Producing Artistic Director

Nathanael Fisher also an adjunct theatre professor at University of West Florida and Gulf Coast State College. A Florida native, he received his B.A. in Theatre Studies from Palm Beach Atlantic University and later went on to receive his M.F.A. in Acting at Regent University. Immediately following undergraduate studies his professional career was launched through the Equity Membership Candidacy Program at Jupiter Theatre. Nathanael has had the pleasure of performing on many of the stages throughout Florida, including American Stage, Eckert Theatre Co., Burt Reynolds Theatre, Angel Garden Theatre, Ballet Florida, The Mark II, Riverside Theatre, and Seaside Music Theatre and on stages across the United States. Favorite roles include Chris in "All My Sons," Pete in "Crazy for You," Sohovic in "Damn Yankees," Gerry in "Dancing at Lughnasa," and Rochefort in Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of "The Three Musketeers." As a producer, he has presented two projects at the Orlando International Fringe Festival and founded the Regent Educational Theatre Tour that performed abridged Shakespeare and socially relevant plays for middle and high school students. Nathanael has directed productions of “reasons to be pretty,” “A Christmas Carol,” and “Anton in Show Business” at University of West Florida and adapted and directed “A Christmas Carol” into a three actor play called “A Dickens Christmas” for Emerald Coast Theatre Company as well as directed “Art” and an adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”  He has directed Shakespeare, children’s theatre, theatre for young audiences, and more, as well as taught theatre classes for ages 6 through adult. He is considered an “Actor Combatant” with the Society of American Fight Directors having passed skills proficiency tests in unarmed, broadsword, quarterstaff, and rapier/dagger stage combat. Nathanael lives in Santa Rosa Beach with his wife Anna and twin daughters Mia and Bella and toddler Zoe.

Associate Artistic Director

Anna Fisher is a Destin native and has recently returned to her roots here on the Emerald Coast. She graduated with her B.A. in English Literature from Samford University and went on to receive her Master’s in Theatre Studies from Regent University. Anna enjoys every facet of stage and screen and has become well versed in the art of stage management, directing, production, design, costuming, writing, and teaching. While you may catch her in cameo appearances on ABC Family and the Discovery Channel, she prefers to work behind the scenes. Some of her recent favorite projects includes production designer for the award winning short film "Bama and Fred," designer, costumer, and props master for a stage production of "True West," and resident stage manager for Regent Theatre’s Performing Arts Center. When she’s not busy writing theatre curriculum and teaching young thespians, you can find her relaxing at the beach with her husband Nathanael and their twin daughters Mia and Bella and toddler Zoe.

Photo from Emerald Coast Magazine's Feb/March 2014 issue, photo credit Scott Holstein

Program Manager

Bridgett Bryant   is originally from Chattanooga,TN where she was a graduate of the Professional Actors Training Program and went on to work as the Production Manager and Resident Stage Manager for Chattanooga State. Some past Stage Manager credits include Miss Warren’s Profession, Working the Musical, Moon Children, Xanadu, Somewhere In Between, Love Labour Lost the musical, Once on this Island, Fiddler on the Roof, The Secret Garden, The Telling Project and That Other Woman’s Child. She has also worked as a professional Actor and was apart of The Hooligans Improv Troupe.  She joined ECTC in the Summer of 2017 to as Stage Manager for The Taming of The Shrew, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley, and A Wrinkle in Time. She also worked with ECTC’s Education Classes as  Stage Manager for Treasure Island, Peter Pan, Cinderella Jr, The Addams Family and Aristocats Kids the Musical. When not at the theatre you can find her playing with her sweet dog Ollie.

Educational Programming Instructor

Originally from Orlando, Florida, Darla Briganti attended the University of Florida on a full acting scholarship and received a BFA in 1982. Her career in the entertainment industry spans 30 years where she has worked as an actor, singer, dancer, director, choreographer throughout the southeast. Her most treasured roles to date include the title roles in The Unsinkable Molly Brown and Mame, as well as Mama Rose in Gypsy and most recently on the ECTC stage as Dorothea in Eleemosynary.

In addition to her professional acting career, "Miss" Darla founded her own award-winning youth acting troupe, Our Gang Players, which gave her a chance to share her passion with the next generation of theatre enthusiasts. Upon moving to the Emerald Coast she immediately began working for Oz Children's Theatre where she had a successful 8-year run, directing over 30 productions with young actors ages 4 - 18.

Currently, Miss Darla is in her second year with ECTC's educational theatre programs and also enjoys teaching professional film acting to students of all ages at her acting school, A Class Act Studio in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Many of her current and past students are successfully pursuing their careers in larger markets including Atlanta, New Orleans, New York, and Los Angeles.

Set Designer, Actress, Educational Instructor

Rebeca Lake is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University of Mobile where she teaches a wide variety of theatre classes, designs sets, and is production manager for the season. Her collegiate education began at Northwest Florida State College and continued in 2009 to receive two Bachelor Arts from the University of Mobile, in Theatre and one in Music. She recently graduated with her MFA in Technical Theatre with an Emphasis in Scenic Design, during which time her design work was nominated for and received award from Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. She is delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with Emerald Coast Theatre Company.