ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

It is Ella’s greatest pleasure to serve as the Artistic Director at Morningside Theatre Company. It is no joke that they have spent over half their life in this church basement. Back in 2010 (MTC’s founding summer), they played both Little Red and the Witch in a nine-camper production of Into the Woods JR. After that, they have spent each year leveling up from camper, to teen volunteer, to choreographer and director. Now, Ella has taught over 800 actors grades K-12th in over 40 productions.

Favorite MTC direction credits include Urinetown, Into the Woods, The SpongeBob Musical, Peter and the Starcatcher and Mary Poppins.

They graduated from the University of South Dakota, with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a minor in Dance. In addition to MTC, Ella is the Artistic Director of Edina High School’s theatre program.

MANAGING DIRECTOR

JJ is always excited to be at Morningside Theatre Company. He first started with MTC in the summer of 2021, and has since served as music director for more than fifteen productions. JJ has been involved in choral singing and musical theater both onstage and off since he was six years old. The majority of his vocal training is from his time spent singing with the Minnesota Opera where he performed in the Midwest premier of The Giver, and multiple other operas including three mainstage operas including Mozart’s The Magic Flute.

JJ is also a music director, sound designer, arranger, orchestrator, music copyist, and keyboardist around the Twin Cities. Additional credits include (as Music Director) The Theory of Relativity (Roseville Area High School), Peter and the Starcatcher (St. Paul Academy), and (as an assistant) Songs for a New World (Artistry Theater) and Big Fish (Normandale College Theater). He can also be heard being interviewed about the changing state of theater during the COVID-19 pandemic on episode 3 of The GK Podcast. When not working, JJ enjoys baking, mystery podcasts, hiking, popsicles and watching Bob’s Burgers with his sister.

TEACHING ARTIST & DESIGNER

Gigi deGrood is happily serving on the MTC team in a variety of roles including stage management, scenic design and choreography. She holds a BA in both Studio Art and Art History from Gustavus Adolphus College. She specializes in painting, but isn’t afraid to get crafty with a glue gun as well. Gigi’s work has been exhibited at Schaefer Art Gallery, Hillstrom Museum of Art, Poor Farms Studios, the 410 Project, and Rochester’s Contemporary Art Center. She was also featured on the Studio Break Podcast episode 271: Gigi deGrood.

Gigi is also a MTC alum having performed on the stage from 2011 to 2015. She is delighted to be back in the Morningside basement working behind the scenes. Her favorite show she’s worked on was Spongebob the Musical, and hopes to one day create a set for Cats. When she is not at Morningside or in the studio, she enjoys writing, spending time with family, dabbling in the art of rug making, crocheting, watching Ghost Adventures, and being with her pug, Birdie.

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Josie is so grateful to be joining the MTC staff this year as the Marketing Director. She first got involved with MTC back in 2023 as the Music Director of Legally Blonde JR! Since then she has been back every summer to music direct and stage manage multiple shows. She’s always had a passion for working with kids and has been teaching acting, singing and dancing since 2016. 

She’s no stranger to working on shows both on and off the stage. She graduated from the University of South Dakota with a BFA in Musical Theatre and Minor in Dance. This is where she met MTC’s Artistic Director, Ella Williams. They became fast friends and the rest is history! Some of her favorite shows she’s been involved in during her career are Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret, and Into the Woods. In her time spent outside the theatre, Josie loves rollerblading, watching reality TV, traveling to new places, spending time with her friends and family, and ice cream. She is so looking forward to being a part of the MTC community in a more hands-on way.