Branding Iron Theatre Hall of Fame

Past BIT Hall of Fame Classes

Bill Anderson
WT Class of 1974

Wendall Cain
WT Class of ____

Rene Clemente
WT Class of 1972

Mila Gibson
WT Class of 1968 and 1969

Steve Hilton
WT Class of 1974 and 1976

Gene Murray
WT Class of 1956 and 1961

Pat Starr
WT Class of 1957

Royal L. Brantley
WT Faculty 1953 - 1987

Marti Hinson Kirk
WT Class of 1960

Jerome McDonough
WT Class of 1968 and 1972

William A. and Margaret Moore
WT Faculty 1947 - 1977

Eddie Thomas
WT Class of 1959 and 1968

Jerry O. Williams
WT Class of 1955 and 1957

2005 BIT Hall of Fame Class

Joe Anderson
WT Class of 1978

Lee N. Kendle
WT Class of 1976 and 1978

Allen Shankles
WT Class of 1980

Michael Skinner
WT Class of 1990

2010 BIT Hall of Fame Class

J. Frank and Melody Davis
WT Class of 1977, 1981 and 1982

Denise Verner Green
WT Class of 1985

James D. Kemmerling
WT Faculty 1968 - 2008

J. Gary and Lyndia Miller-Wyatt
WT Class of 1963 and 1964

2017 BIT Hall of Fame Class

Jenny Nolan Bailey
WT Class of 1993

Randall Carver
WT Class of 1968

2021 BIT Hall of Fame Class

Royal R. Brantley
WT Class of 1980
WT Faculty 1984-2021

Bill Anderson

Anderson began his theatre career while attending Canyon High School. After graduating from CHS, he attended WTSU, where he was involved in numerous productions over his four years at WT. He received three BIT awards for his design and technical work and the Alpha Psi Omega Outstanding Backstage Achievement Award Fall 1971. A member of Alpha Psi Omega, he served as Stage Manager and Cast Director. Anderson was also President of Buffalo Masquers. He was actively involved with the production of TEXAS for many years, having served both backstage and with the sound and lighting crew. Bill graduated from WTSU in 1974. Receiving a graduate assistantship from the University of Iowa, he and his wife, Levona, moved to Iowa City where Bill worked toward his Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre design . While at Iowa, Bill also did work with the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. After receiving his MFA degree from the University of Iowa, he took a position with the University of South Carolina, followed by a faculty position at Louisiana State University. At LSU, Anderson was involved in lighting design and technical direction for many productions over a period of five years. It was during this time that Bill moved into the consulting engineering field working for N. B. Traylor & Associates and later for AMX Corporation. Bill and Levona reside in Richardson, Texas along with their daughters Katie, Shawna, and Ashley.

