Regina Neville. Photos: Valley View Middle School Thespians
Theater director focuses on transformative student experiences.
For the last five years, Regina Neville has been at the helm of Edina’s Valley View Middle School (VVMS) Thespians. She has steered students through the choppy waters of adolescence, stage fright and even COVID-19. This spring, Neville oversaw her last VVMS Thespians production, The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition.
“The plot is kindness saves the world,” Neville says.
John Schenk as Mr. Krabbs, Danyal Choudhry as SpongeBob and Julia Farah as Pearl in The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition at the Edina Performing Arts Center.
It was a fitting theme for her to say goodbye as she prepares to tackle a new role, this time as grandma. “It was a very difficult decision,” Neville says, of retirement. “But I need to be present for a different set of kids.”
Neville, who previously taught in the Edina Public Schools District and served on the Edina School Board until December 2023, leaves the middle school theater program in good shape, but the bar appears to be set incredibly high for her successor. There is no end to the accolades for what Neville has done in her time with VVMS Thespians.
“Even if you are Background Character No. 15, Mrs. Neville will never let you forget how important you are to the show and how amazing you are as an individual,” Clara Johnson says. Now a 10th grader at Edina High School, she worked on five productions with the VVMS Thespians and had the lead role as Belle in the 2023 spring musical, Beauty and the Beast Jr.
“Mrs. Neville has taught me … that it is not the size of the role that matters, but it is the person playing it,” says Evan Le, a 10th grader who also appeared in five productions. “[She] taught me to strive to be the best in any role and to leave it all on the stage.”
Tony Matthes had just retired from 21 years as Edina High School’s theater director when he was lured back into the theater world to work as Neville’s assistant director. “She’s wonderful,” he says. “She focuses on the experience for the student. Serve the students, serve the audience … She’s a champion for the middle school child.”
Broadway Background
Neville first became involved with VVMS Thespians when her three children got into theater. “It was a great experience for them,” she says. “I volunteered quite a bit.” She got the call to lead them in 2019. Her kids, remembering their own positive experiences, encouraged her to take on the role.
Theater is something Neville has loved since she was a little kid. “Theater and education are two things I’ve been drawn to,” she says.
The Iowa native double majored in theater and education while at the University of Northern Iowa. She went on to get her MFA in stage management from the Yale School of Drama, which led to a role as assistant stage manager for Broadway productions of A Walk in the Woods and Ah, Wilderness!.
Neville later worked with the PlayMakers Repertory Company at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and was the managing director for the Marin Theatre Company in the San Francisco Bay area for seven years. As a result, she strongly believes that every role, both on and off stage, is critical to a production’s success. Neville focuses just as much on the technical aspects of the show as she does on the acting.
“She puts more emphasis on tech than anyone I’ve seen,” Matthes says. “Those kids in tech feel seen.”
A Place to Grow
Creating an environment that makes the students feel like part of a community has been key to Neville’s success. “Theater family is definitely the goal,” she says. “Everybody matters. Everybody makes a difference.”
She says students who have ownership in the production make for a successful show and a great overall experience. “Once we get to the show, students are running it,” she says. “They have support, but they are running it.”
And the results linger long after the show closes. “She taught me how to fill a space,” Danyal Choudhry says. The ninth grader worked with Neville on five productions and was most recently cast as the lead role in The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition. “The more I was on stage, the more I came out of my shell. I felt like I could be myself,” Danyal says.
Gabby Mackey as Karen and Ava Mehta as Plankton in The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition.
“She is a great leader and is excellent at bringing out the best in each actor,” Milo Deets says. The 10th grader spent three years with VVMS Thespians. “She has taught me how to improvise, how to think on my feet and most importantly, how to work with a variety of people,” Milo says.
“The most important thing I was taught was how to be an exceptional human,” Clara says. “She teaches every student what it takes to be a great thespian and a great person, too. The passion she has for what she does is unmatchable.”
