Our Team
BLK BOX LAB is made possible by a team of experts committed to cultivating an innovative space using their fields of expertise.
Lise Thornton
Founder/Creative Director
Lise trained and worked as a professional actor and has 30 years experience training youth in the art of performance and training educators to use performance strategies as a way to explore social justice in terms of human identity, behavior and social interaction. She holds an M.Ed with a focus on social justice education and the arts.
As an educator, Lise’s work uses an artistic practice that allows for the exploration of tangled relationships while simultaneously opening space for reflection and dialogue. Favorite projects include: Curriculum development with the Utah State Board of Education Theatre Core, Illinois Art Awareness Program; Youth Theatre instructor with the University of Utah and Wisconsin’s Zona Gale Young Peoples Theatre; Presenter for the American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) Annual National Conference in New York (2019); Development of integrated arts curriculum to promote community dialogue and engagement in collaboration with the Neighborhood House and 337 Project, STRIVE and the Tiny Door Project; Installation of a narrative art program at The Joliet Women’s Correctional Facility and the Heidelberg Project in Detroit; Director of Theatre Intervention programs at the Odyssey Youth Treatment Program, and Theatre Curriculum specialist at Pingree Autism Center of Learning.
Lise’s vision for BLK BOX LAB is a collaborative space for seasoned artists and educators to collaborate with a rising generation of artists committed to authenticity and excellence in youth theatre. Each LAB and production should be measured against its objective to honestly explore the diverse stories that comprise the human experience and its artistic impact as a catalyst for social reflection, dialogue and change.
Xan Johnson
Dr. Johnson served as a full professor in the Department of Theatre at the University of Utah. He served as an Honors professor and a member of the Graduate School faculty. Dr. Johnson has served as Department Chair, Head of Theatre Honors, Head of the BFA in Theatre Education, and Creator/Head of the former MFA/Ph.D. in Child Drama. He also served as the Utah Theatre Consultant for the Utah State Office of Education for 10 years. He founded the internationally recognized Theatre School for Youth at the U of Utah; a program that has been invited to present and showcase Russia, France, and England; as well as throughout the USA. He has directed over 200 stage productions across his career in venues ranging from professional, to community, to university, and to K-12 public education. He has served as Academic Senate President at the University of Utah. Dr. Johnson has been a leading keynote presenter focusing on the relationship between Child Drama and Social Cognitive Neuroscience. Recently Dr. Johnson, along with science researchers from Neuropsychology, OT, Speech Pathology, and former Theatre students, initiated a drama intervention study seeking to reduce synaptic over pruning in the brains of preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder, while seeking to increase social cognition and theory of mind using process drama engagement methodologies. Dr. Johnson holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University.
Wendy Wilde
After graduating from the Actor’s Training Program with a BFA from the University of Utah, Wendy worked nationally as a professional actor on stage and screen. She has performed locally with Pioneer Theatre Company, Salt Lake Acting Company, Plan B and regionally with The Shakespeare Theater, Creede Repertory Theater, The John Montgomery Theater.
Wendy has been an arts teacher in the Salt Lake Valley for over a decade specializing in connecting at-risk youth populations to theater and movement.
As a choreographer and staging specialist, Wendy builds strong youth ensemble performance. Past work as an ArtsBridge Fellow collaborating with elementary students on youth produced Shakespeare productions; The Hartland Youth Theater and Dance Program - building original works of theater and dance with refugee youth; Guest Acting and Movement Teacher Zona Gale Young People's Theater in WI; Choreographed/Directed youth productions of Hamlet, Peter and the Starcatcher, Guys and Dolls, The Parfumerie, and Pirates of Penzance.
Wendy is a recent MAT graduate from the University of Utah and has applied her training in arts education to curriculum building and research that extends the reach of theatre education beyond production with an evidence based focus on the student’s mind-body connection and their social and emotional well-being.