Joe Anderson 

Joe Anderson grew up on a farm outside of Lovington, New Mexico and graduated summa cum laude from WTAMU in 1978, with a double major in Music.  Mr. Anderson was attending WT on an academic scholarship and had intended to major in pre-medicine, but he was hooked on performing after being cast in South Pacific as a chorus member, and subsequently performed numerous roles in the Branding Iron Theatre and in TEXAS.   Mr. Anderson attributes much of his knowledge and success to Royal Brantley (Sr.), who became his teacher, director, mentor, and great friend over the five years he attended WT.  After graduation, Mr. Anderson spent two years in Salt Lake City where he lived most of the year with two of his TEXAS buddies, Joe Clark and Mark Lanham, and performed several roles in the Pioneer Theater Company.  During the first year in Utah, Mr. Anderson auditioned for and then spent the next two summers performing at the St. Louis MUNY Opera, where he became a member of the professional actor’s union, Actor’s Equity Association.  In order to join, Mr. Anderson had to change his name, because there was already a Joe Anderson in the union, so he tacked an "l" onto Joe, thereby becoming Joel Anderson.  He subsequently moved to New York City where he was soon cast in a national touring production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and was eventually asked to join the Broadway production, where he performed until it closed in 1982.  After that Mr. Anderson exclusively pursued his true calling in non-musical theater.   He was invited to become a member of the late, great Circle Repertory Company in New York City, after winning and performing the role of Eddie in Circle Rep’s Japan tour of Sam Shepard’s play, Fool for Love.  Some other Circle Rep members include William Hurt, Judd Hirsch, Jeff Daniels, Swoozie Kurtz, as well as writers Lanford Wilson, John Bishop, and others.  He also became a life member of the famed Actor’s Studio, when he was one of only three unanimous winners out of only six chosen from over two thousand auditioners in 1985. The judges included Elia Kazan, Ellen Burstyn, Harvey Keitel, Joanne Woodward, Estelle Parsons, and Lee Grant.  Mr. Anderson has created more than a dozen leading roles in world premiere productions of plays by some of America’s greatest writers.   These include Horton Foote’s Getting Frankie Married—and Afterwards, at South Coast Repertory Company in Costa Mesa, California, as well as Mr. Foote’s The Widow Claire, at Circle in the Square downtown, in New York City.  Other world premiere productions include John Bishop’s Empty Hearts, and Mr. Bishop directed Mr. Anderson in the premiere of Bill Leavengood’s Florida Crackers—both at Circle Repertory’s main stage in New York City. Other premieres include Jim Geoghan’s Light Sensitive at the Globe Theaters in San Diego, Richard Vetere’s The Engagement, at the George Street Playhouse, and Gil Schwartz’s Taking Care of Business at the Pennsylvania Stage Company, to name just a few.   Mr. Anderson has played leading roles in many of America’s most prestigious regional theaters, in such plays as Burn This, Da, Dancing at Lughnasa, Sideman, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Cherry Orchard, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, and many others.  To date, television and movie credits include Boston Legal, Cold Case, Boston Public, Judging Amy, NYPD Blue, Dr. Quinn-Medicine Woman, The Client, All About Us, Malcolm in the Middle, West Wing, Cheers, Frasier, 7th Heaven, Family Matters, Curse of the Starving Class, Blood Red, to name a few, as well as several dozen television commercials.  Mr. Anderson is living and still acting in Los Angeles, and is currently attending Loyola Law School, where his article "What’s Wrong With This Picture?  Dead or Alive:  Protecting Actors in the Age of Virtual Reanimation" is slated to be published in the 2005 Entertainment Law Review.    

Jenney Nolan Bailey

The world changed for five-year-old Jenny Nolan when her great-aunt Imogene introduced her to the "church" after Sunday services - the movie theater.  The screen lit up - and her life was never the same - unspooling from the piney woods of East Texas to the hills of Hollywood. It’s the stuff dreams are made of - and how her life and career continue to unfold.

Jenny grew up in Gilmer, Texas and graduated third in her class from Gilmer High School. Early on, life was all about the theatre for Jenny; theatre, music, dance, performance. She won Best Actress her senior year at the UIL Area Division One-Act Play competition; she danced; she twirled as a majorette; she sang in the church choir; she wailed on the alto sax in band.

At WTAMU, Jenny broadened her theatrical horizons, joining the companies of both the Branding Iron Theatre and "TEXAS" Musical Drama, subsequently winning a BIT award for her performance as Ruthie Joad in "The Grapes of Wrath". She was active in all aspects of college life, including Campus Services and Mortar Board, but it was her participation with the WT Theatre and Dance departments, and the theatre fraternity Alpha Psi Omega that set the stage for things to come.

After graduating from WT in 1993, Jenny earned a Master of Arts Degree in Theatre from the University of North Texas. She remained in the Dallas area, staying active with their thriving theatre community before shifting gears and moving into commercial and industrial film production. That move - from being onstage to working behind the camera - led Jenny to a fateful decision - to leave her Texas life behind and make her way to Hollywood.

With her dream of becoming a film director driving her passion, she arrived in Los Angeles in 2002 - almost ten years after graduating from WT - and immediately landed a job as a production secretary on the short-lived Judge Reinhold production, "The O’Keefes."  Its swift cancellation didn’t deter Jenny - later that year, she applied for the Director’s Guild Training Program and was one of seventeen out of 2500 applicants accepted - and, in the fall of 2003, she began training as a film and television assistant director.

