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Hugh Copeland, Artistic Director
Hugh Copeland is the founder and Artistic Director of Hurrah. He holds a Masters Degree in acting from Smith College with post-graduate work from Amherst College and the University of Massachusetts. In Massachusetts Hugh performed with the Lions Share Regional Acting Company. While directing Norfolk Public Schools’ city-wide theatre program, he was voted teacher of the year and the Jaycees’ young educator of the year, and served as state representative to the Southeastern Theatre Conference. Hugh is a speech and communications instructor at Old Dominion University and received the 1999 outstanding adjunct teacher award. Hugh’s local acting credits include the Emcee in Cabaret, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Dick in Dames at Sea, Goat in The Robber Bridegroom and the title roles in George M. and Ernest in Love. For 9 years Hugh directed and co-produced the annual Miss Virginia telecast and headed the Miss America Bike Team along with Jerry Duck. He also served on the City of Norfolk’s Citizens’ Youth Advisory Board and has been nominated twice for the Virginia Governor’s Award for the Arts.

Hugh Copeland's Highlights

• Home is in Belvidere, N.C. A small community near Edenton, approximately 70 miles from Norfolk.
• Earliest “recorded” performance was at age 3, a poetry recitation for a relative’s anniversary party in Ivor, VA.
• Maternal grandmother was active in her Quaker Church. She would dramatize her lessons for her meetings. She was my first introduction to the magic of theatre, practicing and rehearsing on the back porch.
• My mother had been a Forensic state winner and is an active speaker in her church.
• At the age of 7, my father helped me “build” and set-up my first theatre in an old garage. I’d write the plays, and then bring kids home from school to rehearse them. Then they would perform.
• During high school years, I had no theatre training opportunities. My thinking was that theatre was play and for kids, so I turned to writing. I wrote a weekly column in the local paper concerning teen life.
• I went to college (Campbell University) to major in journalism, but didn't like the isolation aspect of writing so I switched to English. They did not have a Theatre Major.
• After graduation, I taught at Bayside High School. English and Drama.
• Spent those two summers starting a graduate program at Temple University. I applied for, but did not receive, a fellowship to Temple. However, I did receive a fellowship to Smith College.
• Quit teaching and relocated in Northampton, Mass.
• I was accepted into the graduate theatre program for men. (The college had a new theatre complex and wanted to establish a more credible theatre, therefore men were accepted in the graduate program. The program lasted seven years)
• While on an acting fellowship, I went to a Polish high school in the area to teach theatre classes. I also directed shows for them. I entered a one-act play competition with them and took the high school kids to the state level. I realized how much teaching and directing was important to me. I was having the best situation at Smith in the acting program yet I was still drawn to the high school, to work with the kids.
• At Smith, I also added theatre education classes to my studies. The high school kids were always sleepy. I didn’t realize they got up at 4:30 a.m. during the spring months to “pronge” asparagus. Hadley, Mass is the asparagus capitol of the world. For one week I got up with them, picked the asparagus, then ate breakfast with them before they took off for school.
• After getting my graduate degree from Smith, I started taking post grad classes at University of Mass in Amherst.
• During the summer, I came back to Norfolk to perform and wait tables at the Cavalier Dinner Theatre. I met Mr. Jones with the Norfolk Schools who told me about the new Booker T Washington High School and the city wide program which was the fore runner for the Governors School.
• I accepted the position and interviewed students from the five city high schools for the extended day program.
• I met Paul Dicklin. With him I performed and directed at: Cavalier Dinner Theatre, Norfolk Little Theatre, ODU’s Tech Theatre, Riverview Playhouse, Virginia Beach Dome and the Pavilion Theatre.
• Signature roles include: "Emcee" in Cabaret, "Billy Flynn" in Chicago, "Dick" in Dames at Sea, "Goat" in The Robber Bridegroom and the title roles in George M. and Ernest in Love.
• Paul and I initiated incorporating Hurrah Players as a not-for-profit theatre corporation. The first Hurrah Theatre classes were taught at the Riverview Theatre, then moved to a basement of the Ghent United Methodist Church until 1993, then on to our present location in the old Brinks Security Building at 935 Woodrow Avenue.
• Mainstage productions staged at the Pavilion, Chrysler Hall, Wells Theatre, and Willet Hall until moving to the Roper Theatre as our permanent performance venue (with some shows at the Nauticus).
• Received distinction as Virginia’s Leading Family Theatre Company by the Virginia Commission of the Arts.
• Secret of Success: being able to provide the “creative village” to our students, staff, instructors, directors and volunteers. All, who with a positive attitude in a creative, energetic environment, offer theatre training and lessons in life.

