Staff and Board

Meet the Executive Staff

• Read Executive Artistic Director Joel Mercier's Bio

  Joel Mercier (Executive Artistic Director), a NH native, has worked all over the country at notable theaters such as the Goodspeed Opera House in CT, Northern Stage in VT, the Idaho Shakespeare Festival in ID, the Great Lakes Theatre and Playhouse Square in OH, American Music Theatre and Center for the Arts in PA, and NYC’s Duplex, Westbeth Off-Broadway & Nokia Theatre Times Square. Prior to returning to NH part time in 2010, Mercier started his career in NYC as a professional Equity Actor, but quickly found himself working all facets of the dramatic arts, including vocal coaching, music direction, composition, orchestration, arts administration, and stage direction.

  As an Artist, Mercier has been seen on stage in hundreds of famous character roles, in the orchestra pit conducting all over the country, and behind the scenes directing bold interpretations of well-known works as well as new pieces. An award winning composer and playwright, Mercier has written several musical adaptations including Ghost Hunting, which premiered in NH at the NH Theatre Factory, A Christmas Carol which can be seen annually in NH at the Palace Theatre, and a plethora of fairy tale musicals which are performed throughout New England.

  Locally, Mercier has worked with the Palace Theatre, the Winnipesaukee Playhouse, Dartmouth College where he was a Guest Artist for four years, New London Barn Playhouse where he was Artistic Associate for seven, Saint Anselm College where he was the Director of Musicals for five, and of course NCCA where he directed Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Always Patsy Cline, Titanic, Cinderella, The Sound of Music in Concert at Loon, Clue the Musical, Cabaret, and our annual production of A Christmas Carol, the Musical Ghost Story.

• Read Business & Development Manager Shelly Willis Fawson's Bio

  Shelly Willis Fawson (Business & Development Manager) was first introduced to NCCA as a child and became a volunteer in 1993 when performances were still in the old Papermill Theatre. She earned her BFA in musical theatre from the Hartt School of Music and has worked as an actor in regional theatres all over the country, including Goodspeed Opera House, The Hanover Theatre, Westchester Broadway Theatre, Civillians NYC, Dorset Theatre Festival, The Great American Melodrama and Artspower National Touring Co.

  While living and auditioning in NYC, she was also a part of the team that brought Lululemon to the United States, introducing the then unknown brand to the city via gorilla marketing, community connections and publicity stunts. She saw the company through their successful IPO and helped expand the market to the tri-state region and beyond.

  When her husband was relocated to New Hampshire, Shelly started working in the Boston film and commercial industry where she can be seen in countless national and local commercials and is still a spokesperson for Bank of America’s Merrill Edge. She also started a family and was asked to join the team at the birthing center where she had her son, helping them to transition the business from a small midwifery group into a robust practice with multiple freestanding birthing centers. During this time, Shelly returned to NCCA as an actor at Jean’s Playhouse. Most recently, she has been seen as Rosie in Mamma Mia! and the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Shelly enjoys splitting her time between her homes in Lincoln and Milford, NH, and spends her free time hiking and snowboarding with her family.

• Read Production Stage Manager Victoria Marshall's Bio

  Victoria Marshall (Production Stage Manager), originally from Austin, TX, began her stage management career the summer before college with Summer Stock Austin’s Tortoise & Hare and went on to major in Technical Theater at High Point University, working every show they produced during her 4 years, including Drowsy Chaperone, Curtains, and Cabaret. After graduation in 2018, she headed to Cripple Creek, CO, famous for wild west melodramas, cowboy casinos, and donkeys. There she was Production Stage Manager and a one-woman tech crew, running lights, sound, projections, and spot light for every show at the Butte Theater’s year-long season, which included Forever Plaid, Always … Patsy Cline, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

  In 2019, she came to NCCA as the summer season’s Production Stage Manager, afterwards working for Boston University’s Wheelock Family Theater as Backstage Deck Captain. The day before beginning rehearsals as an Equity assistant stage manager, the pandemic called the country to a halt. After a time of reflection and moving across the country twice, she returned to NCCA for the 2021 summer season, this time to stay. Some of her favorite NCCA shows include, Hound of the Baskervilles (2019), Titanic (2019), Clue the Musical (2021), and Cabaret (2022). Fun fact: while on contract here at NCCA in 2019, she met mainstage actor John Marshall, quickly became good friends, and a year later, married in a small pandemic wedding. They are both thrilled to be staples at NCCA and working in the beautiful White Mountains year round.

• Read Patron Services Manager Melanie Dixon's Bio

  Melanie Dixon (Patron Services Manager) is happy to be supporting the arts in her second year working with patrons at NCCA. As a Louisiana native, moving to New Hampshire from Texas to be near family (our very own Victoria Marshall) has been a great adventure.

  Melanie has been participating on stage herself in theater for many years including High School (Abigail Adams in 1776), College (Buttercup in HMS Pinafore) and Community Theater (The Boy’s “Mother” – Hucklebee – in The Fantasticks). She is also a songwriter and singer, previously in large church choirs, recently with Pemi Choral Society, and currently joining with the voices at Plymouth UCC Congregational Church.

  She is also a remote, part-time Business Development Manager for Tracy Coffman Financial based in Austin, TX, and has previous experience in health care administration & safety, and served as an Administrative Assistant to church leadership for a large church back in Austin.

• Read Technical Director Andrew Stuart's Bio

  Andrew Stuart (Technical Director & Facilities) is a NH-based theatre professional with extensive experience in Design, Technical Direction, and Arts and Production Management. Before joining NCCA, Andrew was a longstanding Technical Director and Resident Scenic Designer for The Winnipesaukee Playhouse. Other regional theatre credits include work with The Huntington Theatre, The Speakeasy Stage Company, The Lyric Stage, The Boston Conservatory, New England Conservatory, Opera Boston, The Boston Early Music Festival, Commonwealth Shakespeare, New Century Theatre, Chester Theatre, Luna Stage (NYC), Irish Repertory Theatre (NYC), Untitled Theatre Co. #61 (NYC), and The Chocolate Factory (NYC).

Meet the Board