UGA Theatre & Film Studies Welcomes New Faculty and Staff

Ali Hooks (Technical Director)

Ali graduated from the University of North Georgia with a BFA in Design & Technology for Theatre in 2015, and has worked at the Alliance Theatre as a carpenter and stagehand. Ali was the Stage Supervisor for the Utah Shakespeare Festival from 2015 to 2017. She has served as Technical Director for the recent GTA productions of The Ugly Duckling, The Bra and Panty Club, Avenue Q, Noises Off, The Tempest and Songs for a New World

Chelsea Taylor (Academic Professional | Stage Manager).

Chelsea earned their BA in Theatre Education from Texas Woman's University (TWU) and an MFA in Stage Management from the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music (CCM). Most recently they served as Technical Director at Cedar Ridge High School from 2020 to 2023 which involved completing 8 to 9 productions per year as well as a handful of events. Noted productions are Footloose: The Musical, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Snow Queen, Lights Up!: A Musical Theatre Showcase, Romeo & Juliet, and Chicago: Teen Edition.

Leandro Tadashi (Assistant Professor, MFA Film)

Leandro Tadashi's short films have been screened in over 300 festivals worldwide, includingFestival de Cinema de Gramado (Brazil) and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival (France). In Los Angeles, he directed the short “Tomorrow” (2014), and co-directed the feature “Actors Anonymous” (2017).

Terri Becker (Staff | Master Electrican)

Becker received her M.F.A. in Lighting Design from Florida Atlantic University and her B.F.A. in Drawing and Painting from the University of Georgia. She has two amazing children, Bailey and Griffin.. She loves cats and spends way too much on saltwater fish tanks.