My name is Elise Thayn, and I am a first-year MFA Acting Graduate candidate here at UTK. I feel incredibly fortunate for the opportunity to be here, and for the immense warmth and generosity of the Knoxville community.

I come from southern Utah, where I earned my BFA from Southern Utah University, and where I spent several seasons as an actor and educator at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. I’ve taught in sleepaway camps, touring school programs, and juvenile detention centers. Onstage, my credits include Prospero in The Tempest, #00 in The Wolves, and Texas in Cabaret, and – as my first performance on the Clarence Brown stage – Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol. 

My continued desire for growth as a teacher and performer is what has led me here to UTK. I love learning, and I love helping others learn. I’ve only just begun my journey here, and it has already exceeded my wildest expectations. I eagerly await the progress still to come as my peers and I continue to bring connection, enjoyment, and boldness to this incredible work.

www.thaynofcawdor.com