deLoache ’09 leads a center-stage alumni reunion with upcoming production

April 30, 2026

Her job’s not a joke, she’s not broke (yet), and her love life’s not DOA, but Lena deLoache ’09 is set to produce a play reimagining television’s most iconic comedy as the world’s greatest tragedy.

“M.A.C.B.E.T.H.” draws inspiration from “Friends,” the ’90s sitcom about six young adults navigating the hardships of middle age and the tests of friendship, to retell Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” As the play’s producer and production manager, she’s drawing on the hands-on academic and career-readiness experience she gained as a theatre performance major—as well as the strengths of the Columbus State alumni network.

Selected for a residency and debuting at Georgia’s Art Farm at Serenbe on May 8, “M.A.C.B.E.T.H.,” written and directed by Erin Stegeman, is “a diabolical show with laughs, blood and a running commentary on aging, love and loss, and technology’s role in our lives,” according to deLoache. Stegeman has explained that a sitcom wasn’t intended to be the backdrop for their Shakespearean adaptation, but while binge-watching “Friends” as her go-to comfort show, Stegeman said, “the two [storylines] just started to merge, and this really unique parody-thriller came out of that.”

“M.A.C.B.E.T.H.” is set in modern-day Manhattan and reunites us with Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Monica and Chandler several years after the series finale. It also reunites deLoache with a talented group of fellow Columbus State alumni and former classmates involved in the cast and crew: Samantha Hughes Ireland ’09 (theatre performance), who plays “Rachel” and appeared in the 2024 blockbuster “Twister”; Adam Archer ’06, a theatre education graduate portraying “Ross” and known for roles in Progressive Insurance’s “Dr. Rick” commercials and at the Springer Opera House; and Jono Davis, a performer, director and executive director of the Georgia Theatre Conference who attended Columbus State and is serving as the production’s stage manager. Props and costume designs are also drawn from the Columbus State alumni talent pool.

“It really feels like a wonderful artistic reunion, and I think a great example of Columbus State graduates using their skills from college—along with their networking relationships—to create something very special,” deLoache explained. “The first people I reached out to were fellow Cougars. We know each other’s work ethic, and we know we can rely on one another to deliver excellence.”

Adam Archer '06 (“Ross”) rehearses lines with Virginia Elliot (“Phoebe”)

The production has also enabled the group to reunite with Christopher Dills ’08, a faculty lecturer in the Department of Theatre & Dance. Dills, one of deLoache’s classmates before earning his BFA in theatre design and technology in 2008, is supervising the creation of props.

Leveraging her academic versatility in corporate, theatre settings

During her student years, deLoache broadened her theatre skills at the Springer Opera House, beginning as a student, then interning, and remaining for several years after graduation in roles such as actor, stage manager, and later in marketing and fundraising. After relocating from Columbus to Los Angeles, she pursued arts-related roles, including nonprofit fundraising with the Center Theatre Group, as well as writing, directing, acting and producing. These experiences eventually paved the way for a senior creative position at the massive toymaker company Mattel.

She explained that her career reflects adaptability and versatility developed through her training in the performing arts, which can be advantageous to students regardless of their future career paths.

“My theatre education at Columbus State wasn’t just about learning how to be an actor. It was about learning how to be a professional,” she explained. “You learn how to show up, how to collaborate under pressure, and how to take a vision from a script to a fully realized production. Those are high-stakes environments, and they prepare you for anything the professional world can throw at you.”

Supporting a production that channels Chandler as the title character of Macbeth may seem worlds apart from deLoache’s Mattel days, pitching and marketing everything from Polly Pocket to Hot Wheels. deLoache, however, sees a direct line between her degree and her daily responsibilities in each role.

“When I first moved into corporate work, people would ask, ‘What does theatre have to do with this?’ and my answer was always: ‘Everything,’” she said. “At Mattel, I was telling stories. Whether working on a brand presentation or managing a production timeline, I’m using the same production mindset I learned at CSU. I’m looking at the big picture, managing moving parts and ensuring the ‘audience’—the customer in the store or the spectator in the theatre—has a seamless experience.”

In rehearsals with Sam Ireland '09 (“Rachel,” left), Virginia Elliot (“Phoebe,” right) and Patric Palkens (“Chandler,” background)

As for defining what a “producer” does, she said: “It’s unique to every single production or project… I’m anything [the cast and crew] needs. Producers are problem-solvers. We try to anticipate the needs of our creatives and our productions, and we try to fill all those needs in the most effective, responsible way possible.”

She credited her current position to the directing responsibilities and practical hands-on experience gained through the program, which involved her in every part of a production—from set, prop, and costume design to stage management.

“I interface with every layer of theatre production, and that was something really important when I was at Columbus State—understanding every single aspect of how we get these productions on their feet,” she explained.

deLoache’s story highlights the versatility of a performing arts education. She encourages current students to view their theatre training as a “universal key” that can unlock future career opportunities.

“My advice to students sitting in those Columbus State classrooms today is to realize that you are being trained for more than just a curtain call,” she shared. “You are learning how to be a problem solver. Don’t be afraid to pivot. Your theatre degree makes you a unicorn in the corporate world because you know how to communicate, how to empathize and how to get the job done when the curtain goes up.”

She summed it up more succinctly by quoting the late actor, director and Springer Theatre Academy founder Ron Anderson, who often touted the concept of acquiring “life skills through stage skills.”

“M.A.C.B.E.T.H.” runs through May 17 at the Art Farm at Serenbe. Located in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, it is about 30 to 35 miles southwest of downtown Atlanta. Follow the production on Instagram.

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Photos courtesy of Lena deLoache

Media contact:  Michael Tullier, APR