North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department

North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department NLRHS is proud to have a long tradition as one of the largest speech, drama, and dance programs in the state of Arkansas.

NLRHS presents three main stage productions, two dance concerts, a dessert theater night, hosts one of the largest speech and debate competitions in central Arkansas. NLRHS employs 11 incredibly talented faculty and educates approximately 500 students in ALL aspects of the speech, dance, and theater arts. If you live in or around the NLR/Little Rock/Maumelle/Jacksonville area, we would love to have you join us in the audience for an upcoming show.

Meet the creative minds behind the curtain of the North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department Over the next fe...
09/10/2026

Meet the creative minds behind the curtain of the North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department Over the next few days, we’re spotlighting the incredible NLRHS Theatre Arts Department team who are ready to inspire our students and bring exciting shows to life this year!

Today’s Spotlight is on Josh Shipman!

Josh Shipman is an 18-year educator with the North Little Rock School District, spending the last eight years specializing in Technical Theatre at NLR High School. An alumnus of the NLR Theatre program himself—having worked on every fall and spring production throughout his four years as a student—Josh brings a deep passion for the craft back to his alma mater. Today, he teaches Stagecraft I and II, equipping the next generation of technicians with hands-on expertise in backstage work, design, and technical production.

Meet the creative minds behind the curtain of the North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department! Over the next f...
09/09/2026

Meet the creative minds behind the curtain of the North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department! Over the next few days, we’re spotlighting the incredible NLRHS Theatre Arts Department team who are ready to inspire our students and bring exciting shows to life this year!

Today’s Spotlight is on Christen Burke Pitts!

Christen Pitts is the Founder and Director of the Theatre Dance Program and Dance Troupe at North Little Rock High School (where she has taught since 1996) and a Teaching Artist for the Arkansas Arts Council. She holds an M.Ed. from UA Little Rock and a B.A. in Drama/minor in Dance Performance from the University of Arkansas. Her educational honors include the inaugural Argenta Contemporary Theatre Award for Excellence in Arts Education (2019), the Arkansas Arts Council’s Governor’s Arts in Education Award (2012), and Arkansas Communication Theatre Arts Association’s Teacher of the Year (2012). She is the sponsor of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts Chapter at NLRHS.

Outside education, Christen is the Associate Casting Director at The Agency, Inc., casting commercials and SAG-AFTRA films like King Snake (dir. Jeff Nichols), Mouse (dirs. Kelly O’Sullivan & Alex Thompson), Howler, Killing Time, and Good Time Charley and White Knuckle Day (dir. Corbin Pitts). As a professional dancer, actor, and choreographer with 100+ credits, her work spans Damn Yankees (Arkansas Rep), The Shoji Tabuchi Show, The Crystal Gayle Show, Memphis Dance Ensemble, multiple feature and short films, commercials, broadcasts on The Disney Channel and The Family Channel, and choreographer for 15+ musicals at the Argenta Contemporary Theatre.

Christen is an active volunteer/board member in many community arts organizations, including Argenta Contemporary Theatre (Founding Board Member/Secretary/Board Director of Education), Arkansas Dance Network (Co-founder/Treasurer), Untapped, and TeeBoDans, alongside past service with the Acansa Arts Festival, Argenta Arts Foundation, Argenta Downtown Council, and Arkansas Festival Ballet Parent Advisory Board. She is a member of ADN, NDEO, ACTAA, and a Delta Delta Delta alumna.

Christen is married to Kyle Pitts and they are the proud parents of Grace and Corbin, whose acting and film careers they actively support (corbinpitts.com and gracejpitts.com). She is deeply grateful to her family for sharing in her love of the arts.

Happy National Actor’s Day to all of our past, present, and future actors!
09/08/2026

Happy National Actor’s Day to all of our past, present, and future actors!

Meet the creative minds behind the curtain of the North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department! Over the next f...
09/08/2026

Meet the creative minds behind the curtain of the North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department! Over the next few days, we’re spotlighting the incredible NLRHS Theatre Arts Department team who are ready to inspire our students and bring exciting shows to life this year!

Today’s Spotlight is on Chris Klinger!

Chris received a BFA in Acting from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts. He is classically trained; having studied, performed, and directed works such as King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, and Hamlet at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, England. Chris has worked as a professional actor and director for over 15 years, and has served on several boards for different community theaters. He served as a teaching artist at Johns Hopkins University, taught theater for two years at the Appomattox Governor's School for the Arts and Technology in Petersburg, VA, and is in his fourth year teaching at NLRHS.

