ABOUT SHINE PERFORMING ARTS STUDIO

THEATRE WITH EXCELLENCE AND HEART

MISSION

The mission of Shine is to enrich the lives of North Texas families through excellent performing arts education and family-friendly theatre in a faith-based environment.

VISION

Our vision is that every child, regardless of background, will have the opportunity to shine through the performing arts.

OUR STORY

Shine was established in 2015, by Founder and Executive Director, Claire McNeill. Claire’s deep interest in the intersection of faith and the arts, and background in community development led her to create a new kind of theater that could be a safe haven for youth in Plano, TX. From very humble beginnings, this dream has been realized beyond Claire’s expectations and continues to grow today. We are now launching our first capital campaign to build a state-of-the-art facility to pave the way for future generations of students.

OUR VALUES

We are a community of people who happen to do theatre together.

Our leaders use Shine as a platform to share the love of God through the performing arts. We believe that love comes from God, but to be clear – you do not have to share our beliefs to belong here. Everyone is welcome at Shine.

We don’t participate in “resume building” or talent agency culture and believe that such pursuits not only rob young performers of authentic relationships and experiences, but also become ineffective in skill building. Our mission will never be to produce stars. However, we do have a dedication to artistic excellence because we love theatre! As a result, we see all of our students gain life-changing confidence and many develop professional-level performance skills.

We cannot promise that every student is going to get a lead role here. That’s not our measure of success. But we can promise that our students will be challenged to be ethical leaders with character, grace, and kindness."

“LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE OTHERS, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.”

MATTHEW 5:16

MEET THE TEAM

Claire McNeill

FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Claire McNeill began her career working in churches, gaining experience in arts education, community development, and volunteer culture, while establishing herself as a respected children's minister. As the Founder and Executive Director of Shine, Claire is known as a visionary leader, talented director, and truth-telling mentor to our students. Claire is a proud alumni of Texas Christian University and Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.
Alvaro Carranza

TEACHING ARTIST
Alvaro has dedicated his career to helping children with their dance technique. As a professional Actor, Alvaro specializes in physical comedy and Spanish accent. He is certified in Acting, singing, and dancing and earned his degree in Acting and Musical Theater Performance from KD Conservatory here in Dallas, Texas.
Margie Lootens

TEACHING ARTIST
Margie has worked in the dance industry for 40 years, gaining experience in tap, jazz, ballet and musical theater. As a seasoned instructor, she is passionate about advancing her student’s dance education, mentoring and inspiring her students in all aspects of their lives. In addition to teaching, she is also involved in choreography, teaching adult classes, and private lessons. Outside of the dance studio, Margie enjoys reading and spending time with her family and friends.
Catie Blencowe

RESIDENT LIGHTING DESIGNER
Catie has worked in the theatre industry since 2010 as a Lighting Designer, Scenic Designer, and Stage Manager. As a theatre practitioner, Catie’s drive is to help tell the stories that playwrights have created as well as keeping a production on track. In addition to her work with Shine, she is also a college professor and a small business owner. Outside of the office, Catie enjoys reading book, spending time with friends, and playing with her puppies Athena and Tucker.