Meet Our Team

KIRIE WALZ

Theatre Director

KEVIN ROGERS

Technical Director

CHRIS STEELE

Assistant Theatre Director

Mrs. Walz earned a BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Memphis. After college, Mrs. Walz taught at Germantown High School for nine years, before coming to Bartlett High School.  In 2019, the Panther Playhouse's production of Pippin received the award for Outstanding Overall Production at the Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards and Mrs. Walz received the award for Outstanding Direction by a Teacher.  She has worked at several theatres in the Memphis area including Theatre Memphis and Playhouse On the Square. She has received Ostrander awards for Leading Actress in a Musical in the U of M's production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood and in Theatre Memphis' production of Annie Get Your Gun and was recently nominated for Best Featured Performer in a Musical for her role in Hairspray at Theatre Memphis.  Other favorite productions include Elegies: A Song Cycle, Big River, Assassins, Noises Off, Parade and Aida. Mrs. Walz currently teaches Intro to Theatre Honors and Standard at the Ninth Grade Academy,  as well as Production Workshop Honors, and Acting Honors at Bartlett High School.

Kevin Rogers is currently in his 12th year at Bartlett High School serving as the Technical Director for the Panther Playhouse and the Director of Forensics. He graduated from Harding University BA in Theatre and Oral Communication. He serves as the District I Director for the Tennessee High School Speech and Drama League and is on the National Speech and Debate Association District Committee for Tennessee. In 2016, he was named a WREG News Channel 3 and Tennessee Education Lottery Educator of the Week. He also received the 2017-2018 THSSDL Krider Award for Outstanding Speech and Drama Educator of the Year. In 2022, he was inducted into the THSSDL Hall of Fame.
He is also a local theatre artist having been the lighting designer for productions at Germantown Community Theatre, the Harrell Theatre, and Desoto Family Theatre where he was nominated for an Allie Award for Outstanding Lighting Design for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Chris Steele has been teaching English at Bartlett for over 20 years and loves it.  She has a degree in speech and theatre and has enjoyed working with the students in the Panther Playhouse over the past few years.  Previous credits include: East Lynne (Show Girl), And Then There Were None (Vera Claythorne) and To Kill a Mockingbird (Miss Maude).   She loves to perform and direct.  “It is so much more fun to work with such amazing talent.”

CHRISTIAN POTTS

Production Assistant
Christian Potts is earning his bachelor’s degree from University of Memphis with a goal of becoming a theatre teacher. He is currently a Special Education Teacher Assistant with Bartlett City Schools and is thrilled to be working some amazing students. In addition to being a SPED TA, he also is on the production team for The Park Theatre at Elmore Park Middle School. He enjoys spending his free time in the theatre and creating opportunities for students to learn and grow in theatre arts. Christian has been active in theatre since the age of six with his first shows being at BPACC during Missoula Children’s Theatre summer camps. While in high school, he was very active with the Panther Playhouse and was the Vice President of Thespian Troupe #3618 his senior year. He has had the pleasure of working as a stage manager, assistant stage manager, and production assistant throughout his time in theatre. Some of his favorite shows he has worked on are A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Nashville Shakespeare Festival), Peter Pan (Tucker Theatre), Next to Normal (APO), Heroes, Gods, and Monsters (Playhouse on the Square), and Walking in Sunlight (MTSU). He is ecstatic to be joining this amazing team at the Panther Playhouse!!

TRENT WICKER

Production Assistant & Box Office Manager
Bio Coming Soon!