2024 Summer Session

Rachel began dancing at three years old, and has been choreographing for school and community theatre musicals since she was 16 years old. She is trained in a wide range of dance styles, and is passionate about how movement can elevate the story in theatre performances. After taking a dancing hiatus following medical school and becoming a family physician, she re-entered the world of theatrical movement in 2017 when she was invited to teach musical theatre dance at Columbia Children’s Theatre. Some of her favorite projects have been One Life: Dogs, the Musical!, Ragtime, and A Christmas Carol.

Arts Access South Carolina Master Teaching Artist, Keith Tolen has extensive experience teaching art to those with unique abilities. An illustrator, painter, and photographer, he is a native of Batesburg-Leesville and a graduate of SC State University.

Keith is a retired art educator, teaching visual arts in the Kershaw County School District for over 30 years at Camden Middle School as well as the Columbia Museum of Art and Arts Center of Kershaw County. You can see his public art work, a mural, at the corner of the Waverly Historic District (Gervais and Harden Streets).

Elizabeth is excited to be working with the Papa Tank Theatre for Inclusion, and brings with her years of experience performing and teaching music in the Columbia area. Since 1998, and alongside her husband Mike, she has been singing/songwriting and playing banjo/guitar in acoustic bands performing not only in the Midlands, but throughout South Carolina.

For the past five years, she has been a music teacher to preschoolers—preparing them to sing in life and to sing for their families. In her own words and tone she has described this job as "tremendous fun!"

From 2006 until 2015, Elizabeth worked for Special Services in Richland School District 2 assisting teachers and working closely with the children in the classroom. She considers those years to be a wonderfully unique learning experience and highly values that time to this day. She is looking forward to experiencing the joy of music with and getting to know the children she will be honored to teach.

Darion McCloud is an award-winning performer based out of Columbia, South Carolina. Darion’s work includes acting, directing, storytelling, consulting, and collaborative art projects with different communities. His awards include the South Carolina Governor’s Award, the Andrew Billingsley Award, the Jasper Theatre Artist of the Year, and the Literacy Leader Award. He is the creative director of the NiA Theatre Company, an emeritus member of Trustus Theatre and a member of the South Carolina Shakespeare Company.