Javen Tanner
Javen Tanner is the artistic director of The Sting & Honey Company in Salt Lake City, a resident theater company at the Eccles Theater. He holds an MFA from The Old Globe, where he was awarded the Craig Noel Fellowship. As a director, he specializes in Shakespeare, Chekhov, Beckett, and mask work. As an actor he has performed Off Broadway and Regionally, and he won best actor in a feature film at the 2007 New York International Independent Film Festival. Javen's poems have appeared in journals and magazines throughout the US, and he is the author of two poetry collections, “The God Mask” and “Curses for Your Sake.” He is the Theater Department Chair at the Waterford School.
Julie Romeo
Julie Miller Romeo is the creator and director of the Fairy Tale Trials. As Director of Public Affairs for the Circuit Court of Cook County (1986-97), she developed the Fairy Tale Trials and then produced a professional touring children's theater ensemble to bring comprehensive law-related education to the Chicago Public Schools. With the support of a federal grant, she adapted the material to meet the needs of at-risk adolescents, produced an award-winning educational film, and created a course for middle-school students at Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development. After moving to New Jersey to start a family of her own, she founded and directed New Life Montessori Midland Park, NJ from 2003-07. Since then, she has home schooled her two daughters while teaching classes to students (ages 8-17) in a wide array of settings: home school, public school, at-risk after-school, & gifted and talented. She has developed workshops, educational theater productions, and summer intensives based on the Fairy Tale Trials, as well as classes focusing on writing, rhetorical skills, public speaking and debate. Julie has a B.A. in English Literature from Smith College and an M.A. in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University.
Micheal Henry Davies
MICHAEL HENRY DAVIES (Company Stage Manager) is the Founder and Creative Director of Method: Theatre Company. Most recently, the local group produced a season of improvised showcases (Alliance Theatre, 2024), was hosted as entertainment for the Salt Lake Men’s Choir (Edison Street Organ Loft, 2024), and put on two improvised play series entitled Wildflowers and A Play (Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival, 2023). Born and raised in Salt Lake City, he was trained in Stage Management at the University of Utah. Recent credits include First Assistant Stage Manager for SpongeBob the Musical (Kingsbury Hall, YTU, 2024), and Second Assistant Stage Manager for Cabaret (Babcock Theatre, 2023). The majority of his technical background is with Scenic and Electrics at Pioneer Theatre Company, and Electrics at Salt Lake Acting Company. Michael is the Associate Manager of the First Stage Theatre Education Program at Pioneer Theatre Company, a Program which provides a network of professional theatre artists an opportunity to workshop with local youth at the Boys and Girls Clubs central to the SLC area. Michael is also an I.A.T.S.E. stagehand, having worked venues such as the Eccles Mainstage (My Fair Lady Broadway Tour, 2023) and Usana Amphitheater (AJR Tour, 2022).
Kevin Blickfelt
Kevin Blickfeldt continues to make an indelible impression upon the operatic and crossover musical scenes of the world. Recently, he has performed at The Hollywood Bowl, with LA Opera, Pasadena Opera, the Palm Springs Opera Guild, Pacific Opera Project, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as on stages across North & South America, Asia, and Europe. Following his successful debut as Maximilian in Candide with Pasadena Opera, Kevin returned to the Pasadena Opera as Elder Ott in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. Kevin debuted the role of Mother in the West Coast premiere of the piano and percussion version of Kurt Weill& Seven Deadly Sins. On the concert stage, he has given recitals in New York, Buenos Aires, Innsbruck, London, Los Angeles, Florence, and Bristol. Most recently, Kevin made his recital debut with the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival. Kevin portrayed Fiorello in Pacific Opera Project’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and collaborated on the original cast recording of. Windy City, which was released on the Operetta Archives Foundation label. Kevin made his debut with the Los Angeles Opera under the baton of Music Director James Conlon in performances of Prodigal Son. Additional engagements include El General in Xavier Rodríguez’s La Curandera, and as Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale at the Oper im Park Festival in Austria. Career highlights include performing the title role in Owen Wingrave (West Coast premiere), Il barbiere di Siviglia with Florida Lyric Opera, and Don Giovanni with Utah Lyric Opera. At the Ohio Light Opera, Kevin portrayed the Boatswain in H.M.S. Pinafore, Frosch in Die Fledermaus, and Paco in The Man of La Mancha, among many others. His discography, under the Spotify, Naxos, and Albany Record labels include The Firefly, Robinhood, The Vagabond King, and The Violet of Montemartre. Kevin is a founding member of VOX, an operatic quartet who first premiered on TV’s America’s Got Talent. Since the show first aired, “Opera’s Boy Band” has garnered over 21 million YouTube views and has presented live performances across North America.Kevin is a graduate of The University of Utah, Florida State University, and the USC Thornton School of Music. When not performing, Dr. Blickfeldt enjoys working with students at El Camino College, where he serves as the Chair of the Classical and Broadway Voice Department.
