designer, and received his Bachelor of Science in Music Technology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. While in Asheville, he worked at Moog Music where he built and tested analog synthesizers. As production manager of music facilities, Sullivan works with faculty, staff, students and guest artists to oversee the production logistics for the conservatory’s robust lineup of live music performances and events.

Since graduating from Shenandoah University, Laura Whittenton ’07 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre design and production – costume design), M.F.A., has rounded out her education with an apprenticeship in costume design from the Juilliard School, and a Master of Fine Arts in costume technology from University of Texas at Austin. Her career has included costume production for theatre, dance and opera with companies such as Signature Theatre, Wolf Trap Opera, The Alley Theatre, Houston Ballet and Great River Shakespeare Festival. Previously, she was the costume shop manager for The University of Houston. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, but she will find every possible place for a potted plant in the costume shop as well. Her husband Sam, her children Griffin and Arthur, as well as her two dogs, recently relocated with her from Houston to Winchester and all are loving the change of climate.

Nicholas Yovina, M.F.A., is an esteemed sound designer and audio engineer. He has sound designed numerous plays, operas and dance performances throughout the years, and has live-mixed a wide range of musical genres. He has also produced a plethora of hip-hop music and many of his songs are still played on East Coast radio stations to this day. He attended the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign where he received a Master of Fine Arts in theatre and is excited to be a part of the wonderful community here at Shenandoah University.