Chris is a teaching artist at Argenta Contemporary Theatre, providing theatrical instruction for classes and serving as the director for the ACTing UP program. Chris also teaches for the AEGIS summer program focusing on stage combat and Shakespearean studies. Additionally, Chris continues to work professionally as an actor, recently starring in The Three Musketeers with UCA Summer Theatre, and in the films "Good Time Charley", "King Snake", "White Knuckle Day", and "Howler."

Meet the creative minds behind the curtain of the North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department! Over the next f...
09/07/2026

Meet the creative minds behind the curtain of the North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department! Over the next few days, we’re spotlighting the incredible NLRHS Theatre Arts Department team who are ready to inspire our students and bring exciting shows to life this year!

Today’s Spotlight is on Kim Stanley.

Mrs. Stanley teaches Debate I – IV, Personal Communications, and Professional Communications at North Little Rock High School. She has taught for 34 years with 28 of those years in the North Little Rock School District. As a member of the professional organization, Arkansas Communications and Theatre Arts Association (ACTAA), she has had the opportunity to serve on the scholarship committee, nominating committee, Student Congress Committee, and as a parliamentarian for ACTAA State Student Congress. She is currently serving as the communication representative on the ACTAA board of directors. Kim is currently a sponsor for the Young Democrats club which is open to 9 -12 grade students.

The NLRHS Theatre Arts Department is a member of the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) and Kim serves as the primary sponsor for the department. Her teams compete in Forensics and Debate tournaments around the state. Kim has attended the national tournament twice with students who qualified at that level of competition. She works as the Business Director for NLRHS Theatre Productions. During the 2025/2026 school year, Kim was the winner of the ACTAA Theatre Teacher of the Year award, the NLRSD Teacher of the Year award, and the NFHS Outstanding High School Performing Arts Educator State award.

Her hobbies include: reading, watching sports and activities that include her family.

Kim, her husband, and all her children are proud graduates of North Little Rock School District.

🎭 Dancers, singers & performers — check this out!Argenta Contemporary Theatre is offering Fall 2026 classes for students...
09/06/2026

🎭 Dancers, singers & performers — check this out!

Argenta Contemporary Theatre is offering Fall 2026 classes for students interested in expanding their skills in:

🎭 Musical Theatre – Middle & High School
💃 Dance Technique – Ages 16+
🎶 Music Theory – Ages 16+

Classes begin the week of September 14 and wrap up with a showcase on November 6!

💰 Full & partial scholarships + payment plans available
📅 Registration deadline: September 9
📍 Argenta Contemporary Theatre | North Little Rock

Scan the QR code on the pic: https://www.argentacontemporarytheatre.org/fall-classes

Take advantage of a great opportunity to grow your skills outside the classroom! 🎶✨

NLRHS Theatre Arts Teachers joined other Theatre Arts teachers from around the state for three days of Professional Deve...
09/06/2026

NLRHS Theatre Arts Teachers joined other Theatre Arts teachers from around the state for three days of Professional Development at the Arkansas Communication & Theatre Arts Association Fall Convention in Bentonville! It was great seeing so many friends from other programs. We left inspired and filled with ideas for the 26-27 school year!

Meet the creative minds behind the curtain of the North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department! Over the next ...
09/06/2026

Meet the creative minds behind the curtain of the North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department! Over the next few days, we’re spotlighting the incredible NLRHS Theatre Arts Department team who are ready to inspire our students and bring exciting shows to life this year!

Today's Spotlight is on Ms. Crystal Daniels! As a former PCSSD educator, Crystal Daniels is a new addition to the NLRHS Theatre Arts staff. Ms. Daniels is a UCA graduate, having received a Bachelors of Arts in Theatre and another in Film. At NLR, she serves as our Costume Designer and teaches Theatrical Makeup and Costume Design I - II, while also teaching Drama at NLRMS for 7th and 8th graders. As someone who enjoys writing, directing, and acting, she considers herself to be a well-rounded creative and lover of all things artsy. Her acting journey began at nine-years-old and since then have performed works from Moss Hart, David Ives, Toni Morrison, and Sarah Ruhl. Additionally, she has served on and off screen in several short/feature films, one of which she was nominated for best actor at the UCA Film Festival 24'. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, expanding her horizons and learning new skills. Ms. Daniels is so excited to embark on this new journey, working for the North Little Rock School District.

Welcome, Crystal!

Scholarships available!
09/01/2026

Scholarships available!

Many North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department students participated in this workshop at the Argenta Contemp...
09/01/2026

Many North Little Rock High School Theatre Arts Department students participated in this workshop at the Argenta Contemporary Theatre with Elvie Ellis from the Broadway National tour of Hamilton! More classes starting soon! Check them out- scholarships available!!!
https://www.argentacontemporarytheatre.org/fall-classes

Address

101 W 22nd Street
North Little Rock, AR
72116

Telephone

+15017718127

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