About mad theatre
mad Theatre of Tampa incorporates the three performing arts — music, acting, & dance — to bring affordable musical theatre to stages in Tampa, Florida.
mad Theatre of Tampa, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, run by community volunteers. We welcome newcomers to the mad Theatre family in all areas: performance, production, direction, stage crew, costuming, set design, construction, lighting, and sound engineering.
Our goal is to produce shows that make you laugh, shows that make you think, and shows that make you want to get up onstage and perform with us. We’ll produce shows that will have you dancing in your seat or on your feet, and we’ll have shows that inspire you to change the world around you. And we’ll present them like you’ve never seen before.
We strive to honor diversity in our shows, inviting the culturally expanding community to celebrate their talent on the stage or to be members of our audience.
Like what you see? Then come join us! Send us an email at info@madtheatre.com. We are always open to your help and ideas!
Thank you for your interest and for visiting our website! We hope to hear from you soon!
Board of Directors
Cathy Hooten
PRESIDENT
Catherine A. Hooten has been an active member of the organization since its inception and has served as the President of the mad Theatre Board of Directors for over ten years. Cathy has worked on every mad Theatre production in one aspect or another, whether she has coordinated set building in her driveway, served as the box office for multiple venues before mad found a home at the Straz Center, or sewed swastika armbands for our recent performance of Cabaret. Cathy oversees each production with an eye for detail, a mind on the budget, and thousands of delicious baked treats for each cast across the years.
Tony Gilkinson
VICE PRESIDENT
Tony has been active on various non-profit boards of directors since 2000, including 5 years as the Chair of Membership Services for Flying House Productions in Seattle, Washington. Since 2012, Tony has directed 10 productions for mad Theatre of Tampa: Avenue Q; Nunsense, A-Men!; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Rent; The Great American Trailer Park Musical; Next to Normal; [title of show]; Spring Awakening; Company; and It Shoulda Been You. His work has been recognized with nominations from both Creative Loafing Best of the Bay and Broadwayworld.com. Tony performed for 15 years with Seattle Men’s Chorus as a singer, choreographer, and dancer. He was the artistic director and singing member for a vocal quintet, The BEARatones, from 1996 to 2011. Tony was recognized for his volunteer work with the AIDS Service Association of Pinellas’s annual Tampa Bay AIDS Walk with a nomination for the Gayle Sierens Volunteer of the Year award in 2015. He is an avid Disney fan and spends way too many hours at the parks, which includes running the occasional RunDisney 10K. Tony lives in Riverview with his husband Larry and their 4 kids: Abbey, Oliver, Linus, and Mattie.
Erin Coalson
SECRETARY
Erin has been a part of mad Theatre since its inception in 1999. Her first ever theatre experience was mad’s first production: Pippin. In that 18-year span, Erin has been involved in just about every production of mad’s while also attending college, getting married, and having 2 children. Her true passion is her family and her health coaching business, but when the opportunity arises to dance in a show, she does her best to make the time available. She is very proud to be a part of mad Theatre. What we bring to the stage is just the beginning of the impact. The lives touched before, during, and after a production behind the scenes is immeasurable. She has seen engagements on stage, tears of joy, sadness, grief and pain. The future is bright for mad, and she welcomes you to join us in the journey.
Donald B. Holt, Jr.
TREASURER
Donald B. Holt, Jr., better known as D.J., is very proud to work both onstage and behind the scenes for mad Theatre of Tampa. Audiences may remember D.J. from Personals, Reefer Madness (Watermark WAVE Award for Best Actor), Hairspray (Watermark WAVE Award for Best Actor), Nunsense, A-Men! (Creative Loafing Best of the Bay Award), and Cabaret (Creative Loafing Best of the Bay Award). D.J. lives in Apollo Beach with his husband Dakota and their 3 mini-schnauzers: Toby, Pippin, and Mattie Mae.
Justin Batten
MARKETING
Justin began working with mad Theatre when he was cast as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, a role which earned him Best Leading Actor in a Musical from Broadwayworld.com. He was then cast as Tom Collins in the three-week, sold-out run of Rent. He later joined the Board of Directors as the Marketing and Promotions Chair. When not performing or working on a production, Justin is the Senior Manager for a National Marketing Division at GEICO. In the rest of his spare time, Justin works internationally with cheerleading teams and coaches, and serves as a judge on multiple panels and competitions.
Peter A. Belk
AT-LARGE MEMBER
Peter joined the mad Theatre family at the end of 2014 as music director for Rent, his first ever musical theatre experience. The theatre bug bit, and he has remained involved with mad Theatre ever since. Peter has served as music director for Rent, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Next to Normal, [title of show], Cabaret, and Spring Awakening. He also enjoys performing on the other side of the keyboard, playing Jeff in [title of show], Klaus the orchestra leader in Cabaret, Paul in Company, and Chad in Disaster! On the board of directors, Peter serves on the Marketing Committee and as pianist for mad Theatre’s community outreach performances. Peter’s experiences outside of mad Theatre have included performing with the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and at Busch Gardens in the Rock-A-Doo Wop and Push Play shows, as well as during Christmas Town in We Three Kings and with the Holiday Hills Band. Peter has also taught band, chorus, orchestra, and a wide variety of music courses at the high school and college levels.
