Our Team
Taylor Knuppel, Artistic Director
Taylor Knuppel (Mrs. K) serves as the Artistic Director & is one of the founders of Trussville Children’s Theater. She has taught music in all forms (general music, theater, choir, etc) for 5 years. Taylor graduated from the University of Alabama in May 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Instrumental Music Education & is set to receive her Master’s Degree in May 2025 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Other certifications & credits include Orff-Schulwerk Level I (2021) & II (2022) certificates, Alabama Music Educators’ Association Elementary Festival Director (2023-present), & Musical Director for “Seussical the Musical” at the Actor’s Charitable Theater (2018). In her free time, Mrs. K likes to spend time with her husband, Mr. K, & their daughter, Emerson Jo (“JoJo” - 3).
Mitchell Knuppel, Executive Director
Mitchell Knuppel (Mr. K) serves as the Executive Director & is one of the founders of Trussville Children’s Theater. He is currently a software engineer for Southern Company. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from The University of Alabama as well as a Master of Science degree in Management Information Systems from Auburn University. Additionally, he is pursuing his Master of Business Administration degree at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Mitchell was heavily involved in the arts throughout school, participating in both state and national level competitions.
Heather Cantwell, Music Director
Heather Cantwell serves as the Music Director for Trussville Children’s Theater & is currently in her 26th year of teaching choral music in the state of Alabama and her 16th year as the Choir Director at Liberty Park Middle School in Vestavia Hills, Alabama where she was named the 2015-2016 Rotary Teacher of the Year. Mrs Cantwell was named the 2022-2023 Alabama Music Education Association’s (AMEA) Music Educator of the Year and the 2023-2024 Dr. Thomas R. Smith Award for Excellence in Choral Music from the Alabama Chapter of ACDA. Originally from Hoover, Alabama, Mrs. Cantwell received a stellar music education from a very young age. She credits Amanda Klimko and Diana Mayhall with instilling in her a deep love of singing and for encouraging her to become a music teacher. She holds a BME and a MME from the University of Montevallo where she studied with Dr. Michael Meeks and the late Dr. Robert E. Wright Jr. Mrs. Cantwell has taught choral music at both the high school and the middle school levels but considers teaching middle school singers her passion. She lives in Trussville, Alabama where her most important jobs are wife of 25 years to Bard and mom to their three children Connor (22), Cameron (19) and Kate (10).
Catherine Byram, Choreographer
Catherine Byram serves as the Choreographer for Trussville Children’s Theater & is a 5th grade math and science teacher at Mountain Brook Elementary! Throughout her 20 years of dancing, she performed with companies in Montgomery, Birmingham, and Italy. Catherine has performed in productions such as “The Nutcracker”, “Les Sylphide”, and “Sleeping Beauty”. She has choreographed for Birmingham dance companies as well as various school musicals including “Les Miserables”, “The Music Man”, and “Fiddler On The Roof”. She has taught ballet, jazz, and modern dance for 7 years and loves inspiring young dancers and performers to pursue the arts.
Heather Sims, Stage Manager
Heather Sims serves as the Stage Manager at Trussville Children’s Theater. Heather has worked with children in various capacities for 17 years. Music and theater is a big passion for her starting back in middle school band and then onto playing in the high school Symphonic, marching and jazz bands as well as in the orchestra for several different musicals. She has served as Stage Manager in “Pirates the Musical” and “Willy Wonka Kids” at Paine Elementary School. Heather loves watching the shows come together and seeing the children have a blast on stage and off. She loves seeing the bonds formed within the cast and is very excited to see the great things that TCT will achieve in our community.