CITA Leadership

Christians In Theatre Arts has been blessed with diverse and energetic leadership. Members on the executive board serve three-year rotating terms and are elected by the membership. Regional representatives are selected by the executive board. The following leaders serve CITA. Any of them would be pleased to help you.

Dr. Dale Savidge, c/o Christians In Theatre Arts, P.O. Box 26471, Greenville, SC 29616 Work Phone: 864-679-1898, E-mail: exec@cita.org

Dr. Dale Savidge was instrumental in founding CITA in the mid 1980s, and was elected its first President; he held the presidency until his appointment as Executive Director in 1994.  Dale Savidge earned two Masters degrees in theatre (and studid  at Kent State University) and a PhD in English and Theatre from the University of South Carolina. After teaching collegiate theatre at the undergraduate and graduate levels for fifteen years, in 1996 Dale launched Associates and Savidge, an arts management organization for professional Christian actors.  He resides in Greenville, SC with his wife Tammy, a registered nurse, and their three children: Timothy, Patricia and Olivia.

Board Members

Steve Broyles is currently Director of Middle School Drama for Wesleyan School in Norcross, GA.  In addition to directing two shows each year, he teaches music and drama to grades 5-8.  Steve is also a member of Atlanta based Art Within—a Christian arts and media organization that develops scripts for stage and screen.  He graduated from Regent University in 2001 with an MFA in Script and Screenwriting where he received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award of Excellence.  Prior to entering graduate school, Steve managed the Foothills Playhouse in Easley, South Carolina and directed large scale musicals for Covenant Presbyterian Church in Easley.  Steve, his wife, Lisa and their son, Taylor, live in Johns Creek, Georgia.   

Steve has designed sets for everything from church auditoriums to black box to large scale proscenium stages.  He is a theatre lighting and audio expert, designing lights and sound for over 40 productions.  Steve has also consulted on theatre construction projects.  He has toured the country with drama and music groups and directed high school and college drama teams.  Steve has acted and directed in community, church, school, college and graduate school theatres.  He was a commissioned writer for Art Within in 2003 and is a graduate of the MTI Broadway Classroom in New York and a member of the Thespians Society and SETC.    

“I believe in the vision of CITA to equip Christians with practical tools in the dramatic arts and to create networks for artists across our region and the country.  The south region is overflowing with talented artist, working in their local communities to glorify God in the dramatic arts.  We need to foster a greater awareness of each other’s work and a chance to learn and grow from each other’s expertise.”

Marlene Dickinson, Moving People,  Atlanta, GA Email: mmdickinson@aol.com  

Marlene Dickinson is a dancer and choreographer who has worked at the intersection of Christianity, dance, and theater, for over 25 years.  As an independent choreographer, Marlene has developed several original theater dance pieces to support the talks of Christian author and speaker Dr. Lori Salierno, Founder of Celebrate Life International (www.celebratelife.org). Marlene has choreographed or performed in more than 25 musicals and revues for theaters, colleges, schools and churches.  Favorite shows include “Hello, Dolly!”  “The Music Man” and “Joseph…” As an actress, she has worked at Indianapolis’ Indiana Repertory Theater and Beef and Boards Dinner Theater, among others, and on numerous cruise ships throughout the Caribbean.  Marlene has worked on several extensive tours to the far East, Europe and Hawaii with Operation Appreciation, a theatrical outreach to the U.S. military.  She also served for ten years as Director of Theater Arts at Church at the Crossing in Indianapolis where she directed productions and choreographed new works, most often drawing on dance as a form of storytelling.  Marlene was a full scholarship recipient and summa cum laude graduate of the Northern Kentucky University Theater performance program.  She has been active in CITA for 15 years, having served on the Board, presented regularly, and helped to coordinate the participation of several professional dance companies at our conferences. Marlene lives in the Atlanta area with her husband, Curtis, and their children, Lily and Tommy.   

Debra Freeberg, Calvin College,  12238 College Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507                                    Email: dfreeberg1@comcast.net

Debra Freeberg  (Ph.D. Pittsburgh) is Professor of Theatre and Communication Arts and Sciences at Calvin College. Debra is a former member of the Governing Board of the Association of Theatre in Higher Education and a member of the Dramatists Guild. She has lectured and conducted workshops on communication, leadership and theatre across the U.S. and Sweden. Freeberg has directed over 30 plays and musicals; favorite productions of the past include: The Ghost Sonata, My Dearest Sister, She Stoops to Conquer, A Dream Play, Elijah, 1940s Radio Hour, Joan of Lorraine, Peer Gynt, Tiger at the Gates. Her plays for children Good Boogie, And the Book Ran Away with the Spoon and My Dearest Sister were produced by Calvin Theatre Company. Her liturgical dramas have been produced in the US and Canada. Her research areas include Scandinavian theatre—particularly Olof Molander’s productions of August Strindberg—children’s theatre, playwriting and directing. She is currently working on a new book tentatively titled “This Mission is Possible: Mature Theatre and the Christian Academy.”