She officially joined the Director’s Guild of America in 2005 - and eleven years later, Jenny continues to grow her already extensive production resume. Her work as an Assistant Director has varied from Steven Spielberg’s one-hundred-million-dollar-budgeted "War of The Worlds" to Michael Patrick King’s hit CBS sitcom "2 Broke Girls" (her current project, now in her fifth season) - and have included such acclaimed projects as Paul Thomas Anderson’s "There Will Be Blood," Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s "The Adventures of Tintin," "The West Wing," "Joan of Arcadia," "Saving Grace," and "Men of a Certain Age."

Gilmer and WTAMU seem so far away, but the formative foundation that shaped her dream and the passion that drives her still remain close to her Texas heart. Aunt Imogene and WT would be proud.

Jenny lives with her husband, Kevin Bailey, and son, Landon, in Burbank, California.

Royal L. Brantley

Brantley taught at WTSU from 1953 to 1987 as a professor of voice, and was the head of the voice department. He directed, composed, conducted, produced and/or performed in about 54 productions during those years at WT.  He was the director of the opera workshop from 1953 to 1979 and composer of the opera Samuel, produced at WT in 1978. Branding Iron Theatre performances include: The King in The King and I, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof and many others.  

Royal R. Brantley

Professor Royal R. Brantley is the son of Charlotte Rugel Brantley and Royal L. Brantley of Canyon, Texas. A veteran of the CHS drama program and a two-time Texas All-State Choir member, he graduated from Canyon High School in 1977. Royal received his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from West Texas State University in 1980 and was then accepted into the Masters of Fine Arts program at Trinity University, which was serviced by a professional internship with the Dallas Theater Center in Dallas. After graduating with his M.F.A. from Trinity University in 1983, Royal taught part-time at West Texas State University before accepting a position here as an assistant professor of theatre in 1984. In 1990, he became a tenured faculty member and was promoted to the rank of associate professor of theatre, and in 1999, he was promoted to the rank of full professor of theatre.

In 1994, Royal received an administrative appointment as head of the department of art, communication and theatre. Working with the department’s faculty, he provided numerous educational experiences for hundreds of students majoring in art, art education, communication disorders, graphic design, mass communications, musical theatre, speech, speech education, theatre and theatre education. He was instrumental in the planning and development of the new Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex, and in 2006 directed the inaugural production of Marfa Lights in the new Branding Iron Theatre. In 2010, he transitioned back to full-time teaching and was soon re-appointed director of theatre, facilitating the Theatre program’s self-study and eventual accreditation with the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST), with WT being the first A&M System university to achieve NAST accreditation in the Texas A&M University System.

Throughout his administrative service as both a department head and director of theatre, Royal has continued to teach theatre classes and direct productions for the WT Theatre program. Achievements in teaching garnered him the 1997 West Texas A&M University Teaching Excellence Award, the 1997 Texas Educational Theatre Association University Educator of the Year Award, Piper Professor and CASE Professor of the Year nominations, a 2000 appointment as a Texas A&M University System Richardson Fellow, a 2001 appointment to The Texas A&M University System Academy for Educator Development, a 2004 Texas A&M University System Regents’ Professor Award, earning him the highest faculty rank available in the A&M System, and in 2014 the university’s Magister Optimus award, the highest teaching award given at WT.

Scholarly and creative pursuits generated seven Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Best Play awards from critic-judges and competing directors, a National Finalist Best Play award from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, which included two performances of Mark Medoff’s play The Homage That Follows at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC and the honor of being selected numerous times to judge the UIL State One-Act Play Contest in Austin. In 2016, Royal was awarded a coveted directing fellowship at the prestigious Julliard School. In addition, Royal has performed many memorable roles at WT and maintains membership in SAG-AFTRA.

In the area of service, Royal has served WT, his community and the state through many committee assignments, as an active student advisor and sponsor, through recruiting efforts with high schools and junior colleges, by being appointed vice president and later president of the Texas Educational Theatre Association, through management services to the UIL of Texas and by serving as a consultant to the Texas State Board of Education and the Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation.

Wendall Cain

Wendell lived and attended school in Canyon.  He graduated from West Texas State Teachers College (now WTAMU).  Wendell was an officer in the Marine Corps during WWII, and served in the South Pacific.  During his student days a t WT, Wendell appeared in several drama productions including SOLDIER'S WIFE with his sister, Joy Cain.  He appeared with the Palo Duro Players over several summers in such production as THE SILVER WHISTLE, LADIES IN RETIREMENT, and THE GLASS MENAGERIE with Margaret Moore, wife of William Moore.  Mrs. Moore often assisted her husband in directing, and as they were directing Wendell in THE ROCK,  the story of Simon Peter, Mrs. Moore often commented that Wendell could act with his back to the audience better than most  actors could facing the audience.

 Wendell also taught speech and drama at White Deer High School and helped the school garner several outstanding UIL awards in both forensics and One-Act Play contests.  He left White Deer to join the faculty at WT and for several years was the Technical Director for the Branding Iron Theatre.  He returned to school himself for a doctorate in Speech and Hearing Science for the University of Denver, and upon her return began a division of Speech Therapy and Audiology which was just coming in prominence in the public schools at the time.

He married Scotty Clark in 1964 and they lived east of Canyon.  Since his wife's death, Wendall has remained at the home on the Palo Duro Canyon highway enjoying his grandchild Amy, his show dogs, and his yard. 

Randall Carver

Born in Fort Worth, Texas Randall is the adopted son of Virginia and Russell Carver. Spending his early childhood in Canadian, Texas he got his first taste of acting while holding his mother's scripts while she rehearsed for community theatre productions. However, his interest in theatre really took off when he attended a WT Drama Camp under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. William A. Moore.

An original company member of the outdoor musical TEXAS, Randall graduated from West Texas State University in 1968 and immediately landed a pivotal role in the 1970 Academy Award Best Picture of the Year, "Midnight Cowboy" playing opposite of Jon Voight. While on leave as a First Lieutenant Randall Carver serving his country in Korea as a Tank Platoon Leader on the DMZ, he auditioned for and was accepted into the Master of Fine Arts Graduate Program at UCLA.

An accomplished film actor with a career spanning over 6 decades, Randall starred in his first feature film, "Time to Run" (Worldwide Pictures Billy Graham) and went on to appear in classic films including "Man on the Moon" and the 2008 Academy Award Best Picture, "There Will Be Blood" opposite Daniel-Day Lewis.

One of the most active television actors in Hollywood, Randall starred as John Burns in the Emmy award-winning show "Taxi" and series including "Six O’Clock Follies" and Norman Lear’s iconic "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman." His guest star appearances include "Malcolm in the Middle", "Norm", "Murder, She Wrote", "The Love Boat", "Emergency", "The Rookies", "The Six Million Dollar Man", "The Waltons", "Room 222", "Mod Squad", "Alias Smith and Jones", "Here’s Lucy", "Casual" and television movies including "Once and Eagle" and "Detour to Terror," where he got to play his first bad guy role starring opposite O.J. Simpson.

When Randall isn't coaching actors, he shares his love of rescuing animals with his wife, Emmy-nominated Writer Shelley Herman. Randall also serves as an Elder at The First Christian Church of North Hollywood. 

Rene Clemente

Upon graduating from WT Rene Clemente went to NY.  They say that you have to wait at least three years for something to happen when you go to NY to perform.  It took Rene three months.  He was cast in the musical of the 70s - - A CHORUS LINE as the incredible Paul San Marco.  He was a sensation and it wasn't a surprise really because A CHORUS LINE fit Rene's triple threat abilities perfectly.  After A CHORUS LINE, Rene went on to yet another Broadway smash: CATS where he was a member of the original NY cast as well as the Dance Captain of the company.   Rene's other professional credits include PLAY ME A COUNTRY SONG, ROMEO AND JULIET, LA BOHEME, and GODSPELL. 

