Board of Directors
Justin Collis, President
Justin Collis is a freelance musician working all around eastern North Carolina. He has directed shows including Avenue Q, The Wizard of Oz, & A Grand Night for Singing, as well as music directed many others including The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Little Shop of Horrors, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, & Jesus Christ Superstar. Audiences also may have seen him in the orchestra for many shows in the area. Justin enjoys finding new ways to make music & explore musical theatre. He also loves making music with his wife, Rochelle, & spending time with his children, Andy & Gigi.
Mitch Butts, Artistic Director
Mitch W. Butts is originally from Mt. Olive, is a USAF veteran, and is currently the Coordinator for Humanities & Communication at PCC. He was selected as PCC’s Teacher of the Year in 2018 and was named one of the five top community college teachers of the year for North Carolina. Mitch has been involved with theatre/film for 35 years. (Television): America’s Most Wanted, Dawson’s Creek, Dance Fever, and Bad Boys. (Film): Cat’s Eye, The Bedroom Window, Collision Course, and Secession Path. He was artistic director for The Road Less Traveled Theatre Company and was in charge of the AFA in Drama program at Lenoir Community College. Awards include Acting awards: (Damn Yankees, The Pajama Game, All My Sons, The Boys Next Door); Choreography awards: (Annie, Jesus Christ, Superstar, Nunsense); Directing awards: (To Kill a Mockingbird, Annie, Little Shop of Horrors.) He has had three original plays produced on-stage. Mitch loves ballroom dancing, quilting, and baking. He is the playwright of Cinderella – A Tale Retold and the readers-theatre production The Last 24 Hours of Lincoln (debut in 2008/London, England). He was recently awarded 1st place in the NC Senior Literary Olympics for his short story, “Duck Hunting with My Brother.” He is married to Randy Horton.
Ashka Lewis, Secretary
Ashka Lewis is originally from Whiteville, NC. She earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Sociology from East Carolina University in 2005, and a Master’s in Professional Counseling with an Emphasis on Marriage and Family from Grand Canyon University in 2020. Ashka is a Facility Program Manager at Eastern Carolina Vocational Center and has been employed with the company for 19 years. She began her acting career in 2016 right here at Magnolia Arts Center. Ashka has been fortunate to cultivate her acting skills with organizations like Magnolia Arts Center, Whirligig Stage, and DeMarcus Haddock Productions in Greenville, NC, Paramount Theatre in Farmville, NC, and Citizen Studios in Wilmington, NC. She is no stranger to the stage. You may have seen Ashka in Ain’t Misbehavin’, Hairspray, Purlie the Musical, Summer of Love, Little Shop of Horrors, A Grand Night for Singing, Dreamgirls, Out of Touch (a mini-series), Songs for a New World, Harlem’s Blues, Prayer Changes Things, and Framed: the Darron Carmon story just to name a few. Ashka has been on the MAC board since 2020.
Lana Miller, Vice-President
Lana Miller holds an MBA degree from East Carolina University and currently works as Director of Finance and Operations at United Way of Pitt County. She is a board member of the Friends of Theater and Dance of the ECU School of Theater and Dance. Lana first participated in theatrical performances in grade school and continued doing so during her college years, enjoying the thrill of dancing and singing in front of live audiences. Lana moved to Greenville, NC in 2017 and became an active parent-volunteer with Whirligig Stage. Later, she got introduced to Magnolia Arts Center (MAC), and in 2024, Mrs. Miller was voted to serve on the Board of Directors at MAC. Lana’s main focus is to provide opportunities locally for artists, dancers, singers, and actors of Greenville and the surrounding areas. She strongly believes that the opportunities must be presented here in the local community to showcase the talents of the residents.
Jenny Dempsey, Treasurer
Jenny Dempsey holds both business and secondary education degrees from East Carolina University. Prior to retiring in 2024, she worked as a computer programmer/analyst and an instructional designer/instructor with EDS, Peraton, and various community colleges. Jenny started volunteering at Magnolia Arts Center in 2007 when she moved back to Greenville. Jenny was voted to serve on the Board of Directors at MAC in 2025. Her main focus is to serve on the finance committee and work with the board and the CPA on the treasurer duties. Jenny is also a member of her homeowners’ board of directors and a member of the Service League of Greenville. She fully supports community theater.
