Our People

Craig comes to Theatre Aspen after having served four years as Director of Lighting and Sound at the Omaha Theater Company, otherwise known as the Rose Theater for Children and Families, in Omaha Nebraska.  While at the Rose he was responsible for designing lighting and sound for all the mainstage productions while leading apprentices in their individual design efforts, and introduction to working in the world of theatre.  Some of his favorite designs while at the Rose include:  Matilda, Wonderland- Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure, Van Gogh and Me (world premiere), Return to Niobara (world premiere), Newsies, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Elf:  The Musical, Shrek The Musical, The Little Mermaid, and Prancer (world premier).

Previous to his time at the Rose Craig dedicated himself to the education of the up and coming designers and artisans of theatre by serving as Assistant Professor and Head of Design at University of Minnesota, Morris; Technical Director/Production Manager and Instructor of Lighting Design at Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas: and Head of Design and Production at Bismarck State College, Bismarck, North Dakota.  Some of his favorite designs during his time in academia include:  The Normal Heart & A Midnight Dreary (UMM), The Rocky Horror Show, A Streetcar Named Desire, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (ESU), Urinetown, Nickel & Dimed, & Man of LaMancha (BSC).

While attending graduate school at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale he spent a summer as Sound Designer for McLeod Summer Playhouse, then found himself in Colorado as lighting and sound designer for Creede Repertory Theatre, Colorado, for three seasons, then as Lighting Director for A Christmas Carol Tour with the Nebraska Theatre Caravan (Omaha Community Playhouse).

Craig looks forward to ushering in the new group of young designers and technicians through the TAAP program and delivering on Theatre Aspen’s promise of providing world class theatre to Aspen, its surrounding communities and beyond.

craig@theatreaspen.org

Natalie Travers believes in the power of art to illuminate our collective joy and pain, realize our shared humanity, and transform our thinking. She has spent her career collaborating with Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, Grammy-award winning musicians, artists and leaders across industries to leverage this power through storytelling and design.

 

Prior to supporting the work of Theatre Aspen, Natalie served in a variety of roles at the Aspen Institute. She developed go-to-market strategies and subsidiary brands to expand the organizational reach and deepen its impact; launched and scaled the Aspen Challenge, a multi-million-dollar youth leadership initiative; and developed programs of Aspen Words across international boundaries. Inspired by the synthesis of mind, body, and spirit that defines the “Aspen Idea,” Natalie has lived in Aspen for nearly 14 years.

 

She has a BA in Studio Art from Macalester College and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. She is an avid skier, dedicated yogi, and artist. She loves playing in the high country with her husband and two-year-old daughter.

natalie@theatreaspen.org

A native of Midland, Texas, Elissa Russell has loved theatre ever since losing her first tooth during after-school classes at Midland Community Theatre.

After attending the University of Texas, where she studied English, Elissa remained in Austin, where she interned at the ZACH Theatre and reviewed theatre for the Austin Chronicle. She also spent two summers in a barn in the middle of nowhere as a member of Shakespeare at Winedale, an intensive Shakespeare study program through UT.

After her time in Austin, Elissa worked at Virginia Repertory Theatre in Richmond, where she coordinated in-school tours for their sexual abuse prevention play.

Most recently she served as the Education Assistant for Midland Community Theatre, where she was able to give back to the same education department that inspired her own passion for theatre and arts education.

Samantha Scott is a budding theatre professional whose belief in theatre’s power to inspire ignited as soon as she was introduced to the stage. A native of Aspen, Samantha spent her early childhood watching her mother, Sandra, perform at The Crystal Palace. When her family relocated to South Florida and later to Dubai, Samantha’s training continued as a classical vocalist and actress.

 

Her passion grew to include technical design and artistic administration during her higher education experience and cemented the industry as her career of choice. Her theatrical capacities include administration, fundraising, company management, scenic and costume construction, stage management, and performing.

 

Samantha holds a B.A. in Performing Arts Operations from Metropolitan State University of Denver, and after a summer internship at Theatre Aspen as the Arts Administration Apprentice turned into a full-time position as Development Manager, she is excited to start her career as a theatre professional with TA.

samantha@theatreaspen.org