Lumen Repertory Theatre is Northeast Florida’s definitive theatre experience, illuminating empty spaces with possibilities through bold, professional productions.
WHAT MAKES LUMEN REP UNIQUE
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.
WE ARE
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.
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.
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.
WE BELIEVE
That EXCEPTIONAL experiences begin with exceptional quality.
BOLD choices are the foundation for memorable art.
Good art is entertaining,
great art is SUBVERSIVE.
Performance art has the power to ILLUMINATE the empty spaces within our community, and within ourselves.
Theatre holds up a mirror to society, CHALLENGING us to be our best selves.
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Member | Noah Bennett
Member | Diane Brunet-Garcia
Member | Grace Bryan
Member | Kelly Connor
Member | Carol Grimes
Member | Kristin Livingston
Member | Derrick Scott III
Member | Zonnetta Marie Thomas
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Brian Niece
Kristin Livingston
Josh Andrews
MEET THE TEAM
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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.
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).
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Joshua Britton Andrews
Brand Director
Josh is an ardent proponent of professional arts and theatre in this region. As a Jacksonville native, Josh has worked as an actor, director, writer, designer, and stage manager in many regional productions. He is professionally trained in Mamet’s Practical Aesthetics for the Actor and currently works as a high school educator. He holds his degree in Theatre Arts (BA). Josh is engaged to his fiance Lydia, and they plan to be married later this year.
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Katie Johnston
Operations Director
Originally from New York, Katie first came to Jacksonville to earn her BA in Theatre Arts from Jacksonville University. She has performed professionally on stages along the east coast and in Los Angeles, and now calls Jacksonville home. She is proud to be an active member of the local film and theatre communities here. When she is not busy working on a creative project, Katie spends her time running her own life coaching business. She loves to foster her passions for storytelling, connection, growth, and collaboration both onstage and off.
FAQ
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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 Actor’s Equity Association; we provide fair wages and working conditions for union and non-union actors, directors, stage managers, and technician; we consistently produce professional quality work.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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We have established a working relationship with Actors’ Equity Association, the professional union for actors and stage managers in the United States.
Lumen Rep is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible. To make a donation, click here.