Instructors
Julian Deleon
Julian studied acting at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. From there he became the Educational Marketing Intern at American Place Theatre and worked on several productions with Galli Theatre NY. He has performed in several productions around Columbia including Dance Nation at Trustus Theatre, Torch Song at Workshop Theatre and A Christmas Carol at Columbia Childrens Theatre. He began working as a teaching artist with Columbia Childrens Theatre almost 10 years ago and has since taught all over the Midlands from Spartanburg to Florence County. He spent 6 years at Midlands Arts Conservatory as the Theatre Teacher and also operates several after-school programs at local schools.
Katherine Brown
Katherine, a former professional dancer with Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines, has served as Dance Captain and Production Principal. Other performance credits include the Broadway National Tour of Saturday Night Fever and various regional theatre credits across the United States. In addition to her successful dance career, Katherine has excelled academically, earning a BFA in Musical Theatre, a BS in Public Health from Coastal Carolina University, and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of South Carolina. Her most recent appearances at Workshop Theatre include the roles of Cassie in A Chorus Line and Bombalurina in CATS. Katherine is an enthusiastic instructor specializing in dance technique, with a strong emphasis on musical theatre styles.
Taylor Diveley
Taylor Diveley attended the University of South Carolina and Coastal Carolina University studying Vocal Performance. Since moving back to Columbia in July 2022, Taylor has been seen on Workshop Theatre’s stage in KINKY BOOTS (Charlie), TORCH SONG (Alan), A CHORUS LINE (Don) and HUNDRED DAYS (Shawn Bengson) and A NEW BRAIN (Gordon Michael Schwinn); and the Columbia Children’s Theatre’s stage in A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Ghost of Christmas Past). In addition to being on the stage, Taylor has several other roles behind the scenes. He was the music director for Workshop’s production of CATS, FINDING NEMO JR., and THE ADDAMS FAMILY YOUNG@PART. He is also part of Workshop’s educational team, and a proud member of Workshop Theatre’s Board of Trustees. Taylor also plays music gigs professionally around the Carolinas.
Nicholas Holland
Hello, I am Nicholas Holland. I started performing in early highschool; doing multiple shows at
Village Square Theater and also performing in shows at Lexington High and Riverbluff High
(graduating from Riverbluff). I decided to go to Anderson University, and after my four years
graduated with a BFA in acting and directing. During college I performed in a multitude of shows
ranging from Greek -> contemporary; while also working with theaters as the lighting designer. I
was on the Improv team for 4 years, while also attending a national competition two times. I was
also one of the heads of the student lead productions at Anderson University, which entailed
supporting, casting, producing multiple shows all written/directed/designed by only the students.
Sadly i graduated at the beginning of covid, so all of the theater came to a halt. I am currently
working as an IT rep for TD bank and am starting to put my foot back in the door after a good
couple of years. I taught a master improv class at Village Square, and excited to bring more to
the table at Workshop Theatre
Toby O'Connor
Toby O’Connor is so thrilled to get the opportunity to work alongside the incredibly talented staff at Workshop Theater. Toby has been performing from a very young age all around the Columbia area where he has been mentored by some the best! Some of his favorite previous roles have been: Ghost of Christmas Present in “The Christmas Carol”, Dickon in “The Secret Garden”, Nathan Detroit in “Guys and Dolls”, and Gaston in “Beauty and the Beast”. Toby is currently pursuing his General Ed/Theater degree and has really enjoyed his previous experience teaching youth theater and excited to dive back in! When he isn’t goofing around or performing, Toby loves hanging with his dogs, playing D&D, or going to the latest Comic Con.
Bobby Rogers
Bobby L. Rogers Jr, is a native of Jonesville, SC located in the Upstate of South Carolina in Union County where he attended Jonesville High School. It was in Jonesville that his music and theatre career began in the gifted and talented band, theater, and chorus program.After graduating from JHS he earned his degree of Education at Benedict College and his masters degree in Education. Mr. Rogers taught first grade for 5 years and he has spent 18 years in public health for state. He has been seen onstage in shows such as “The Color Purple” “Ragtime”, “Young Frankenstein”, “Five Guys Named Moe, “Lend Me a Tenor”,”Sister Act”. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, Inc. “Life is a stage, so live life”
Jessica Roth
Jessica Roth is an experienced musician with an extensive background performing in both musical theater and with bands of various genres throughout her career.
Jessica began her musical journey performing in various high school musicals. After high school she moved to New York and began auditioning/performing in off-Broadway shows. In 2007, Jessica began performing with corporate entertainment bands traveling the east coast. After the birth of her second child, her family moved back to SC. In 2019, she started Girl Interrupted, a 90's and 2000's cover band that performs regularly around Columbia. In 2022 Jessica returned to the stage performing in Workshop Theatre’s productions of The Wedding Singer as “Linda” and Kinky Boots as “Lauren”. You may have also seen her in Trustus theatres production of Mad Ones and most recently as Rum Tum Tugger in CATS at Workshop Theatre. In addition to her music career, Jessica also is an accomplished hairstylist in Columbia. She is an international hair educator with Framesi and frequently travels to teach other hair stylists around the country.
Amber Westbrook
Amber Westbrook is a performer, artist, and educator. With a BA in the arts from Winthrop University (concentration in Theatre and Dance Performance), she has gained a lot of experience and knowledge working with many different theatre companies and arts organizations. She is happy to share her knowledge, tips, and tricks to help empower others. She has worked with Workshop Theatre on shows such as The Realistic Joneses, Boys in the Band, Belles, and She Loves Me. A few of her favorite projects include, The Friendship 9: No Fear for Freedom the Musical, Neighbors: A Wildlife Show, and The Carnival of the Animals: the Gift that Ran Away.