About Us

Jackie Stewart Hammond (Producing Artistic Director and Resident Vocal Director) has been teaching music and theatre for over fifteen years. She graduated with honors from San Jose State University where she majored in Creative Arts and minored in Musical Theatre. Jackie is a graduate of the American Musical Theater Artists’ Institute where she rigorously trained in voice, dance, and acting, as well as Shakespeare, improvisation, and stage combat. She also spent a summer studying opera with the chairman of the music department from Manhattan School of Music in New York City.

Jackie has extensive experience in the performing arts and professional theatre where she has played leading roles in many musical productions, and has also received a Zoni-nomination for her portrayal of Cinderella in Into the Woods. Other favorite roles have included Gino/Harpo Marx (Day in Hollywood/Night in the Ukraine), Lily and Miss Hannigan (Annie), Cathy (Last Five Years), and the Witch (Into the Woods). Jackie has worked with all ages in theatrical performances from age five through adult. She composed original arrangements of many musical theater songs for San Jose State University’s Touring Group, “Company One” where in her college years, she performed with them, as well.

Jackie has vocal directed, directed, and choreographed for many theatres in California and Arizona, including one of the nation's largest youth theaters in San Jose. Directing and performing experience includes well over fifty shows to her credit with prestigious theaters such as American Musical Theatre of San Jose (Equity Theater, over 2600 seat house), Cabrillo Stage, Foothill Music Theatre, This Side of the Hill Players, Second Stage West, University Theater, Desert Foothills Theater, Theaterworks, West Bay Opera, Children’s Musical Theatre of San Jose, Young People’s Theater, and iTheatre Collaborative and Arizona Broadway Theater performing in Jeff Kennedy’s Christmas Cabaret.

Some of her favorite directed productions have been Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Annie, both in California and Once on this Island and Pinocchio here in Arizona. Jackie has also taught numerous workshops with some of the previously mentioned theaters.

Jackie has held many titles including Miss Santa Clara County and was third runner-up in Miss California State. She has participated in and judged countless California state scholarship and talent competitions. Her original music can be found at http://www.jackiestewart.net. In addition to being involved with theater, Jackie has been a classroom teacher and Reading Specialist. Jackie has also taught music in schools for many years. Currently, she is the Performing Arts Director for the prestigious Caepe School here in Anthem. She teaches private voice lessons, and her students perform professionally at local theatres. In addition to Jackie’s musical talents, she is married to her husband, Jeff, and they have twin children. It has always been Jackie’s dream to open her own theater and she thanks everyone for their wonderful support.

Jeff Hammond (Managing Director) brings with him extensive business education and years of work experience. He has been working in the business and technology fields for the past 10+ years and is currently working in the Technologies department of a Fortune 500 financial services company. Jeff has a MBA in Technology Management from the University of Colorado and a Bachelor's Degree in Entrepreneurial Management from San Francisco State University where he graduated with honors. He also completed a semester of study at the International Arnhem Business School in the Netherlands.
In addition to working for a large corporation for the past 5+ years, Jeff has many years of experience working for small, start-up companies in a variety of roles including Marketing Manager, Quality Assurance Manager, Office Manager, and Assistant Head Instructor at a martial arts school. He has also been running his own web design company for the past 5 years.

Lyle Kishbaugh was Vice President, Human Resources and Executive Committee member for Richemont's billion dollar Western Hemisphere warehousing, retailing and manufacturing operations embracing upscale brands including Cartier, Mont Blanc, Baume & Mercier, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin and Dunhill. Prior to Richemont he was head of human resources for Cendant and Moore McCormack Resources, both Fortune 500 companies.

His senior level experience covers the Americas and international activities in all management areas such as employee and labor relations, benefits, leadership, business objectives strategies, compensation, staffing, training and development.

A contributing author, editor and presenter, he has served on the Boards of Red Cross, Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement, Stony Brae (for profit), ElderHouse (adult day care) and presided over numerous professional societies.

Mr. Kishbaugh holds a BS in business from the University of Connecticut and has taught at the graduate level. Semi-retired, he participates in several school associations, numerous church committees and a lay ministry. He attempts to break 100 in golf and resides in Anthem with his wife and daughter.

Tamara S. Lee graduated from Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania in the early 1990s. Tamara received her Bachelors Degree in Liberal Arts. The Lees have three children and Anthem has been their home for the last 6 years. Since graduating from Villanova, while working as a teacher, Tamara went on to receive her Masters in Education (M.Ed.) at Cabrini University, and her Reading Specialist Endorsement at the University of Phoenix and she also has her Early Childhood endorsement. Tamara now has 15 years experience in Education. Tamara currently serves as the director of the caepe preschool and the head of The Caepe School.

Tamara and her family are invested in the Anthem community. She embraces her role as a leader for our youth. She is also a leader in the field of education. Tamara has developed and executed a variety of trainings and workshops for both teachers at the school level, as well as the district level and parents. Tamara also received the Pride award in 2006 presents by the Deer Valley Unified School District, here in Arizona.

Together, with her husband Darren, the Lees have cast their vision of serving children and adolescents by combining their interests, talents, education, and training and forming the caepe, and then The Caepe School. Tamara is honored to serve on the Board of Musical Theatre of Anthem. She welcomes this role in a continued effort to serve in her home community.

Stacey Herron is a Product Administration Manager who brings 14+ years of diverse business experience working for a leading innovator in the development and manufacturing of high performance, energy-saving films and glass products. She has worked within and managed most aspects of the business from procurement, planning, inventory, sales, sales operations and now complete product management for the day to day operations of the business unit through to accountability for the P & L on a $15M product line (annual gross sales).

Although she is based right here in Anthem, her corporate office is in Northern California, her manufacturing plant is located in Germany and her customer is based out of Singapore with a strong presence in over 27 countries worldwide. Her ability to support all aspects of the business, maintain strong relationships with people from all over the world along with her keen attention to detail have made her a valuable team member within her company. Her educational background is in Computer Information Systems and Business/Communications. Stacey is a devoted wife to her husband of over 14 years and a loving mother of two.

Teresa Long is a stay at home mom in Peoria where she resides with her wonderful husband Jay and their two amazing children. Jay's company, Inhouse Assist, brought their family to Arizona from Texas almost 2 years ago when he and his partners decided to relocate the company's headquarters to Glendale.

Before they had children, Teresa worked for Southwest Airlines. She began her career as a flight attendant and later joined Inflight Recruiting where she aided perspective flight attendants through the hiring process. Although she enjoyed working for such a great company, she feels fortunate to now have the flexibility to do the things she is passionate about including raising her children as well as volunteering in many different capacities.

Teresa volunteers at her children's school where she enjoys working with small literacy groups. She has also taught Junior Achievement Lessons for 1st and 2nd grades and organized talent shows for K-5th grade. Additionally, she has been involved with fund raising and raising awareness for children with Cystic Fibrosis. Through Great Strides, a branch of The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, she aided her friend (mother of twin children with CF) in organizing an annual walk in Grapevine, Texas where she was instrumental in assisting the chapter's growth from $12,000 the first year to over $150,000 by the fifth year. Her main functions included organizing silent auctions and sending press releases landing television spots as well as many featured articles in local periodicals.

Through her daughter's love for theatre, she became involved with working on costumes and props and enjoys that with each production in which they are involved. She is thrilled to have found MTA where her daughter has been involved since it's inception and her son makes an occasional appearance as well. She is honored to become a member of the board and looks forward to aiding in the growth and success of such a fabulous organization.