About Lumen Rep
Illuminatingempty spaces.
Lumen Repertory Theatre is Northeast Florida’s definitive theatre experience, illuminating empty spaces with possibilities through bold, professional productions.
Why we exist
Talent aloneisn’t enough.
Northeast Florida is full of talented actors, designers, stage managers, and directors. But talent alone doesn’t build a thriving theatre community; artists need to be paid.
That’s why Lumen Repertory Theatre exists. We’re Northeast Florida’s only Actors’ Equity affiliated professional nonprofit theatre company, which means our artists are paid, not volunteered; rehearsal hours are capped; breaks are guaranteed; and the largest percentage of every ticket goes directly to the professionals making the work.
Our process is just as intentional as our pay structure. We strip away the spectacle and put the focus back on the human element: the actor, the director, the story. Intentional sets, honest performances, and a room where craft comes first. It shows in our work.
Professional artists employed throughout Northeast Florida since our founding in 2022.
Our minimum commitment of revenue to pay the people who make professional theatre happen.
Actors’ Equity affiliated professional nonprofit theatre company in Northeast Florida.
Who we are
We are
Resident
A resident theatre company who cultivates a core team of professional actors, directors, production staff and designers, playwright and dramaturg in residence, stage manager in residence, and company staff.
Regional
A regional theatre company who collaborates with multiple professionals, disciplines, and organizations to extend the reach of the company beyond a single location and focus.
Repertory
A repertory theatre company who creates a bigger body of work from the synergy of the core team who are representatives of the company, and are consequently more flexible than the typical line production system of most theatre companies.
Our mission
Lumen Rep is committed to
Collaborating
with established professional artists and technicians,
Cultivating
emerging professional talent, and
Creating
a sustainable vision for our region’s cultural fabric.
What drives the work
We believe
- 01
That exceptional experiences begin with exceptional quality.
- 02
Bold choices are the foundation for memorable art.
- 03
Good art is entertaining, great art is subversive.
- 04
Live performance has the power to illuminate the empty spaces within our community, and within ourselves.
- 05
Theatre holds up a mirror to society, challenging us to be our best selves.
The people behind the work
Meet the team
Brian Niece, PhD
Producing Artistic Director
Brian is a multidisciplinary creative hailing from Nashville, TN, where he served as the founding Artistic Director of People’s Branch Theatre. He now serves as Artistic Director of Lumen Repertory Theatre, collaborating with theatre professionals and helping build a NEXTGEN/Apprentice pipeline connecting students directly to professional production work.
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A longtime member of Actors’ Equity Association and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, he has worked as an actor, director, writer, designer, and producer in scores of professional theatre productions, with training in Anne Bogart’s SITI Company methods and Tadashi Suzuki’s physical technique. He was honored with the 2025 Arts Innovator Award from the Cultural Council of Jacksonville.
Brian is also Professor of Humanities and Theatre at St. Johns River State College and adjuncts in theatre, philosophy, and theology at several other colleges, applying experiential and embodied learning strategies across in-person and online formats. He holds degrees in Theatre Arts & English Literature (BA), Theology (MA), and Humanities, Doctor of Letters (PhD).
Joshua Britton Andrews
Brand Manager
Joshua is a Jacksonville-based creative producer, photographer, and theatre artist whose work spans professional arts, marketing, communications, and creative production. In 2022, he co-founded Lumen Repertory Theatre, where he serves as Brand Director, leading the company’s brand strategy, creative direction, marketing, and communications. Since its founding, Lumen Rep has employed more than 110 professional artists throughout Northeast Florida.
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Josh’s career has included work across higher education, nonprofit and institutional marketing, photography, design, digital media, and live performance. As a theatre artist, he has worked both onstage and behind the scenes as an actor, producer, production manager, and creative collaborator.
He is also the founder and photographer behind Jax Headshots, specializing in professional portraiture for individuals, companies, performers, and creative professionals. Across disciplines, his work is grounded in a commitment to strengthening Jacksonville’s creative community and creating sustainable opportunities for professional artists.
Katie Johnston
Operations Manager
Originally from New York, Katie first came to Jacksonville to earn her BA in Theatre Arts from Jacksonville University and has since made Northeast Florida her home. She has performed professionally on stages along the East Coast and in Los Angeles, building a career rooted in performance, storytelling, and creative collaboration.
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She remains an active member of Jacksonville’s professional film and theatre communities, working across projects that contribute to the continued growth of the region’s performing arts.
Katie’s creative work is driven by a deep interest in human connection and the ways storytelling can create space for empathy, discovery, and shared experience. Whether onstage, on camera, or collaborating with fellow artists, she brings that same commitment to curiosity and connection to each project.
Outside of her work as a performer, Katie runs her own life coaching business, where many of those same values—growth, connection, and meaningful communication—continue to inform her work. Across both pursuits, she is passionate about creating spaces where people can connect, collaborate, and grow.
Board of Directors
- Noah Bennett President
- Kelly Connor Vice President
- Grace Bryan Secretary
- Diane Brunet-Garcia Member
- Carol Grimes Member
- Kristin Livingston Member
- Derrick Scott III Member
- Zonnetta Marie Thomas Member
Founders
- Brian Niece
- Josh Andrews
- Kristin Livingston
Questions
FAQ
Why professional theatre?
Jacksonville is the largest metropolitan area without a professional regional theatre presence: until now! Lumen Rep is committed to being a professional company from the start. This means: we are affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association; we provide fair wages and working conditions for union and non-union actors, directors, stage managers, and technicians; we consistently produce professional quality work.
What is the difference between professional and community theatre?
The primary difference in these types of theatre is the purpose or intent of the work. Professional theatre pays personnel for their craft and work, and there is the expectation that the quality of the theatre produced will maintain a higher level of professionalism. Community theatre is primarily volunteer based (actors are not paid), and quality varies from production to production.
Educational theatre is geared toward adolescents and seeks to educate on a certain theme or introduce the artform of theatre to younger audiences (note: educational theatre can be either professional or community based).
Why pay professional theatre artists and technicians?
Paying theatre professionals fairly not only shows respect for their craft but also attracts and retains talent in our city. It allows us to bring in outside professionals and cultivate local professionals to produce high-quality productions that can compete with other cultural centers around the world. Put simply: professional regional theatre enhances our reputation as a city that values the arts.
It is Lumen Rep’s commitment to allocate a minimum of 50% of our revenue to pay the people who make professional theatre happen.
Why be affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association?
Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) is the union for professional actors and stage managers in the United States. Since Lumen Rep is affiliated with AEA, this means that Equity actors and stage managers are guaranteed a certain pay scale, health and pension benefits, and specific working conditions when they work with Lumen Rep.
This also means that non-Equity actors benefit from Lumen Rep’s affiliation with AEA. Non-Equity actors are also guaranteed professional contracts which include a weekly non-Equity minimum and certain working conditions such as a maximum of rehearsal hours a week with set hours, regular breaks, and a safe environment.
How can I support Lumen Rep?
Find out the individual and institutional giving options here. Got ideas or questions? Send us an email.
Be part ofthe work.
Lumen Rep is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible.