About Us

Jodye Underwood (Founding Artistic Director) is a professional director, choreographer, movement director, educator, and mom based in Cobb County. She is a Part-Time Assistant Professor of Theatre & Performance Studies at Kennesaw State University in addition to creating Discovery Stage. Jodye has been working in professional theatre with young audiences and young artists for most of her career, and she is particularly passionate about the way a theatrical experience and company can be fully embedded into and involved with its local community. She believes in the power of imagination, physical storytelling, empathy, and shared experiences to build bridges, encourage important conversations between community members and among households, and increase emotional intelligence and healthy expression. She couldn’t be happier to bring this dream to life, with the help of an incredible board and her endlessly supportive family.

Nicole B. Adkins (Literary & Education Director), award-winning playwright and teaching artist, teaches at Kennesaw State University, the Playwright’s Lab MFA program at Hollins University, Alliance Theatre, and other arts-based organizations. She has ten plays published through YouthPLAYS press and is co-author of Playwriting and Young Audiences: Collected Wisdom and Practical Advice from the Field (Intellect Press, 2017). Her plays have been performed at venues nationally and abroad, including Children’s Theatre of Charlotte (NC), Kennesaw State University (GA), Hollins University (VA), University of Utah, and Woodstock Arts (GA), as well as toured to FL hospitals via the Jeanette M Gould Traveling Theater. Her adaptation of the picture book A Sick Day for Amos McGee, produced by the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, was featured at the 2019 TYA/USA National Conference and Alliance Theatre’s Toddler Takeover festival. Nicole has a particular passion for the outdoors, ecology, and collaborating with communities to create radically inclusive, nature-inspired theatre for young people and their families. Special thanks to her husband and two children / aka special advisors! (www.nicolebadkins.com).

Lauren Lee (Production & Education Associate – they/any) is an Atlanta-based artist committed to engaging with the local creative community. They believe that acting as a collaborative force with others is a powerful tool for fostering positive growth and a stronger community, both within and outside of their artistry. An artist at heart, but an improviser of life, Lauren brings a passion for learning and readiness to explore, which has led them to many different facets of creative work. Lauren studied direction and performance at Kennesaw State University, graduating with a summa cum laude honor and a passion for Theatre for Young Audiences. Their directing credits include two consecutive years with The Annual Coming Out Monologues (KSU), The Seedling (KSU), Opossum and the Season Stone (KSU), Aesop’s Fables: On Stage (Woodstock Arts), and more, such as acting, stage management, graphic design, and teaching artistry in After School Programs and with the Alliance Theatre. Lauren thanks their friends and community for welcoming them as they are and as they grow.