Tiffany Turner (she/her) is a Florida-born, Mississippi-raised Southern girl. In her former career, she was a healthcare professional (Nurse) for 13 years. Her expertise spanned across home healthcare, pediatrics and geriatrics. She is a community activist in Columbus, MS, where she and her husband have had a youth-based nonprofit organization for the last 10 years where they focus on growing the community through fun and festivals. Tiffany is a voting rights advocate and has assisted with voting rights restoration in both Mississippi and Alabama. She is currently lead organizer of Performing Our Future, a national coalition of 4 delegations (Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, and Wisconsin) where we co-create and share knowledge to collectively own what we make. She enjoys singing, dancing and changing the world one day at a time.

Tommy Anderson (they/she) was raised in the sunshine and the shadows of the Pine Mountain ridge in Shelby Gap, Ky. As a musical and charismatic youth facing unique challenges, Tommy’s passion and energy were brought into focus by Appalshop’s Appalachian Media Institute (AMI) where she learned to tell her stories and appreciate her Appalachian roots and identity in a way she never knew possible. After 5 years at AMI, Tommy left the Appalshop nest, studying Psychology and English at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, theater/performance studies at UVA-Wise, and Old-Time mountain music and art at Mountain Empire Community College. While studying and working in the region, Tommy began teaching for the Wise County Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAMs) Program through Pro-Art Association until advancing to the position of Program Manager/Project Coordinator. While teaching old-time fiddle to school age kids 4-5 days a week in Wise County, Tommy managed booking, coordination, and promotion for a spectrum of fine arts events for Pro-Art, expanded the enrollment of the Wise County JAMs programs, was a mentor, and volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) through the Lonesome Pine Office on Youth in Big Stone Gap, VA. After leaving Pro-Art 6 years later, Tommy came back fully into the Appalshop fold, taking on a number of important duties until she finally nestled in a destined and well-suited spot as Associate Artistic Director for an all-new generation of Roadside Theater.

Tucker Leighty-Phillips (he/him) grew up in Laurel County, Kentucky, where he booked punk rock shows before becoming a road crew member for a number of national touring bands. In 2018, Tucker graduated from Bucknell University with a degree in English Literary Studies after transferring from Harrisburg Area Community College. He returns to Kentucky from Tempe, Arizona, where he recently completed an MFA in Creative Writing and taught undergraduate fiction courses. He hopes his passion for storytelling and narrative will find a place among Appalshop’s Community and empower a larger network of enthusiastic storytellers. 

And a huge thank you to all Roadside ensemble members who have contributed to our collective work.

(in alphabetical order according to last name)

Big Dave Adams, Ken Adams, Larry Adams, Don Baker, Tommy Bledsoe, Amy Brooks, Jerry Calvert, Dudley Cocke, Tamara Coffey, Lana Combs, Anita Craft, Kay Craft, Dee Davis, Angelyn DeBord, Scott Faulkner, Ben Fink, Jeff Hawkins, Jeff Hooper, Zhivko Illieff, Charlie Ingles, Valeria Ison, Rema Keene, Mark Kidd, Jeff Kiser, Ben Mays, Kim Neal Mays, Marsha McIntosh, Nell Meade, Jane Moody, Billy Gene Mullins, Myrtle Mullins, Scott Mullins, Donna Porterfield, Donna Potter, Anna Belle Mullins Puckett, Matt Salter, Dorothy Shaw, Ron Short, Gary Slemp, Nancy Jeffrey Smith, Frankie Taylor, Carol Thompson, Michael (Badhair) Williams, Dudley Wilson, Jack Wright, and Kathy Wright.