New Staff Spotlight! Casey Mercurio & Kristie Bradshaw
Join us in welcoming our newest staff members: Casey Mercurio, Volunteer & Fundraising Coordinator, and Kristie Bradshaw, Production Associate. Get a glimpse of the energy and ideas they’re bringing to the team in this staff Q&A!
1. What excites you most about stepping into this role?
Casey – Working with people who want to volunteer their precious time to make QCT an amazing experience for the entire community to enjoy.
Kristie – The Production Associate is a new position at QCT. I enjoy the opportunity to be able to help build it from the ground up. Hopefully, I will be able to fill some gaps that might have needed more attention in the past, as well as take some of the tasks off the plates of others in the office.
2. What is one priority you’re focusing on with QCT in 2026, and why is it important to you?
Casey – Off the bat, it is to figure out how I can add to the magic that is QCT. Being able to continue to grow the volunteer programs and sharing with the community that theatre can have a great impact on everyone’s lives is definitely at the top of the list.
Kristie – I think that a big priority is to take care of the stage management team for each production. To be in stage management is fun and rewarding, but full of responsibility, and the vast amount of work that goes into it is largely unseen. I have learned this from my own stage managing opportunities, and I hope to be a supporter and a cheerleader for those folks in the future.
3. What drew you to this position?
Casey – A few years ago, I was dealing with a pretty big change in my life, and my doctors recommended that I try to volunteer somewhere, anyplace where I would feel comfortable, and to get me out of my house. QCT was that place for me. So, to be able to help bring volunteers into this organization just makes my heart and soul happy.
Kristie – I found this position to be very interesting because it encompassed a lot of my favorite things: stage management, project organization, and, of course, my love for community theatre!
4. When you’re not at QCT, where are we most likely to find you?
Casey – I would love to have some big, exciting answer for you, but I am a homebody. So, you would probably find me at home with my husband, Kimo, and our two dogs, Riley and Sasha. We do have four kids, but they are now all out of the house and on their own, so our house is much quieter these days. However, we do get to experience grandparenthood this spring when our first grandbaby is due. But as far as hobbies, I am a collector of hobbies. I get a wild hair and jump into trying something new all the time. The ones that have stuck are watercolor painting, baking, and photography.
Kristie – I enjoy volunteering in various projects in our community, thrift store shopping, and travelling to Culver-Stockton College to watch my daughter perform as the Captain of the CSC Dance Team!
5. If QCT were a character in a theatrical production, how would you describe its personality, and what role do you see yourself playing in its story?
Casey – I love a good analogy. There are so many different ways to look at this question. Today, right now, I am going with A CHORUS LINE —a production about the process behind the production. The raw rough edges being smoothed out by the team working together to find the right fit for cast, crew, and production team. However, each of the cast members gets the chance to reveal a little bit about their own life and struggles, all the while keeping the show’s main purpose of their presence. Each of us leads a different life with different struggles and highlights. But we all come together to bring QCT to life and shine for our community. As far as how I see myself in this story…I see a little bit of myself in so many characters. But I think that all of us are just trying to find our place in the world. We all deserve to be happy, healthy, and get to wear the shiny gold hat!
Kristie – I think that QCT could play the role of Helen Hubbard in MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (and what a great role that is! LOL). QCT gathers people from all walks of life together to work toward a common goal (not murder, of course, but theatrical excellence for our community). My new role as Production Associate will allow me to bring people together as I help the Production Teams find volunteers to fill certain jobs for the backstage crew. This season is full of awesome opportunities…I hope that everyone considers becoming involved!