Courtney Bales

Program Director

Courtney Bales is a recent college graduate, earning her BFA in Musical Theatre with a minor in Music. Prior to stepping into her current role, she served as the Dreamers Co-Coordinator. Courtney is deeply passionate about arts education and the role it plays in shaping confident, creative young people.

Her love for musical theatre began in the Hoogland Education Program during high school, making it especially meaningful to now return in a new capacity. She is grateful for the opportunity to pour back into a program that helped shape her own artistic journey.

Her favorite Springfield theatre credits include Elsa in Frozen Jr. (Hoogland Education Program), Kendra in 13 the Musical (Springfield Theatre Centre), and Evita (The Muni).

Craig Williams II

Artistic Director

Craig fell in love with the arts at an early age and has shared his passion with the Springfield community for more than 20 years. As a director, he led the Springfield High School theater department through 8 years of growth in student involvement, program enrichment, and production quality,  culminating in the receipt of the Kevin Lehman award for outstanding leadership service in extra-curricula.

Craig has directed, acted, and designed for more than 75 productions through the Springfield Theatre Centre (STC), Springfield High School (SHS), The Muni, and the Hoogland Center for the Arts. He has also served as a member of several nonprofit boards including STC, Springfield Area Arts Council, Springfield Urban League, Copper Coin Ballet, and most recently as President of The Muni Board of Managers. 

In his full-time career, Craig works for the State of Illinois SAP team as finance functional expert, and enjoys traveling with his husband, Ryan.

Favorite Theater credits, include: Springfield High School’s All Shook Up, The Wiz, Cats, Hairspray, and Ragtime; Snow White, 9 to 5, and Chicago at STC; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Wiz, The Last Five Years, and Songs for a New World at Hoogland Center for the Arts; and Disney’s High School Musical, Hairspray, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Dreamgirls, Disney & Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins, EVITA, and The SpongeBob Musical for Muni.