Get to know the Board of Directors!

Dr. Riley Braem, Chair
Riley Braem is a theatre artist, educator, and administrator originally from Chicago, with professional experience as a performer, director, designer, choreographer, teaching artist, and access and inclusion consultant across Arizona, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre for Youth from Arizona State University; a Bachelor of Science in Communication Arts (Theatre Performance and Theatre Design) with a minor in Dance; a Master of Arts in Teaching; and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Austin Peay State University. He also earned a Certificate in Theatre for Young Audiences with Complex Disabilities from Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance and Oily Cart in the United Kingdom.

Riley’s favorite acting roles include: Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Charlie Brown in You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, John in The Lion in Winter, Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods, the Hairy Man in Wiley and the Hairy Man, Ichabod Crane in The Legend of Sleepy Hallow, and Roger in Grease. His favorite directing credits include: Idris Goodwin’s Free Plays, Euripides Medea, Barefoot in the Park, The Intergalactic Nemesis: Target Earth, Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, and The Fifteen Minute Hamlet. 

Riley currently serves as an Assistant Principal at Rossview High School. Prior to entering administration, he was a high school theatre director, adjunct professor, and teaching artist with Nashville Children’s Theatre. His work with Clarksville Community Theatre is grounded in a belief that theatre should be welcoming, accessible, and rooted in community; creating meaningful opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to participate, learn, and tell their stories.

Brittany Thompson, Vice Chair 
Brittany Thompson serves as Vice-Chair of Clarksville Community Theatre and is committed to using theatre as a way to connect, people, tell meaningful stories, and build community. A theatre educator and artist, Brittany holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts with an emphasis in Theatre Performance, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and a Master of Education in English Curriculum and Instruction. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership. She serves as the Teacher Arts teacher and Artistic Director at Kirkwood High School, where she works closely with students to create thoughtful, engaging theatre while nurturing confidence, creativity, and collaboration. 

Brittany's connection to Clarksville Community Theatre's mission is rooted in her belieft that theatre should be accessible, welcoming, and transformative . She is passionate about creating opportunities for indicuduals fo all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to participate in the performing arts and discover a lifelong love of theatre. For Brittany, community theatre is more than performance, it is a space where people feel seen, heard, and inspired. Through her service on the board, she is excited to help grow CCT as a creative home that continues to engage, inspire, and strengthen the Clarksville community. 

Meghann Shoulders, Secretary 
Meghann Shoulders is a founding member of Clarksville Community Theatre and currently serves as Secretary. A Native Clarsvillian, she is also a high school theatre teacher for the Clarksville Montgomery County School System, where she has spent sixteen years working with young performers. Having see the arts community in Clarksville grow and evolve over time, Meghann is excited to play an active role in building an accessible theatrical community that creates new opportunities for people who live here today. 

While her professional background is rooted in education, Meghann is eager to take on the challenges and rewards of working with performers and volunteers of all ages. She believes community theatre offers a chance for individuals to reconnect with their creativity, reflect on their sense of self, and find meaningful ways to serve and engage with their community. 

THIS COULD BE YOU, Treasurer 
If you have the skills to be our treasurer please send us an email to info@clarksvillecommunitytheatre.org and let us know!  

Brittany Dowlen, ExCom & Board Member
After serving six years in the U.S. Army, Brittany pursued her passion for theatre while studying at Austin Peay State University. During her time there, she appeared in productions such as Footloose as Betty Blast and Picnic as Christine Schoenwalder. She graduated in 2016 with a degree in Communications, concentrating in Theatre, building a strong foundation in performance, communication, and collaboration.

In 2019, Brittany joined Centerstage Productions in her first production with the company, portraying Berniece in The Piano Lesson. She returned in 2022 to play Odessa, the mother of Cassius Clay, in In This Corner: Cassius Clay, further strengthening her commitment to storytelling that reflects shared history, identity, and community.

Brittany later made her debut on the Keeton stage in Memphis the Musical as Ethel, followed by performances as Odetta in Songwriter Night and participation in multiple fundraiser productions. Eager to expand her involvement beyond performance, she served as the dresser for Carole in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. When offered the role of Stage Manager, Brittany enthusiastically accepted, excited to support artists both onstage and backstage. She is eager to bring her theatre knowledge and experience to Clarksville Community Theatre and is passionate about fostering inclusiveness while creating accessible theatrical experiences that connect and inspire the Clarksville community.

