Staff @ Trustus

Jim Thigpen Co-Founder/Artistic Director, received his training at the University of Illinois, Furman University, the University of South Carolina and City College of New York. Jim has been an award-winning educator, including local and state Educator of the year. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities award and is a master teacher designate. Jim has spent over 40 years in the business as a director and actor.

Kay Thigpen Co-Founder/Managing Director, comes from a theatrical family; her father is Lou Kaplan and her mother, Hazel, was a makeup artist. She holds degrees in theatre from Columbia College and an MLS from USC. After 20 years of teaching in public schools in South Carolina, New York and Wisconsin, she and her husband, Jim, decided to start a professional theatre in 1985 and she has been serving as its Managing Director since then. Kay infrequently appears onstage and has appeared at Trustus in Frankie & Johnny in the Clair De Lune, Torch Song Trilogy, The Woolgatherer, The Food Chain, Talking With, Rabbit Hole and the Late Night production of Mavens.

Brandon McIver Assistant Technical Director, received his B.A. in Sociology from USC-Aiken so it only seems logical that he would become involved in theatre. As assistant to Technical Director, Larry McMullen, he has worked on almost every show since joining Trustus, and designed his first set for Trustus for No Place Like Home.

Joe Morales remains the Box Office Manager at Trustus, and could not be happier. Joe has worked for the theatre in many capacities over the years, from building sets to acting and everything else in-between. Joe was last seen on the Trustus main stage as Dominick in Copy Man, and was involved in two of the three Youth Theatre productions, A Christmas Carol and The Meaning Of I during the last season. He also appeared in the NiA production of Dr. Fish. In addition, Joe has performed at other theaters around Columbia. Joe is married to the love of his life, Elena Martinez-Vidal, and they share their home with two cats: Max & SaraBella.

Chad Henderson is the Marketing Director, PR Director, and Production Manager here at Trustus. In his time here at Trustus, he has directed various critically acclaimed productions at Trustus including "Passing Strange", "Spring Awakening", "The Last 5 Years", "Assassins", "The Rocky Horror Show" (Winner-up Best Local Production), "reasons to be pretty", "The Lieutenant of Inishmore", and "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead" (2007), which was named "Best Local Production" by readers of the Free Times. He has worked with The Studios of Key West, Workshop Theatre of South Carolina, The Columbia Children's Theatre, Spartanburg Next Stage, The Spartanburg Youth Theatre as well.

Jon Tuttle is Trustus' Playwright-in-Residence and Literary Manager and Professor of English at Francis Marion University. His plays have received over 100 productions in 25 states and include Trustus Playwrights Festival winners Holy Ghost (2005), Drift (1998) and The Hammerstone (1994). His other published plays include The White Problem, Terminal Cafe, A Fish Story and Sonata for Armadillos. Jon and his wife Cheryl live in Florence and are the very proud parents of Staci, Jill and Josh.