At-Large Members
Jordan Coleman
Jordan is a repatriated resident of Greenville and longtime advocate of the fine arts who values the power of storytelling and enjoys the analytics of bringing them to life. After experiencing Magnolia Arts Center from both the stage and the audience for nearly two years, he was given the chance to become a part of the community that keeps it going by joining the Board of Directors, an opportunity he could not pass up.
Richard Jordon
Richard has been involved in theater for over 20 years, focusing mainly on musicals, and has performed four times on the Magnolia Stage, most recently as Reverand Tooker in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. When he is not on stage, Richard teaches General Music and Orchestra at Belvoir Elementary School, as well as private string lessons. Richard is supported in his theater interests by his wife, Guadalupe, and his mother, Lisa.
Virlika Prayer
Virlika is a Pitt County native. She has spent over 16 years as a computer programmer, most of those years in education. In addition to working 11 1/2 years at East Carolina University, her alma mater, she has worked for Brown University and is currently a programmer consultant for universities all over the United States and Canada. Virlika established her relationship with theater upon auditioning for “Ain’t Misbehavin”. After being in several productions at MAC, she is excited about the opportunity to join the Board. She enjoys the feeling of belonging in the theater and being a part of the decision-making behind such a great theater as MAC that provides diverse entertainment for her community.
Alex Scanlan
Alex Scanlan is 21 and joined the board at Magnolia Arts Center after being involved with the theater company for over a year. Since his initial involvement, he has filled roles both on and off the stage, assisting with setting up tech and directing, as well as house management. Alex looks forward to continuing to work with Magnolia Arts and making improvements to the theater.
Dorothea Handron
Jeremiah Reid
Jeremiah is an 18-year-old freshman at East Carolina University, where they are majoring in math and double minoring in philosophy and Hispanic studies. They have been doing theater since 6 years old, when they made their debut on the Farmville stage as Sandy in Annie. Since then, they have performed in shows at MAC, including Avenue Q, Our Town, and Funny Little Thing Called Love. They have also designed and run lighting for numerous other productions. Outside of the theater, Jeremiah enjoys playing D&D, drumming, and pottery.
Kim Turnage
Kim Turnage is a retired college instructor of 34+ years. Before retiring, Kim taught at both 2-year and 4-year colleges/universities with 31 years at Lenoir Community College, where she taught English, Humanities, and Public Speaking. Kim’s interest in theater began in high school when she was an avid member of the Drama Club. Throughout the following years, Kim was involved in various community theaters in both acting, directing, and producing roles. In 2008, Kim completed a course of study in Readers Theater in London, England, where she acted in and directed several productions. At MAC, Kim currently spearheads the Donor/Fundraising Committee and chairs the Communication and Special Events Committees.
Aloysius Franklin
An ardent advocate for the arts and a longtime resident of Greenville, Aloysius Franklin brings a unique perspective to his role as a board member at Magnolia Arts Center. As a former foster child who aged out of the system, Aloysius understands the transformative power of theater firsthand. Drawing from his experiences, he has dedicated himself to enriching the community through the performing arts. His creative journey began with writing plays and scripts that allowed him to channel his emotions and aspirations. Notably, he had the privilege of embodying the iconic character of Martin Luther King, Jr. in The Mountaintop, which further fueled his passion for storytelling and social impact. He is committed to ensuring that Magnolia Arts Center continues to be a beacon of artistic excellence in eastern North Carolina.
Patrick Reid
Patrick Reid is a native of Eastern NC and has lived in Greenville most of that time. After doing some acting in high school and taking one theatre class in college, he stepped away from the theatre world for over a decade. When his oldest child was cast in a community theatre production of Annie, Patrick caught the bug again. Since then he has been involved with Farmville Community Arts Council as an actor, producer, light/sound technician, and board member; Ayden Community Theatre as an actor and board member, and Magnolia Arts Center as an actor, producer, and now board member. Patrick has had roles in the MAC productions Picnic; Our Town; Sabrina Faire; Wait Until Dark; Almost, Maine; Funny Thing Called Love; and Arsenic and Old Lace. His wife and children have also graced the MAC stage both with and without Patrick. Patrick is married with three children and works as a realtor dealing primarily with residential real estate. He also plays music as a solo acoustic performer as a hobby and enjoys traveling both domestically and internationally.