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Our Team

Meet Our Administrators

The unparalleled commitment that GSA has to Kentucky’s next generation of young artists is impassioned all year long through the administration.

The GSA administration invests in Kentucky’s young artists every day in the management of fall informational webinars, the application and audition process, the hiring of summer faculty and staff, and multiple alumni showcases and activities.

Based out of Kentucky Performing Arts in Louisville with a state-wide focus, GSA Administration is glad to answer any questions you have and address your concerns and ideas about GSA throughout the year.

Jason Brooks

Director

(502) 562-0100 x401

[email protected]

Brooks’s artistic and professional background includes more than 15 years of experience in the arts, program administration, organizational leadership, and advancing inclusive excellence in education.  As an active performer, Brooks has played with various orchestras and bands throughout the Midwest and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, including the Emporia Symphony Orchestra, Delano Chamber Brass Ensemble, Emporia Municipal Band, University of Kentucky Symphony Band, the Madison County Municipal Band and, most recently, the Georgetown Community Band Ensemble. 

Brooks’s training and performance background in music & higher education provides a diverse and unique approach to the field of performing arts. Brooks holds a master’s degree in Horn performance and a graduate performance certificate in Oboe from Emporia State University. Brooks studied horn with Dr. Jacqueline Kerstetter (Kansas State University), Tess Ziek (Emporia State University), David Bushouse (University of Kansas), and Oboe with Dr. Allen Comstock (Emporia State University), and Dr. William “Bill” Clamurro (Emporia State University).

Paula O. Lockhart

Associate Director

(502) 562-0100 x409

[email protected]

Paula is an active theatre artist in the Louisville community. She holds two bachelor’s degrees from Wesleyan College in Theatre and Communication and an MFA from The University of Louisville. Prior to joining GSA as the Associate Director, she was the Assistant Manager of Visitor Services at The Muhammad Ali Center. An active educator, she teaches at Commonwealth Theatre Center (CTC) and Louisville’s only HBCU, Simmons College of Kentucky. Past performance credits include Bowling for Beginners, A Streetcar Named Desire, Fences, Polaroid Stories, A Molly Whuppie, Red Riding Hood, and This is Not The Play.

Jessica Graham

Program Manager

(502) 562-0100 x412

[email protected] 

Jessica holds a BA in Theatre with a focus in Performing Arts Administration from Western Kentucky University. Prior to joining GSA, she lived in Austin TX and worked at Texas State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance and the Girl Scouts of Central Texas. She has worked at various theatre companies in Maine, New York, Tennessee and California. She has also managed many theatre events including South Eastern Theatre Conference, United Professional Theatre Auditions and Kentucky Thespian Festival.

Samantha Wren Durstock

Alumni Coordinator

(502) 562-0100 x415

[email protected]

Samantha Wren Durstock (she/her) is a theatre artist and educator originally from Edgewood, KY. Spending the last few years in New York City, she has worked behind the scenes with organizations like the Entertainment Community Fund, the Tank, and Music Theatre International; as well as Off Broadway at The Public Theater and SoHo Playhouse. Outside of GSA, you can find her designing lights for performance art pieces across multiple disciplines such as theatre, concerts, and dance. Samantha Wren received a BA in Theatre from the University of Kentucky and MA in Educational Theatre for Colleges and Communities at New York University, where she developed research focused on creating better career pathways for emerging artists.

Natalie Eisert

Program Coordinator

(502) 562-0100 x408

[email protected]

Natalie (she/her) is an alumna of GSA’s 2015 Musical Theatre program and has worked on GSA summer staff both as an RA in 2019 & 2020 and as an administrative intern in June 2022. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Western Kentucky University, where she also found a passion for stage management and served as President of the Mu Lambda chapter of Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Honor Society. In 2025, she also completed the Emerging Leader's Program with the Young Professional's Association of Louisville. She is thrilled to be a member of the full-time admin staff as the GSA Program Coordinator to continue supporting the young artists of Kentucky!

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