Carol Dilley Jaudes, The Salvation Army Eastern Territory, 440 West Nyack Rd. , West Nyack, NY 10994
Email: carol_jaudes@use.salvationarmy.org

Carol Dilley Jaudes appeared for five years on Broadway as Jennyanydots, the tap-dancing Gumbie Cat in the hit musical CATS. Her career as a professional actress gave her opportunities to perform across the United States, Canada and Great Britain. Some of Carol's favorite roles have been Maria in THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Annelle in STEEL MAGNOLIAS, and Harpo in DAY IN HOLLYWOOD/NIGHT IN THE UKRAINE. Carol is currently Special Events and Arts Ministries Director for The Eastern Territory of The Salvation Army. Her acting team, TAM, travels throughout the United States communicating God's message through drama. Learn about her solo performances at savidge.com Carol is married to Broadway trumpet player, Chris Jaudes.

Michelle Hoppe-Long, Charlotte Christian, 7301 Sardis Road, Charlotte, NC  282870
Email: michelle.long@charchrist.com

An accomplished writer, director and actress Michelle has worked in film, television and theatre for the past eighteen years garnering over fifty awards for her outstanding original work, creative design, and acting & directing talent. From her children’s television work as writer and co-creator of the The Knock Knock Show (Fox Family/TBN), direction of the live event launch of The Book at New York City’s Grand Central Terminal (CBN), and screenwriter for Robert Whitlow’s award winning novel to movie The List, Michelle has used her vast experience at both the professional and educational level, investing in the future of the arts as a board member of the North Carolina Educational Theatre Association, member of the North Carolina Theatre Conference, and recent nominee for the Disney Hand Teacher Award. She has received scriptwriting awards for her original productions of Ladies First and By Grace, and has been recognized by the state of North Carolina with excellence in directing awards for the past 7 years in a row. Michelle has been nominated for best actress and theatre person of the year in Portfolio Magazine, and has been seen in multiple award winning short films. In addition Michelle’s productions have been recognized nation-wide at The Michigan Youth Arts Festival and on the Epcot stage at Disney World. She has worked with playwrights Wendy Kesselman and Maria Irene Fornes during graduate work at The University of Iowa, received her MA in acting and directing in 1997 (Outstanding Graduate in Theatre Arts Award), and her MFA in script and screenwriting from Regent University in 2002. In addition to her latest screenplay projects with Eye Opening Entertainment, (The Living Room, Keychain Wisdom, The Lesson), Michelle serves as Director of Fine Arts at a private college preparatory Christian school in Charlotte, NC.

Tom Long, Friends of the Groom,  PO Box 5, Terrace Park, OH 45174 Email: fogfuse@.net

Tom Long is the director, playwright, and chief storyteller for Friends of the Groom Christian Theater Company based in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has been a performer for Public Educational Television, and has served as a consultant in youth work and theater for the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, the Cincinnati Library, and a number of schools and social agencies throughout Ohio. Tom has an M.A. in theatre from the University of Cincinnati. His religious plays and musicals have been published by Baker's Plays, Chorister’s Guild, Hal Leonard Publishing, Hope Publishing, and the National Christian Education Council of Great Britain. His work has won the Christians in Theatre Arts sketch writing and one-act play writing competitions, two Telly Awards, and a Dove Award nomination.

Kim Messer, Lillenas Publishing, 2923 Trooster Street, Kansas City, MO 64109. Email: KRM@nph.com

Kim Messer is Product Line Manager of Lillenas Drama and Editor of the Lillenas Drama Newsletter in Kansas City, MO.  She has spent time both on stage and backstage.  Before working at Lillenas, she worked at Nashville Children’s Theatre as a Technical assistant in the areas of scenic painting, construction, and prop acquisition, and as a scenic builder for Theatre for Young America in Kansas City.  While earning her degree in Dramatic Arts and Communication Studies, she traveled as an actor with Masterworks Touring Company.  She enjoys directing and has a passion for excellence in drama ministry.  Kim resides in Baltimore, MD with her daughter Emma.

Carl Ruthberg is the pastor/administrator of the Ithaca Worship and Service Center of The Salvation Army.  He and his wife Hollie, have served in many appointments over the past 35 years in urban ministry, East Harlem in New York City; Cincinnati (Over the Rhine), Ohio; Cleveland (West Park) and (the Hough Center), Ohio; Hell’s Kitchen and Times Square In New York City where they developed THEATRE 315.

He has a Masters Degree in Pastoral Psychology and Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio.  His interest in the theatre and performance ministry is long-standing, with many roles in community theatre and in Salvation Army productions.  Favorite roles would be Sidney in Catch Me If You Can and Lou in Tribute.  Developing The Salvation Army’s theatre ministry at THEATRE 315 was a dream come true.  He and Hollie plan to develop a Performing Arts Centre in Ithaca for theatre and music.

Lin Sexton, First Baptist Church Modesto 808 Needham South Modesto, CA
95354
Email: lsexton@fbcmodesto.com

Lin Sexton has for over 30 years served as Director of Worship Arts at the First Baptist Church of Modesto, California where her duties include drama ministry, writing, editing, video production, directing theatre, mentoring performers and creating worship opportunities through the arts. Currently she is working on a three-year arts outreach project for the Christian churches in Slovenia, utilizing arts teams from her church as they recruit and train arts teams in that Central European nation. Lin has written, staged and toured dozens of dramas and musical theatre productions, and her material has been performed in the USA, Canada, England, New Zealand and Australia.  A contributing author to the Maranatha Worship Bible, Lin currently serves as Worship Leader Magazine’s drama columnist.  She has penned magazine articles, music and gift books and serves as a professional ghost writer.  “As a way of getting out of the four walls of the church,” she says, “I have a second, much loved job as a writing therapist, working with cancer survivors.”

Meet CITA's Regional Directors