Have you ever wondered who is behind the Kettle Run plays and musicals? With the upcoming Fall play, Lightning Girl. The director is also the new theater teacher.
Camden Gillespie, the newest teacher at KRHS is the one. Ms. Gillespie is just starting her first year with Kettle Run! She is a JMU(James Madison University) graduate from the class of 2023 with a B.A in Theatre Performance. Last year she was asked to direct the Kettle Run spring musical, Beauty and the Beast, by Paul Frye and choir director, Heath West. Which was the start of her career in teaching.
Not only does she teach theater but, she also teaches English. Her hobbies include flowerinclude of flower pressing, watching shows, and spending time with her eight pets.
Ms. Gillespie has been in over 50 productions, the most recent being “Annie Get Your Gun” at Fauquier Community Theater, which she hasn’t been to since her senior year. Her favorite musical that she’s been in was “Matilda.” In 2022 she played Ms. Honey in “Matilda,” “I feel like that role reignites in me today because I try my hardest to be compassionate towards my students and their goals.”
“Annie Get Your Gun” was the season opener for the 2024-25 season. She auditioned in hopes of getting to participate in a musical as she hadn’t in over a year. When she was younger, she used to sing the hit song from Annie Get Your Gun, Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better, with her brother.
When you walk into her classroom you are greeted by a welcoming aura of botany. You, You can tell she has a love for life and plants.
In her free time, she volunteers at transports with dogs that were left in their homes by owners during Hurricane Helene. Every night after Lighting Girl rehearsals, she goes to The Culpeper Airport to help them get to the next leg of their rescue. Along with this, she is currently fostering 3 rabbits that had their shelter destroyed. Ms. Gillespie plans on helping out more as the reconstruction of Ashville, North Carolina gets rebuilt. She enjoys indie pop and 70s jams.
Ms. Gillespie has been working with students for the fall play, “Lightning Girl.” The students that work with her have nothing but good things to say about her. “Camden is the most loving person, and she has helped me grow both as an actor and a person. I am very grateful for her and all that she has done.” Leianna Thomas, a senior who was in “Beauty and the Beast.” She also plans on having the spring play “Little Woman” to give all of the young women a chance to shine.
After college, she planned on being an actor on Broadway. But, after working with the incredible students that were in last year’s spring play,” Beauty and the Beast.” She decided to stay in Fauquier County and teach at Kettle Run. “And I fell in love with the students and realized that it is what I wanted to do.” She says.
Ms. Gillespie is a wonderful person. She takes her passion for acting and performing and puts it toward teaching her students.