J. Frank and Melody Brown Davis

Frank attended Pampa High School and Melody attended Channing ISD. Both were active in many school and community endeavors that led them into the creative fields they pursued. In 1973 each came to, then, WTSU, where they began their college careers in music and communication respectively.

In 1974 they met while singing in a religious vocal group and then in 1977, graduated, married, and began a life-long journey of their shared love for teaching and sharing their passion for the theatre and music.

Frank graduated with his B.M. in Vocal Performance/Education under the tutelage of Elsa Porter and performing often under the direction of Royal L. Brantley. He performed in the 1974 production of TEXAS and was a member of Phi Mu Alpha. In 1975 Frank won the National Teachers of Singing competition. His final 1977 senior voice recital was the first recital in the "new" Mary Moody Northen Hall. He then continued his academic pursuits at WTAMU, and in 1981 received a M.A. in Education and thereafter certifications in Orff/Kodaly, Mid-Management, and Superintendence.

Melody received a B.S. in Speech/English Education in 1977. While at WTSU, Melody was taught by Zell Sorelle and was a member of the traveling speech team. She was also involved in Alpha Chi, Pi Kappa Delta, Kappa Delta Pi, Phi Eta Sigma, Sigma Tau Delta, Muses of Iota Pi, University Reader's Theatre for which she received a 1977 BIT award, and was awarded the 1976 Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, and in 1977 was placed on W.T.'s Who's Who. In 1979 she was named an Outstanding Young Woman of America and later included in America's Outstanding Teachers. In 1982 she received her M.A. in Speech Communication.

In 1977 Frank and Melody started their teaching careers at Channing ISD where Frank worked for thirty-three years, teaching for fourteen years and serving as Superintendent for nineteen years; Melody taught for fifteen years. Along with the classroom instruction came the many hours of extra-curricular work. They had multiple state competitors and champions in UIL One Act Play competition, Poetry and Prose Interpretation, Informative and Persuasive Speaking, Journalism, and Music. Additionally, Melody served on the state UIL Speech Advisory Board and Frank on the State One Act Play Advisory Board.

In addition, for thirteen years Melody directed and Frank acted in a community melodrama raising $100,000 for Channing's Volunteer Fire Department. In 1990 they received KVII-TV's "7 Who Care" award for community service. In short, Frank and Melody have used theatre and music in any and every feasible fashion throughout their careers and ministry and enjoyed every minute.

The Davis' continue to reside in Channing where they continue to serve in various roles in their church and community. They currently operate as independent business owners, and Frank is interim superintendent at Hartley ISD.

They have two children: Elizabeth, who is married to Jordan Richard and they reside in New York City; and Jonathan, who lives in Lubbock and has two Labradors.

"We have had the opportunity to be taught by, work with, and teach many inspiring and gifted people, two of which are our children who each won a Samuel French Award for excellence in theatre performance. Theatre and music have made our life-journey thus far more exciting, demanding, and exhilarating. Success in life begins with relationships, and we have been blessed with the very best--Matt.6:33.

Mila Gibson

Gibson received her Bachelor and Master degrees from West Texas A&M University following a childhood professional performing career, and then performed professionally in musical theater, dinner theatre, concerts and opera. She has won numerous awards as a music educator and has been active in church work and community service. She has won numerous awards as a music educator and has been active in church work and community service. She is a patron of all the Amarillo arts organizations. She has had articles published in state and national publications. Gibson received certification in Non-Profit Management from Texas Tech University. She has extensive business experience and has been successful in fund raising and grant writing. She completed over 40 hours of doctoral work at Arizona State University and completed post-graduate certification programs at several universities. Gibson is Professor of Voice and Opera Workshop at Amarillo College. As Amarillo Opera's General Director she serves as both Artistic Director and Executive Director. Currently, Gibson serves on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee for Catholic Family Services, Inc., and is an Oblate with the Society of St. Benedict. She is a mentor and a Paul Harris Fellow for the Rotary Club. In 1994-1996 she was a performing arts panelist for Texas Commission on the Arts. She is currently on the Board of Directors for both the Panhandle Chapter of Nation Society of Fundraising Executives and the Community Prayer Breakfast. 