Dionne Christian
AT-LARGE MEMBER
Dionne is thrilled to be a Board member and performer with mad Theatre of Tampa. Her first experience with mad Theatre was in her role as Jeannie in The Great American Trailer Park Musical in 2015. She joined the Board in early 2016, and in the summer of that year she performed in mad Theatre’s Cabaret as Fraulein Kost. As a Board member, Dionne works on the Human Resources committee and on community outreach. She is especially proud of the Board’s recent outreach efforts at the Melech Hospice House, Francis House, and Joshua House. After working as an attorney and raising her two children, Dionne is finally fulfilling her lifelong dream of working in the theatre as the Operations Administrator at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.
Dwayne Cline
AT-LARGE MEMBER
Dwayne is thrilled to lend his T-square and desire to make art for mad Theatre of Tampa. His first task to assist with set drawings for mad Theatre’s Avenue Q production got him hooked and he has never looked back. Recently he evolved into his first acting debut in a cameo role as Helga in mad Theatre’s production of Cabaret, while also doing its set design and construction. Dwayne’s set designs for mad Theatre also include Nunsense, A-men!; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told; Rent; The Great American Trailer Park Musical; Next To Normal; and Company.
Mark Creek
AT-LARGE MEMBER
Mark joined the board in 2010 and has been active in just about every show since by helping with set construction, program design and printing, mailing list management and e-blasts, website content, and service on the marketing team. He co-produced two shows, Hairspray and Rent, and is always amazed at the many facets of theatre. It takes incredible skills and talent all coming together to create live theatre, provoking thought, laughter, tears, joy, and hopefully change. Theatre brings people together and influences the way we think and feel about our own lives and encourages us to take a good look at ourselves, our values, and our behaviors. Mark attended St. Petersburg College and USF and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He has worked in the financial services industry for over 20 years. Here is an open invitation for you to come join in the fun!
Melissa Doell
AT-LARGE MEMBER
The newest addition to the board, Melissa has been performing with mad Theatre since their 2004 production of Ragtime. To date, Melissa has been part of over 10 mad Theatre musical productions, including: Reefer Madness!, Quilt, Batboy, Zanna Don’t!, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Spelling Bee and sold out performances of Avenue Q as Kate Monster and Rent as Maureen. In addition, Melissa has also performed in several cabarets/fabarets and more recently with mad Theatre’s outreach charity program. Melissa holds a bachelor of arts in Musical Theatre from the University of Tampa and has studied with national tour casting directors such as Bob Cline and Dave Clemmons in New York City. She has also been involved with various theatres within the Tampa community for over 15 years and has cherished each unique and special experience. mad Theatre has always been like a family and she is proud of the professional pieces of art created with each production.
Cathy Hooten
PRESIDENT
Catherine A. Hooten has been an active member of the organization since its inception and has served as the President of the mad Theatre Board of Directors for over ten years. Cathy has worked on every mad Theatre production in one aspect or another, whether she has coordinated set building in her driveway, served as the box office for multiple venues before mad found a home at the Straz Center, or sewed swastika armbands for our recent performance of Cabaret. Cathy oversees each production with an eye for detail, a mind on the budget, and thousands of delicious baked treats for each cast across the years.
Tony Gilkinson
VICE PRESIDENT
Tony has been active on various non-profit boards of directors since 2000, including 5 years as the Chair of Membership Services for Flying House Productions in Seattle, Washington. Since 2012, Tony has directed 10 productions for mad Theatre of Tampa: Avenue Q; Nunsense, A-Men!; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Rent; The Great American Trailer Park Musical; Next to Normal; [title of show]; Spring Awakening; Company; and It Shoulda Been You. His work has been recognized with nominations from both Creative Loafing Best of the Bay and Broadwayworld.com. Tony performed for 15 years with Seattle Men’s Chorus as a singer, choreographer, and dancer. He was the artistic director and singing member for a vocal quintet, The BEARatones, from 1996 to 2011. Tony was recognized for his volunteer work with the AIDS Service Association of Pinellas’s annual Tampa Bay AIDS Walk with a nomination for the Gayle Sierens Volunteer of the Year award in 2015. He is an avid Disney fan and spends way too many hours at the parks, which includes running the occasional RunDisney 10K. Tony lives in Riverview with his husband Larry and their 4 kids: Abbey, Oliver, Linus, and Mattie.
Erin Coalson
SECRETARY / HR
Erin has been a part of mad Theatre since its inception in 1999. Her first ever theatre experience was mad’s first production: Pippin. In that 18-year span, Erin has been involved in just about every production of mad’s while also attending college, getting married, and having 2 children. Her true passion is her family and her health coaching business, but when the opportunity arises to dance in a show, she does her best to make the time available. She is very proud to be a part of mad Theatre. What we bring to the stage is just the beginning of the impact. The lives touched before, during, and after a production behind the scenes is immeasurable. She has seen engagements on stage, tears of joy, sadness, grief and pain. The future is bright for mad, and she welcomes you to join us in the journey.
