2026 Region I-6A Academic Meet

Rena Cook

Tulsa, Ok.

Oklahoma City University

Professor Emeritus

Rena Cook is Professor Emeritus at the University Of Oklahoma School Of Drama. She also teaches voice at OCU and at the University of Houston on the summer MA for Theatre Educators. She has served as voice and dialect coach for over one hundred shows including Cosi, The Real Thing, The Beauty Queen of Leenane and Richard III. Also a director, her production of Ernestine Shuswap Gets Her Trout, which she co-directed with Matthew Ellis, performed at the national KCACTF in 2008. Rena holds an MA in Voice Studies from the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, an MFA in directing from the University of Oklahoma. She is the author of 4 books on voice including Voice and the Young Actor: Workbook and DVD, published by Methuen Drama. Her workshops "Tour the US in Dialects" and "Voice in Action" are favorites at Thespian Conferences throughout the US and the UK. Rena has taught lawyers, politicians, and teachers to use the voice more effectively though her corporate business, Vocal Authority.

Travis Springfield

Houston, Texas

Independent

Retired

Travis Springfield graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Acting from Texas State University in 1991. He has been involved with educational theatre for the last 30 years as a classroom teacher, fine arts administrator, director, clinician, contest manager and judge. He worked with the campus UIL OAP production each of the nine years he taught theatre and has advanced to every stage of the contest including three trips to the State competition with a State Championship in 1997. Mr. Springfield is the founding Chair of the Texas Theatre Adjudicators and Officials (TTAO) and past member of the UIL Advisory Committee. He currently serves as Past-President of the Texas Educators of Theatre Association. He has adjudicated at all levels of competition including multiple state contests in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, and 2025. Mr. Springfield previously worked as Dean of Students and Lead Counselor for Houston's Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and served as Manager of UIL Academics for Houston ISD before moving to Fort Bend ISD to become the Assistant Director of Fine Arts for Theatre and Dance where he retired in the summer of 2024. Mr. Springfield also teaches as an adjunct professor for the University of Houston summer Master's program for theatre educators and has taught with the program since it's inception. Keeping busy in retirement, Mr. Springfield works with over a one hundred and fifty one act play companies annually through contest and clinic, coordinates an annual conference with the Arts Schools Network as their conference manager, supports teachers in the classroom as a consultant for the Docentus group, and serves as the TTAO Support person . A product of UIL, Mr. Springfield goal is to make every contest a positive educational experience for all participants.

Sharon Kaye Miller

Arlington, Texas

Independent

Retired

Sharon holds a bachelors degree from Howard Payne University with additional hours from Tarleton State and TCU earned as a charter member of the Granbury Opera House theatre company for 5 seasons. She has degrees in Theatre, Speech Communications, and Education which have led to a 30 year teaching career in forensics and theatre arts. Sharon is proud to have coached debate, as well as all performance based UIL events taking numerous students to state champion levels in Texas. She has directed over 75 plays, musicals, and UIL One Act Play entrees advancing to the regional level 12 times and state contest 5 times. She highly values One Act Play competition due to the enriched inclusion of all participating students as they build self esteem, lifelong friendships, and appreciation of theatre arts through competition and theatre education. In retirement, she stays busy as a director, and costume designer as well as One Act Play adjudicator and clinician. Since certification with TTAO in 2016, she has been honored to adjudicate over 50 contests in UIL OAP and TAPPS. Sharon is currently enjoying her position as a board member and guest director at Theatre Arlington.