Meet The Creative Team Behind SpongeBob: The Musical

July 25 & 26 | 7:30 P.M.

August 1 & 2 | 7:30 P.M.

July 27 & August 3: 2:30 P.M.

PURCHASE TICKETS

Look Who Is Taking Us to the Pineapple Under the Sea!

Kendel Smith (Director) is a native of New Orleans and an alumnus of SLU. Shortly after graduating, he moved to NYC, where he worked in performing arts and healthcare and became a human rights activist and an activist for people living with HIV and AIDS. He moved back to Louisiana in 2015, where he and fellow SLU alumni started The Kay Performing Arts Project, a non-profit performing arts program in Ponchatoula and Swamplight Theatre (swamplight.org). Fresh from directing ”You Can’t Take It With You” this past spring, Kendel is now diving under the sea and is happy to bring SpongeBob to life with this wonderful cast and crew.

Wendy Kinchen Savarino (Music Director) has been music directing productions in local theatres for the past eight years. Her most notable credits include Pump Boys and Dinettes, Hairspray, Grease, and most recently, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Wendy holds degrees in Music Vocal Performance from Southeastern Louisiana University and The Ohio State University. She currently shares her passion for music as an educator at Tucker Elementary School in Ponchatoula. Wendy is thrilled to be working with the cast of SpongeBob The Musical, especially some former students. She extends heartfelt thanks to her husband, Tony, her daughter, Bette, and her parents for their unwavering love and support throughout the rehearsal process. She also offers her deepest gratitude to the directing team of SpongeBob and the Board of the Kay Butler Performing Arts Project for their support and dedication in bringing this production to life.

Kat Schepker (Choreographer) spent her formative years watching “SpongeBob” and quotes the show at least once a day, so she is thrilled to have this show be her first experience choreographing a full-length musical! She is 25 years old & a proud native of Hammond. Kat has been dancing since she was 2 years old, training solely in classical ballet with the Fellom Ballet. After graduating from high school, she began teaching and choreographing at Fellom, a role she continued throughout her college career. She is also an 8-year member of BC Fields Dance Company. She graduated from SLU in 2022, earning a bachelor’s degree in art history. Kat has participated in many theatre and musical theatre productions in the area, working both on and offstage. Her most recent credit was Marcy Park in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" with the Columbia Theatre and Southeastern's Music and Theatre departments. She'd like to thank her immediate family, friends, and the kindest people ever at Swamplight for granting her this awesome opportunity!!

Katie Stansbury (Choreographer) is a dance instructor and choreographer who specializes in contemporary, ballet, and hip-hop dance. She is currently an instructor/choreographer at On Moving Dance Company, Swamplight Theatre, and BC Fields Dance Co. Katie graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2021 with a degree in Dance and Psychology and was an active member of the university’s Dance Performance Project. Over the past nine years, she’s taught dancers of all ages, and her choreography has earned recognition at both regional and national levels. Her accomplishments are not based solely on physical wins but also include creating safe spaces for young dancers to reach their fullest potential, not only as performers but as young artists!

Haleigh Pigott (Stage Manager) holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and has experience in the film industry as a special effects (SFX) makeup artist. Her passion for theatre began in seventh grade with her first performance in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and it has grown ever since. She has taken various roles in theatre, but she particularly enjoys being part of the management team. She has collaborated with Columbia Theatre, Swamplight Theatre, Black Box Theatre, and several others across the United States. She is currently the Theatre Teacher at Denham Springs High School, where she loves sharing her passion for theatre with every generation. She hopes you enjoy "SpongeBob: The Musical!"