J. R. was born in Charleston, South Carolina, promptly moved to Denver, Colorado, until he was 10, then spent the rest of his years growing up in Wichita. At Goddard High School he found a love for the theatre and pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre at Sterling College with a minor in Psychology. After Sterling, he went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in Theatre at Kansas State University. While studying at KSU, he took a summer internship at the Salina Community Theatre. After graduating, he started working full time at SCT and has been here ever since. J. R. has been involved with many of the technical upgrades at the theatre, both in the Kephart stage and the addition. He has received several awards from the American Association of Community Theatre for AACT Festivals, including Outstanding Achievement in Scenery & Lighting for the National Award Winning Wit in 2001. He also is known for making coffee at SCT. J. R. has a wife, Katie, and two daughters, Melissa and Dillen. You will most likely find him toiling away in the shop, playing in the booth, or feverishly searching the web for new lights he wants to buy.