Director of Publicity and Promotions

Alice Rainey Berry
145 Theatre Building
(901) 678-3184

Alice Rainey Berry earned her BFA in theatre performance from the University of Memphis in 1994. While in college, she was highly influenced by and performed in narrative theatre projects including As I Lay Dying, which was performed at the International Faulkner Conference, and Mississippi Stories, which toured for two weeks in France. After graduating, she returned as a guest performer in the world premiere of Terry Tempest William's Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place that was performed for the Tempest family and for which Alice won a Memphis Theatre Award.

 In 1995 Alice co-founded Voices of the South (VOTS), a professional narrative theatre company dedicated to exploring the world of literature, creating new works, producing educational and innovative theatre for young audiences and fostering collaborations in the community. Alice co-created and performed in Why I Live at the P.O., and The Window, which toured to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1996; Twenty Will Not Come Again and Listening which toured to the Fringe in 1997 and to the International Faulkner Conference; Humming Song, The Contest, Weeds, The Ugly Duckling, and Vistas all of which continue to tour into schools and theatres across the country. Alice counts the company's creation and performance of Place of Enchantment at the foot of the Grand Tetons a highlight of their collaborative work.

The VOTS original children's musical, Sid and the Magic Box, gave Alice the great privilege and honor of sharing the stage with her son, Alex. Alice has worked in schools as an aesthetic teaching artist for many years and is currently an MFA directing candidate at the U of M. Voices of the South is currently working on a project commissioned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the National Arctic Wildlife Refuge.

The project, Wild Legacy, is a compiled script based on the writings of Olaus and Mardy Murie. The script focuses primarily on Mardy Murie’s book, Two in the Far North. The project is set to premiere in Fairbanks, Alaska in December and then tour the lower 48 states throughout 2011-12.