Denise Verner Green

While raising three little girls, she decided to return to school in 1976 and get her degree in Education. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in English and speech education, graduating magna cum laude from West Texas State University in 1985. At age thirty, she began teaching English and speech at Boys Ranch High School where she and her husband, Larry, had been house parents for six years. When the theatre teacher quit at semester, Green took over and her cast advanced to the State Meet (no one told her she wasn’t "supposed" to do this because at Meadow High School, that’s just what you did!). Throughout her career, Green’s UL One-Act Play companies advanced to the UIL State Meet fourteen times and captured the State Championship four times with numerous runner-up awards. Five times her students have been named either Best Actress or Actor at the State Meet, and four of those students received the Samuel French Award for Outstanding Performer.

Green has coached finalists in all UIL speaking events with numerous championships in speech and debate. As academic coordinator, Green’s students have twice captured the State Academic UIL Championship in class AA. In 1994, The University Interscholastic League awarded Green the Denius UIL Sponsor Excellence Award, an honor designed to recognize sponsors whose students develop and refine their talents through League competitions to the highest degree possible within the educational system. Currently, at West Texas High School in Stinnett, Green hosts one of the largest One-Act Play festivals in the State of Texas, with 25 schools performing each year in the spring in preparation for UIL One-Act Play competition. Along with her school activities, she plays the organ at her church, volunteers with the children’s ministry, and enjoys spoiling her three grandsons.

Steve Hilton

Hilton graduated with a Bachelor's in Music Education in 1974 and a Master's of Music in 1976, both from West Texas State University. While at WT he was a member of Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity and Alpha Psi Omega Theater Fraternity. His first professional job was with the Dallas Opera, and was one of only 12 singers selected to back Marilyn Horne in her World Premier of a newly discovered opera by Vivaldi. After Dallas, he moved to Connecticut and sang with the Connecticut Opera. Their "young artist" program enabled him to continue to study while touring New England performing such roles as "The Witch" in Hansel and Gretel, "Melchior" in Amahl, and "The Count" in The Barber of Seville. He sang the small (but pivotal) role of "Guard" in their arena production of Aida. Through the Connecticut Opera he meet Charles Roe, who sponsored him at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara California, where he studied and performed under the direction of Mr. Roe and Tito Capobianco. While in Connecticut he performed with several CT-based groups, including the Simsbury Light Opera Company - the world's longest Gilbert and Sullivan troupe. In 1985 he made a recording featuring the songs of James G. MacDermid. He has composed music for Children's Musicals, song cycles, and more recently his greatest love, hymns. 

James D. Kemmerling

He graduated from Adrian College, Adrian, Michigan with a B.A. Degree and received the Outstanding Achievement in Theatre and Best Supporting Actor awards. He received an M.S. Degree from Emporia State Teachers College in Kansas, and an M.F.A. Degree in Set and Light Design from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS. While attending USM, he received the Gilbert Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Theatre. Postgraduate study was at The University of Texas-Austin and Texas Tech University.

In addition to teaching, his professional theatre experience has included being Technical Director for the Holly Arbor Theatre in Michigan, Set Designer/Assistant Technical Director and Actor for the Emporia State Players in Kansas, and Technical Director/ Set Designer for the musical-drama Texas in Palo Duro Canyon for six years and one year as Light Designer. He also served as a scenic painter for the Miss America Pageant in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Throughout his tenure at WT, Kemmerling has served as a UIL critic drama judge throughout Texas. In 2007, he served as the UIL State Respondent and Judge for the Design and Theatre Technology Competition in Austin. He presented numerous presentations and workshops at state and national conferences relevant to design and theatre technology. He was on the Graduate faculty at WT and in 2001 was selected to be on the Honor Faculty. His publications include: A History of the Whitley Opera House in Emporia, Kansas: 1881-1913; (5) articles for The Texas Theatre Notes and several illustrations published by I.E. Clark.