Jessica Lee, ExCom & Board Member
Jessica Lee was born in Vermont and moved to Clarksville in the early 1990’s via the military. Jessica grew up with a love for the arts, beginning her theatre education at the Roxy Regional Theatre. Throughout her life she has continued to develop as a visual artist, scenic and costume designer, performer, teaching artist, and non-profit arts manager. Jessica obtained her Bachelor of Science in Communication (Theatre Design) and Bachelor of Science in Communication (Theatre Performance) from Austin Peay State University. Post graduation she founded Clarksville Children's Theatre Organization and served as the Managing Director until moving to West Virginia in 2012.

In W.V. she gained professional experience as the Fundraising Coordinator of Ronald McDonald House (Morgantown), Fundraising and Marketing Coordinator of West Virginia Public Theatre, Marketing Director of Triple S Harley-Davidson, and Managing Director of Northern West Virginia Dance Council (Morgantown Dance School). In addition, she dedicated ten years to volunteering at Morgantown Dance School by assisting in grant writing, operations, fundraising, public relations/marketing, designing, and production management. Jessica has brought her passion and belief that theatre is crucial to the preservation of community with her back to Clarksville. She strives to continue her advocacy for the arts and its impact on the community by working to create an accessible platform for artists of all ages within Clarksville and surrounding areas.   

Sophia Macias, ExCom & Board Member
Sophia Macias is a multidisciplinary artist working in painting, collage, and digital media. Her work centers on repurposed materials, found textures, and visual "proofs of existence" or fragments of everyday life layered into intuitive, imperfect compositions. She embraces process over polish and believes the ordinary holds extraordinary meaning. Website: www.artofthebart.net 

Alicia Archuleta, Board Member
Alicia Archuleta is an educator and local photographer, who fell in love with the performing arts as a child. She was bitten by the theatre bug in middle school under the tutelage of Jobé Gilbert, and grew through the influence of Lee Ellen Beach, Pollyanna Parker, and the professors and theatre department students at APSU. Archuleta worked as a visual journalist at the Leaf-Chronicle, before becoming a Spanish, Theatre and Journalism teacher, also performed as a part of the local band Mixtape. She believes that Theatre should be accessible to all who wish to perform or just enjoy it as a patron. 

Gershawn Andre Mason, Board Member
Gershawn Andre Mason began his theater journey in 2016 while attending community college. After performing in a few shows and taking classes related to his newfound passion, Gershawn found that theater, whether being on the stage, behind the scenes, or in the audience, is an integral part of the community. Gershawn has always wanted to make the theater more accessible to those who may not usually find themselves watching a show or even auditioning for their local community theater. Gershawn thinks every small town needs a community theater because people want to give back to their community through art. Theater allows people to bring the skills they have to the table, whether those skills are acting, carpentry, directing, etc., and those skills are then used in a collaborative effort to tell a story that hopefully inspires some in attendance. He wants to see people of various walks of life showing up to auditions, or shows, a melting pot of people, both local and out of town, joining one another for an evening with the arts. 

Chad Sisson, Board Member
Chad Michael Sisson brings a lifelong passion for theatre, storytelling, and community connection to the Board of Clarksville Community Theatre. His journey on stage began in second grade, performing his first role—and first soliloquy—in a Mother’s Day play, a moment that sparked a lasting love for performance and shared stories. Since then, Chad has participated in school, church, and college productions, with acting credits including A Chorus Line, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The King and I, As You Like It, Where’s Charley?, The Mouse That Roared, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Chad has also worked behind the scenes in multiple roles.

Chad holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in school counseling, with more than 15 years of professional counseling experience. He currently serves as a Financial Advisor with Thrivent Financial, bringing a people-centered and service-driven perspective to his work.

He believes theatre should be accessible to all, offering a welcoming place for individuals of every age and background to express themselves, share their talents, and see their stories reflected on stage. Chad is especially inspired by first-time performers and the transcendent moments when audiences, cast, and crew come together to create something none could accomplish alone.

Megan Ward, Board Member
Megan Ward is a Clarksville native and a huge nerd, who wants to bring the love they have for theatre to the city of Clarksville. She brings with them experience in stage management and props, hoping to be able to teach other her skills, as well as, learn from them while expanding her knowledge of the mechanics of the stage, and collaborating with other creatives in a shared space. She is excited for this new opportunity to join Clarksville Community Theatre with y'all, and build a community together.