Meet the Director: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Cary Players is excited to spotlight the Director of its upcoming production, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. For tickets and other information, please visit the show page.

Amanda Jenkins, Director

Amanda Jenkins moved to Cary in January 2023, from a very small countryside village in England. Having always been active in theatre, she reached out to the Cary Arts Center seeking opportunities to become involved in youth theatre and education in her new home area.

Back in England, she taught drama in local schools and ran her own Saturday morning and holiday theatre workshops out of a cozy 120-seat theatre. A highlight of her teaching career is having her senior workshop class selected to work and perform with the National Theatre as part of their Connections program. 

In addition to teaching, Amanda also worked for the National Health Service as a Child Development Practitioner, specializing in play therapy and support for children (and their families) being assessed for or having a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and other neurodiverse disorders. She is passionate about making creative drama accessible to all and feels lucky to have worked with, and learnt from, so many diverse young people. Amanda trained with LAMDA and New Era, and also has a degree in Early Childhood Education.

In her spare time, Amanda loves exploring the beautiful NC parks, mountains, beaches and trails. She enjoys live music, dancing, reading, yoga, and spending time with her husband of 32 years, Jeff. She has 2 wonderful adult kids who are still in the UK, Ben & Robyn, and visits them and other friends and family back in England regularly.

As part of the Cary Arts Center’s theatre team, Amanda has directed two mainstage musicals, Matilda and Tuck Everlasting, as well as teaching many summer camp classes. She is very excited to be working with the Cary Players!