Professor Kemmerling was presented nine meritorious design and technology awards by the American College Theatre Festival. He designed the ACTF set for The Homage That Follows, which was staged at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 1997. During his career, he designed over two-hundred set and light designs for educational and professional theatre. In 2004, he was the featured Artist for The Texas Educational Theatre Association in Houston, and The Amarillo Globe News named his "Theatrical Exhibit" in Mary Moody Northen Hall Gallery as one of the "Top Ten Exhibits" for Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle. Also in 2004, the Jim Kemmerling Design Scholarship was established by an anonymous donor to aid deserving theatre design students at WT. In 2006, he was the featured Artist for The United States Institute of Theatre Technology Southwest in Huntsville, Texas. In 2010, the Theatre Design Studio in the Fine Arts Complex was dedicated to and named for James D. Kemmerling in honor of his service to the University.

Lee Kendle

Lee N. Kendle began his musical theater career at the Branding Iron Theater during his sophomore year as a Roustabout in the musical Carnival.  He continued with roles in Opera Workshop productions of The Old Maid and the Thief (Bob), South Pacific (Luther Billis), Don Giovanni (Leporello), La Boheme, (Rudolpho), and Tosca (Angelotti).  He directed, conducted, and performed in numerous student productions as well and earned two BIT Awards during his student career.  He completed two music performance degrees while at WTSU (BM in Voice, 1976, and MM in Voice, 1978).  Lee finished his student career on the BIT stage in the Theater Department’s production of JB (Nichols).  Additionally, he accepted numerous assignments in eight straight seasons of TEXAS, from chorus member to sound and light technician to assistant musical conductor to leading role (Dave Newberry).  After completing his master’s degree and a three-year hiatus, Lee returned to the TEXAS stage for one more season as Dave.  He then employed his BIT training in many productions in the early years of Amarillo Opera as a performer and conductor.  Lee returned to the BIT stage as a guest artist in the title role of Man of La Mancha in 1988.  He also performed in the final season of Paul Green’s TEXAS in 2003 and served as the Musical Director for the inaugural season of TEXAS Legacies the following season.    He continues an active performing career with Amarillo Opera and now serves on its Board of Trustees.  Lee is grateful for the many rich years of experience on the BIT stage.  "Almost all I know about performing I learned at the Branding Iron Theater.  My years there formed much of who I am.  I have been very blessed."  He lives in Amarillo with his wife of twenty-four plus years, Kathy and takes great pride in his two children, Joshua and Hannah, who live and perform in Kansas City.

Marti Hinson Kirk

Kirk attended WTSU from 1956 to 1960. Kirk works in her church Fine Art program. She recently wrote and directed a play entitled Stitches in Time: Tapestries of Heritage which depicted important events in the 100 years of Polk Street Methodist Church. She taught speech and drama for 20 years at Crockett Middle School and Tascosa High School. She is, at present, a librarian at Amarillo High School. Kirk has written and directed short plays of historical events which were performed in the library. Her debut into the BIT was washing the powder puffs. It proved to be worth the effort. She has contributed leading roles in Antigone, The Tender Trap, The Desperate Hours, Hamlet, Midsummer Nights Dream, Bus Stop, The Lady's Not for Burning , Before Breakfast, and Blythe Spirit, to name only a few. Kirk was the winner of 10 acting awards including: Best actress of a 3 Act Play for 4 years.

Jerome McDonough

McDonough attended WTSU from 1966 to 1968. He was the drama director at Caprock High School and the author of the following plays: Addict, Asylum, Dolls, Juvie, Requiem, Roomers, and several others.  McDonough received his B.S. degree from WTSU in 1968 and his M.A. degree from WTSU in 1972.  His interests included: personal computers, music composition and performance, and contemporary liturgical music.  According to the ENGLISH JOURNAL, September 1987, "Presently, Jerome McDonough, the father of young adult drama has written eleven of the most practical-to-produce, and effective plays for the young adult stage. No longer can we afford not to read, if not produce, such works as McDonough's." 

J. Gary and Lydia Miller-Wyatt