Tom Parkhill
Founding Artistic Director
Tom Parkhill is the Founding Artistic Director of the Tennessee Stage Company and one of the longest-serving professional theatre artists and arts advocates in East Tennessee. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Parkhill has worked professionally in theatre since the mid-1970s, with a career encompassing acting, directing, producing, stage management, production management, design, technical theatre and administration. He co-founded the Tennessee Stage Company in 1989, establishing a professional theatre organization dedicated to bringing quality live performance to Knoxville while creating opportunities for regional artists. Under his leadership, the company has developed a particular reputation for Shakespeare and classical theatre while maintaining a strong commitment to new work.
Parkhill’s professional career extends far beyond Tennessee Stage. He co-founded the Strand Street Theatre in Galveston, Texas, and has worked as an actor with numerous regional theatres, including Charlotte Shakespeare, Flatrock Playhouse, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, Playhouse on the Square, South Carolina Repertory Company and Cumberland County Playhouse. His credits also include Manhattan Theatre Club, the Provisional Theatre in Los Angeles, the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston and the Boomershoot Arts Festival in Seattle. He has appeared in feature films, television and radio and has been featured in more than 100 national, regional and local commercials. As a producer and artistic leader, he has overseen the production of dozens of new plays and has produced 29 New Play Festivals and 31 world-premiere plays.
Parkhill has also been an active leader in Tennessee’s broader arts community. He served as Executive Director of the Arts Council of Greater Knoxville and has served on the boards of Tennesseans for the Arts, the Southeastern Theatre Conference and the Tennessee Theatre Association. He served as President of the Tennessee Theatre Association from 1999–2000 and received its Distinguished Service Award in 2012. In 2024, he was honored by the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame with its Award for Outstanding Contribution to East Tennessee Culture and Literacy. After more than three decades at the helm of Tennessee Stage Company, Parkhill continues to champion Shakespeare, new plays, professional artists and the vital role of live theatre in the cultural life of Knoxville and East Tennessee.
By The Numbers
50+ years in professional theatre | 30+ years leading Tennessee Stage | 29 New Play Festivals
31 world premieres | 100+ commercial appearances
H. Caitlin Corbitt
Associate Artistic Director
H. Caitlin Corbitt is the Associate Artistic Director of the Tennessee Stage Company, where she works alongside Founding Artistic Director Tom Parkhill to develop and produce professional theatre in Knoxville, with a particular focus on Shakespeare, new plays and opportunities for East Tennessee artists. A theatre artist with experience as a director, actor, producer, dramaturg and arts administrator, Corbitt has been an integral part of Tennessee Stage’s artistic development for more than a decade. Her work reflects a commitment to both the classical theatrical tradition and the development of new voices for the American stage.
Corbitt has directed numerous productions for Tennessee Stage, including The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Much Ado About Nothing and The Winter’s Tale, while also appearing as an actor in productions including Harvey and Henry IV, Part I. She is deeply involved in Tennessee Stage’s New Play Festival and development programs, working with playwrights as a facilitator and dramaturg and helping shape new works through staged readings, audience feedback and revision. She also maintains the company’s extensive archive of world and regional premieres, documenting Tennessee Stage’s commitment to new work throughout its history.
A graduate of Maryville College, where she earned a degree in theatre, Corbitt has combined her creative work with a strong interest in the practical and collaborative aspects of producing professional theatre. Her philosophy closely aligns with Tennessee Stage Company’s mission of making quality live theatre accessible to the community while providing professional opportunities for regional artists. As the company continues to develop its Shakespeare and new-play programs, Corbitt represents an important bridge between Tennessee Stage’s history and its future—bringing fresh artistic perspectives while helping sustain the company’s longstanding commitment to Shakespeare, new playwrights and the East Tennessee theatre community.