Donald B. Holt, Jr.
TREASURER
Donald B. Holt, Jr., better known as D.J., is very proud to work both onstage and behind the scenes for mad Theatre of Tampa. Audiences may remember D.J. from Personals, Reefer Madness (Watermark WAVE Award for Best Actor), Hairspray (Watermark WAVE Award for Best Actor), Nunsense, A-Men! (Creative Loafing Best of the Bay Award), and Cabaret (Creative Loafing Best of the Bay Award). D.J. lives in Apollo Beach with his husband Dakota and their 3 mini-schnauzers: Toby, Pippin, and Mattie Mae.
Justin Batten
MARKETING
Justin began working with mad Theatre when he was cast as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, a role which earned him Best Leading Actor in a Musical from Broadwayworld.com. He was then cast as Tom Collins in the three-week, sold-out run of Rent. He later joined the Board of Directors as the Marketing and Promotions Chair. When not performing or working on a production, Justin is the Senior Manager for a National Marketing Division at GEICO. In the rest of his spare time, Justin works internationally with cheerleading teams and coaches, and serves as a judge on multiple panels and competitions.
Peter A. Belk
AT-LARGE MEMBER
Peter joined the mad Theatre family at the end of 2014 as music director for Rent, his first ever musical theatre experience. The theatre bug bit, and he has remained involved with mad Theatre ever since. Peter has served as music director for Rent, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Next to Normal, [title of show], Cabaret, and Spring Awakening. He also enjoys performing on the other side of the keyboard, playing Jeff in [title of show], Klaus the orchestra leader in Cabaret, Paul in Company, and Chad in Disaster! On the board of directors, Peter serves on the Marketing Committee and as pianist for mad Theatre’s community outreach performances. Peter’s experiences outside of mad Theatre have included performing with the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and at Busch Gardens in the Rock-A-Doo Wop and Push Play shows, as well as during Christmas Town in We Three Kings and with the Holiday Hills Band. Peter has also taught band, chorus, orchestra, and a wide variety of music courses at the high school and college levels.
Dionne Christian
AT-LARGE MEMBER
Dionne is thrilled to be a Board member and performer with mad Theatre of Tampa. Her first experience with mad Theatre was in her role as Jeannie in The Great American Trailer Park Musical in 2015. She joined the Board in early 2016, and in the summer of that year she performed in mad Theatre’s Cabaret as Fraulein Kost. As a Board member, Dionne works on the Human Resources committee and on community outreach. She is especially proud of the Board’s recent outreach efforts at the Melech Hospice House, Francis House, and Joshua House. After working as an attorney and raising her two children, Dionne is finally fulfilling her lifelong dream of working in the theatre as the Operations Administrator at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.
Dwayne Cline
AT-LARGE MEMBER
Dwayne is thrilled to lend his T-square and desire to make art for mad Theatre of Tampa. His first task to assist with set drawings for mad Theatre’s Avenue Q production got him hooked and he has never looked back. Recently he evolved into his first acting debut in a cameo role as Helga in mad Theatre’s production of Cabaret, while also doing its set design and construction. Dwayne’s set designs for mad Theatre also include Nunsense, A-men!; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told; Rent; The Great American Trailer Park Musical; Next To Normal; and Company.
Mark Creek
AT-LARGE MEMBER
Mark joined the board in 2010 and has been active in just about every show since by helping with set construction, program design and printing, mailing list management and e-blasts, website content, and service on the marketing team. He co-produced two shows, Hairspray and Rent, and is always amazed at the many facets of theatre. It takes incredible skills and talent all coming together to create live theatre, provoking thought, laughter, tears, joy, and hopefully change. Theatre brings people together and influences the way we think and feel about our own lives and encourages us to take a good look at ourselves, our values, and our behaviors. Mark attended St. Petersburg College and USF and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He has worked as a reflexologist and in the financial services industry for over 20 years. Here is an open invitation to you to come join in the fun!
Melissa Doell
AT-LARGE MEMBER
The newest addition to the board, Melissa has been performing with mad Theatre since their 2004 production of Ragtime. To date, Melissa has been part of over 10 mad Theatre musical productions, including: Reefer Madness!, Quilt, Batboy, Zanna Don’t!, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Spelling Bee and sold out performances of Avenue Q as Kate Monster and Rent as Maureen. In addition, Melissa has also performed in several cabarets/fabarets and more recently with mad Theatre’s outreach charity program. Melissa holds a bachelor of arts in Musical Theatre from the University of Tampa and has studied with national tour casting directors such as Bob Cline and Dave Clemmons in New York City. She has also been involved with various theatres within the Tampa community for over 15 years and has cherished each unique and special experience. mad Theatre has always been like a family and she is proud of the professional pieces of art created with each production.
"Best Community Theatre Company"
2014, 2015, & 2017
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