Theatre

Ashley Jensen is an Instructor of Theatre and serves as the Scenic/Lighting Designer and Technical Director for the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at USCA.

Ashley Jensen grew up in York, SC. In 2018, she earned her BA in theatre design tech from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. In 2021, she moved to Columbia, SC, to pursue her MFA in scene design. Her credits include over a dozen theatre productions and several commercials for local companies, such as the SC Education Lottery.

She loves spending time with her dog, crafting, and traveling in her spare time. Now, as a proud member of the USCA faculty, Ashley is excited to inspire students and instill in them a love for theatre, nurturing the next generation of storytellers and designers.

Visit Ashley Jensen Design

Collette Miller has been an integral part of the theatre program for the past seven years. She teaches Introduction to Theatre and serves as the costume studio supervisor. Her recent costume design credits include Exit, Pursued by a Bear, Dog Sees God, and Clue OnStage!

Collette has expertise in scene painting and lighting design to her theatre work. Before joining USCA, she retired from a distinguished career at St. Mary Help of Christians School, where she taught junior high and directed the Spring Musical for over 20 years.

Beyond her work at USCA, Collette has been deeply involved with The Aiken Community Theatre (ACT), where she served on the Board of Directors for several years. Her onstage performances at ACT included roles in On the Verge, Daddy's Dying, Who's Got the Will?, Starstruck, and Absence of a Cello, among others. Behind the scenes, she designed sets for Boeing Boeing and Wait Until Dark and stage managed Matilda.

Dewey Scott-Wiley is a Professor of Theatre, and heads up the performance curriculum at USCA. As a professional actor and director, Dewey has worked extensively up and down the East Coast, from Off-Broadway to The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C., to the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, SC, and beyond. She is a long-time company member at Trustus Theatre in Columbia, SC, where she served as Artistic Director for 3 seasons. Trustus directing credits include Memphis, Rock of Ages, The Flick, Godspell, [title of show], Rent, Hair, Bill W. and Dr. Bob, and the World Premieres of Big City, The Velvet Weapon, Pine and The Palace of the Moorish Kings.

Dewey has been recognized multiple times by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for her achievements in Directing at USCA, and received the National Faculty Fellowship in directing in 2010. She is the coordinator of Directing Initiatives for KCACTF Region IV. Dewey has served as Chair of the Professional Division for the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) for 6 years and is a Past President of the South Carolina Theatre Association (SCTA). In 2013, Dewey received SCTA’s Founders Award, the highest award given to recognize contributions to theatre in South Carolina.

Paul is a Professor of Theatre at USCA, where he teaches various acting, directing, theatre history, and playwriting classes. Additionally, he serves as the Executive Director of the Etherredge Center for the Fine and Performing Arts on the USCA campus.

In addition to his academic work, Paul has directed and acted in theatres around the nation, including serving as the Associate Artistic Director for the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival for several years. The second edition of his book, The Art and Practice of Directing for the Theatre, was recently published by Routledge press, and was called the 'go-to' text for our next generation of theatrical directors” (Richard St. Peter in a book review for Southern Theatre magazine). Two of the plays Paul has written: “Brit Lit, OR All You Need to Know to Survive Senior English but Were Afraid to Ask” and “AMLIT!” were commissioned for production by Stage Centre, an educational touring theatre company, and toured across the state of Alabama.

A past state chair for Louisiana in KCACTF Region VI, Paul is also a member of the Southeastern Theatre Conference, where he is a past chair of the College & University Division, and current chair of the Grant Review Committee. Paul is also a member of the North Carolina Presenters Consortium (NCPC), where he works with touring artists from around the world.