Achievements

• Member, Leadership Hampton Roads Board Associate Program
• Member, Hampton Roads Cultural Alliance
• Member, Tidewater Youth Council Board
• Member, Ghent Business Association
• Virginia High School League Judge
• Former Chairperson, Virginia Theatre Conference, Youth and Family Theatre Division
• Former Virginia Secondary Representative to the Southeastern Theatre Conference Awards

Awards

• Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Award -- In Recognition of Excellence in Teaching, Old Dominion University College of Arts and Letters (1999 and 1998)
• Education Award, Let’s Make It Difficult for Children to Fail Foundation (1995)
• Awards for Outstanding Choreography, Costumes & Sets, Port Folio Awards (1994)
• Award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth and Family Theatre
• Norfolk State University People’s Academy (1991)
• Awards for Outstanding Production, Costumes & Sets, Port Folio Awards (1991)
• Award for Outstanding Achievement in Development in Children’s Theatre, Port Folio Awards (1990)
• Nominated for Governor’s Award in the Arts (1984)
• Young Educator of the Year, Jaycees (1983)
• Teacher of the Year, Norfolk Public Schools (1982)
• Nominated for Best Director (Musical) – Port Folio Awards (2000)
• “Unsung Hero” Award The Lost Colony (2007)
• “Art Star” 1st citizen to receive Arts achievement award , Norfolk (2007)
• Individual Professional ALLI Award from Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads (2008)
• Safe Harbor Award (2009)
• Rita M. Costello Town - N - Gown Community Service Award (2009)

Katie Stone, General Manager
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Originally from the Roanoke area, Katie has worked in theatres throughout the state and beyond. She was first bitten by the theatre bug as a teenager while interning at Mill Mountain Theatre in the “Star City” and later graduated from James Madison University with a theatre degree. After college, she worked in several theatres in the Richmond area, including Barksdale Theatre, Theatre IV (National Tour), Firehouse Theatre and Triangle Players. She will always have a special place in her heart for the years she spent Stage Managing at The Lost Colony in Manteo, North Carolina. This is where she not only received valuable professional training and experience but also met her wonderful husband, Ben. She has proudly been with the Hurrah Players since 2005.

Lisa Wallace, Box Office Manager & Choreographer
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Former owner of Jean Wallace Studios in Virginia Beach, Lisa has been in the dance world for over 25 years. She is the choreographer and an instructor for The Hurrah Players as well as the Box Office Manager and coordinator for the School show Matinees, providing opportunities for schools and Senior citizens of the Hampton Roads area to attend the theatre. Lisa choreographed the televised Miss Virginia Pageant held in Roanoke, VA for over 9 years and is the choreographer/director of the Miss Hampton Roads Pageant. She is also active as a judge on both the local and stated level. Her work also has included teaching and choreographing for the winter, spring and Black History Month Concerts for the Governor’s School for the Arts for 8 years. Teaching is her first love, she has taught workshops in the Virginia and North Carolina areas to local children to enrich their knowledge and participation of theatre and dance.

Cathy Francis, Production Coordinator & Musical Director
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Cathy holds a degree in Music from East Carolina University. She has been teaching, writing, and recording music for children for almost 20 years. She founded and owned a children’s music program called Little Big Band, and has performed for children all over Virginia. Other experience includes managing the Virginia Children’s Chorus, and working as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Hurrah Players.