Kandis Z. Thorpe
Kandis Z. Thorpe, LMSW, CSW (she/hers) is a passionate and dedicated licensed master social worker and wellness advocate, who strives to eliminate the stigma of mental health issues and illnesses among the youth. She holds a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University in the City of New York and a Bachelor of Social Work from her beloved alma mater Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. Currently a Crisis Intervention Specialist at the University of Utah Counseling Center, she has an extensive background in School Social Work where she has provided counseling, crisis intervention, and community support to students and families, as well as developed and implemented effective mental health programing and initiatives. Prior to that, she has worked in family shelter and supportive housing where she delivered services to families experiencing homelessness. She has facilitated workshops and therapy groups with topics focusing on healthy relationships, grief and life transitions, suicide prevention, and self advocacy. Kandis is deeply committed to improving the well-being and outcomes of the youth and the communities she serves. She currently resides in Salt Lake City, UT.
Em Spikes
Em Spikes is a whimsical performing artist and director with a heart as quaint as a small town and dreams as grand as a bustling metropolis. Their journey through the world of theater began with Greek tragedies and Shakespearean dramas, planting the seeds for their unapologetically dramatic nature. Among Em's most cherished roles are Lawrence in "Romeo and Juliet," a versatile ensemble member in "Innovation," the quirky Mary in "The Bald Soprano," the cunning Maria in "Not All Thieves Come to Harm You," the melancholic Masha in "The Seagull," and the prophetic Cassandra in "The Oresteia." Em is deeply passionate and invested in centering and amplifying underrepresented stories, particularly beautifully queer stories. Before taking a hiatus from the stage to nurture their daughter, Em graced both Utah and NYC with their acting and directing talents. They honed their craft at Fordham University, earning a BA in Theatre Performance in 2015.
When Em isn’t captivating audiences or supporting the American Cancer Society, they can be found embarking on adventures with their family, unwinding with a beloved TV show or movie, tap dancing through the grocery store, or creating musical masterpieces.
Melissa Pace Tanner
Melissa Pace Tanner – Melissa’s first love was Musical Theatre. She received performance scholarships in Musical Theatre to both Boston Conservatory and the University of Utah. She attended the University of Utah. She traveled the world singing pop/rock for our troops while working for the Department of Defense. Her voice has been heard on jingles for every major TV network. She is a regular with Tad Calcara’s New Deal Swing Band, including Pops performances with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall and Deer Valley. Melissa fronted the prestigious Joe Muscolino Band for more than 15 years performing at numerous city functions, fundraisers and events. She also performed regularly around Salt Lake City and the West with her own jazz group. Her jazz band has performed several times for the Excellence in the Community concert series. Melissa was thrilled to sing on the recordings, When I Look at You w/ Joey DeFrancesco and Jay Lawrence, also for Dan Waldis on A Little Jazz with Your Mistletoe (live recording). For more than 10 years she performed the annual show of A Little Jazz with Your Mistletoe at the Rose Wagner Center. She has two jazz CD’s of her own, Am I Blue?, which has been re-released in Japan and Calm & Carefree. She taught voice for more than 25 years and was a proud member of the International Voice Teachers of Mix (ivtom.org). Melissa has also appeared as an actress in many commercials, television shows and movies, working with the likes of Hillary Swank, Gary Oldman, Kelsey Grammer, Chuck Norris and more.
