The thing that brings Gretchen joy is working collaboratively with like minded creatives. DOTS was born out of a desire to play and create. Now, several years later, we have learned many lessons from producing work for the DOTS Fringe Festival in Springfield and other Fringe Festivals around Missouri (and soon the world!). We continue growing to support original theatre through playwriting and collaborative devising.  So much bubbling over  joy!

In the role of Dr. Teague, Gretchen recently retired as the International Baccalaureate Theatre teacher at Central High School in Springfield, Missouri after 25 years. Although she is retired from Springfield Public Schools, you can still find her in the classroom sharing the joy of learning at SLT Academy, Drury University, and through devising classes with DOTS.

Teague holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts  in Theatre from Missouri State University, a Masters in Education from Drury University, and an Education Doctorate in Instructional Leadership from Lindenwood University. Recently, Teague continued to feed her curiosity and creativity by completing a Masters Certificate in Puppetry Arts through University of Connecticut.

As a theatre practitioner, Teague has produced 25 years worth of musicals and plays at Central High School and collaborated with local theatre organizations including High Tide Theatrical, Springfield Contemporary Theatre, and Springfield Little Theatre. Through all of these productions, Teague wears multiple hats including director, designer, performer, producer, and supporter. 

Most importantly, she is passionate about creating original theatre, exploring characters physically, ensemble building, writing, researching, and the power of laughter and story.  After completing her dissertation, “The Relationship between Creativity and Enrollment in Fine Arts and IB Courses,” Teague continues to ask questions surrounding the impact of creative thinking on learners and how creative thinking is fostered through inquiry and other pedagogical approaches. Continued action research has provided opportunities for Teague to publish the original multi-modal poem, “Infinity Man”,  and a co-written article, “Feeding the Soul and Heeding the Echo: Building Education Leaders Inside Out,” for the English Journal. In addition, collaborative research between Teague and a former student led to the article, “Quantifying Laughter in Theatre Class,” which was featured in the IB Diploma Programme blog.  

Above all, Gretchen is the incredibly proud mother of Haley, Zachary, and Charlie, dog mom to Butterbean, and wife to Shawn. Just give her a moment to brag on any and all of these humans and she will take it!

Taylor is a Springfield native and theatre-maker thrilled to join the DOTS company for a second year. She finds joy in crafting original work that invites wonder, laughter, and reflection—and feels deeply grateful to collaborate with artists who share a love for bold, imaginative storytelling. She can’t wait for audiences to witness the show that this ensemble has built with care, spirit, and a whole lot of heart. She’d like to give special thanks to Nathan for his unending support. 

What a hoot! Bennett Derossett, was cradled in the lovely city of Springfield, Missouri. Tumbleweeds stopped a’ blowin’ when he came round to the DOTS center in ‘24 as an Assistant Director takin those folks by storm, he was initiated into their bomb-diggity ensemble come the new year. Good Ol’ Gretchen Teague showed him the howling roots of Theatre in his Drama 1 class and has inspired him since. His bumblin’ heart grows with fortune as he looks to his left… and to his right… at those in the group he has grown to love dearly. His skin is raptured with excitement and thankfulness for this new season of enlightenment for the theatrics and more through this strange and lovely process.

The eloquent Arsen Baker reigns from a little town named Springfield, Missouri. Theatre has been their muse since the year twenty and thirteen. Having taken a liking to such creative ambitions their fingers have grapple and entangled themselves into academic and municipal means of stagecraft and works of the sort with Springfield Little Theatre and Necrobroth to name a few.

Their passion for devising stems from a love for storytelling, sharing emotions, and a love for creating.  As long as they could recall, they’ve had a knack for creating, whether it be theatre, drawing, singing, dancing, or writing, Arsen knows what their heart desires, creating.

Anaya is a DOTS Ensemble fellow. She hails from Richland Hills, Texas but is now stationed in Springfield, Missouri at Central High School. Creatively, she is tied to theatre both local and at her establishment of education. She is also interested in music composition and directing. The DOTS company summoned her as ways of expanding their reach. She found enlightenment in the way they cultivated the inner-workings of her brain through improvisation, building, and writing techniques that will further her development in this scope. Personally, she loafs with her feline companions, participates in solo mukbangs, and sleeps.

C.C. Myers is from Springfield Missouri. She plays Clarinet and T. Sax. She started theatre in 8th grade and kept doing stuff because it was fun.She does devising for the same reason.

Aubrey comes from Springfield, Missouri. She has a Bachelor of Music Education in Voice from Drury University in Springfield, MO (2016). She completed a teaching assistantship in Choral Conducting with Dr. R. Paul Crabb at the University of Missouri (MU) in 2019 and a teaching assistantship in Vocal Performance with Prof. Steven Tharp (MU) in 2022. She has been an adjunct faculty member at Ozarks Technical Community College since 2019 and teaches music history, choir, and voice. In addition to her work at OTC, Aubrey teaches a private voice studio at Palen Music Center and is music director for the Springfield Catholic Schools theater department. She studies voice with professional soprano Jennifer Forni and most recently sang the role Sandra Bloom in Springfield Contemporary Theatre’s production of Big Fish, the role of Mrs. Potts in Springfield Little Theatre’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and also covered the role of Donna Elvira in Ozarks Lyric Opera’s production of Don Giovanni.

Aubrey is excited to work with Devising Original Theatre Springfield to create new works and innovate existing material for modern audiences.

A graduate of Central High School in 2025, Keilei joined the DOTS ensemble for the workshop performance of Another Life Story and continues to perform and create with DOTS regularly before heading off to University in the fall.  She is passionate about dance and physical theatre 

She was recently seen as Persphone in Hadestown: Teen Edition, Veruca in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Old Man and the Old Moon, and How to Succeed in Business at Central High School.  She also performed in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Springfield Little Theatre and Big Fish with Springfield Contemporary Theatre.