Staff

Bridget Bateman

Owner & Director

Hello Drama Families, I am Bridget Bateman the Director of Drama Kids in North Florida which was established in 2008.

I grew up in Texas and have been in Florida for over 20 years. I attended the University of North Florida where I earned my Bachelor of the Arts degree in Education. I taught all varying ages in my 16 years of being a teacher. I have over 30 years of experience performing with and teaching dance and choir. I absolutely love that I am able to combine my passion of teaching and theatre with Drama Kids. If I have any free time in my life, you will find me in NYC seeing all the Broadway shows I can!

Lauren Melton

Drama & Acting Teacher

Having done commercial work as a child and spending her teen years in a local improv group, Lauren Melton knew her career would involve speaking in front of people.

She graduated from the International Baccalaureate program at Nease High School with an additional degree in Latin American Studies. Next, she attended the University of Florida and obtained a BS in Public Relations/ Journalism and a BA in Theatre.

After crafting a script for a local children’s performance, she discovered her true passions lay in working with children and writing. However, life had other plans. She entered a highly competitive sales program and rose to the rank of ownership. Then, the economy changed, and so did her career.

She moved onto her sailboat and started working with dolphins in the guest/education program and retail departments at Marineland. She kept her performance skills sharp during her sales years by working odd jobs as a hotel manager, insurance saleswoman, jeweler, golf jobs, radio DJ, antique appraiser, pawn shop owner, author, numismatist, consultant, contractor, defense worker, government courier, singer, preschool teacher, coach, youth leader and performing stand-up comedy with the likes of Kevin Hart.

She parlayed this experience into teaching Theatre and Spanish to middle school students. It was during this time that she discovered Drama Kids – and that was 14 years ago. As a teacher, she takes personal pride in reminding children that there are fun and responsible adults who truly hope and believe in the potential and purpose of the next generation. She is high energy and believes the arts can provide a place of healing, inspiration, and acceptance for everyone. She still loves teaching for Drama Kids, and concurrently tutoring and writing investigative history columns for the local newspaper. Maybe one day, she’ll make history, too.

Connie Phillips

Drama & Acting Teacher

Connie has over three decades of experience in early education. She received her Montessori Teaching Certificate in 1990 in Cambridge, MA. Before relocating to St. Augustine, she worked in Montessori schools in San Diego and Cambria, CA.

Connie moved to the area in 2005 to be closer to her granddaughter Bella, who adored Montessori lessons with Grandma Gooky– which became known as Gooky School. Since Connie’s been in North Florida, she has managed a community farmer’s market, worked as an administrative manager for an international tech firm and trained and instructed fellow Montessori teachers.

She wrote a training course for preschool teachers called Creative Expression. She has also taught and led children’s enrichment programs, including Young Rembrandts and, currently, Drama Kids. But what brings Connie the greatest joy is teaching and watching a child’s confidence soar as they learn to do things for themselves that they’ve never done before. Her favorite sound in the classroom is a young person’s voice joyfully proclaiming, “I did it!” She believes in giving children the right tools at the right time to help them thrive developmentally. It is her mission to instill confidence in children of all ages.

Kailey Anderson

Drama & Acting Teacher

Kailey Anderson has been working in the theatre for 15 years as an actor, director, and educator. She received her BFA from NYU Tisch Drama, having studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute and Stonestreet Studios. She was nominated for Best Actress at the Strasberg Film Festival and has recently been in productions at Limelight Theatre, Players by the Sea, and The 5 & Dime Theatre. Kailey is ecstatic to be working with Drama Kids!

Jennifer Logue

Drama & Acting Teacher

Jennifer Logue brings three decades of experience in communications, teaching, and theater to Drama Kids.

As a student, she appeared in numerous school and community stage productions and TV programs, winning several awards in local drama competitions.

After graduating from American University with a degree in communication/ journalism, she embarked on a long career in writing and public relations – but she never lost her love for theater!

As a Sunday School teacher and superintendent, she wrote and directed numerous plays and pageants. She enjoyed watching children develop increased confidence and improve their public speaking and presentation skills – abilities that are so important for future success! She also fostered a love for the arts in her three children, who participated in drama and music programs throughout their school years.

Jennifer has many fond memories of her own theater experiences, and she is so pleased to have an opportunity to “pay it forward” by helping children experience the joy of theater through Drama Kids!

Joey Klockare

Teacher/Marketing and Customer Support

Joey grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where she performed in various school and community theater productions in her youth. After high school Joey moved west and attended the University of San Diego where she graduated with honors with a BA in French and International Relations.

Over the next 20 years, Joey combined her love for education and travel and worked in various roles in international education. Her passion took her to Australia where she met her husband and obtained a Master’s Degree in International Relations.

They returned to the United States and lived in San Diego where they started a family, while occasionally performing community theater productions, when time permitted, such as Little Women and The Carol Burnett Comedy Buffet.

In 2019 Joey and her family moved to Nocatee, where both of kids attend St. Johns County schools. She has been teaching with Drama Kids since 2020. Joey looks forward to another fantastic season with the Drama Kids family!