Raine Hicks Wheeler

is a Web Designer, Graphic Artist, professional musical theatre actor, Projected Imagery and Video Designer who has been performing and teaching in the Memphis theatre community and school system for the past fifteen years and recently relocated to Natchitoches, LA.

My Story

In 1993, I received a B.F.A. in Music Education from the University of Memphis. After college, I wasn’t quite ready to grow up, so I paid the rent working as a Vegan cook in a health food restaurant and was the lead singer of the rock band, “Simple Souls” from 1992-1998. As a band, we started doing Rock Musicals with the local Professional Regional Theatre Playhouse on the Square. I fell in love with the theatre, so I made the move to full-time actor. I’ve performed in numerous musicals, some of my favorites being, “The Rocky Horror Show”, “The Who’s Tommy”, “Hair”, “Schoolhouse Rock! Live!” and “Bat Boy! The Musical”. I toured the Midwest with “For A Good Time Theatre” Children’s Theatre Company as an Actor, Road Manager and Stage Manager. While on the road, I was poor and hungry (Actors don’t really make loads of money!) so in the Fall of 2000, I decided to “fall back” on that Music Education degree my dad insisted I get and started teaching music in the Memphis City Schools by day…and continued doing theatre by night. In 2001, I performed with Loop Productions in “Vacant, Facing the Tower”, my first venture into Modern Dance. In 2006, I decided to join Project: Motion Dance Company, and performed in “Metallurgy”, “Pre-sent, Pres-ent 2006″, “Emerge” and “Muscle Memory”. Unfortunately, I suffered a knee injury that benched me for a little while, so I served as Production and Stage Manager for “Bouncing Off!” and Stage Manager/Video Designer for “Pre-sent, Pre-sent 2007″ Fortunately, I liked the technical side of things and started expanding my abilities as a technical designer for live performance, continuing my Video design work in “Pre-sent Present 2008″ and “Pre-sent, Pres-ent 2009″, “Matrix”, “Emerge 2″ and “eMPHasis on Blue”. With my new found love for all things technical, I took over Project: Motion and Sheffield Elementary’s (where I taught music, theatre and dance) website.

My Life Now

I married the most amazing man in the summer of 2009! At the time he was the lighting designer at Playhouse on the Square and I met him doing theatre. He recently got hired at NSULA, Northwestern State University in Louisiana, as the Asst. Lighting Design Professor. I quit my teaching job, waved goodbye to my friends and we moved to Natchitoches in time for the 2010-2011 school year.

Now that I’m self employed, I have time to really develop the skills that I’ve been more and more interested in over the past few years. I am currently in the process of designing my new website and drawing up a business plan to start my new Web Design Company, Raine Wheeler Designs. Also, I have opened an Etsy Store, “A Raine-y Day Creation“, I’m taking freelance jobs on Freelancer.com, and I continue to work on Video Design for live performances as they are available. (Natchitoches does not have any theatres, so I don’t get too many opportunities.)

I’m an avid social networker, blogger and all around mac junkie! My iPhone is my BFF (At least that’s what my husband says!)

Skills

Website Design and Management, Singer, Voice Over Talent, Photo Editing, Video Design, Social Networker, Multimedia Design, Sound Design, Sound Editing, Video Editing, Logo Design, Card Creation, Invitation Design, Wedding Management and Accessory Creation,

Companies I’ve worked for

Maddycakes, Project:Motion Dance Company, Voices of the South Theatre Company, Playhouse on the Square; For A Good Time Theatre; Brooks Art Museum, Memphis City Schools, Squash Blossom Market

Schools I’ve attended

Raleigh-Egypt High School, University of Memphis; Shenandoah Conservatory

Other names

Raine Hicks, Jennifer Hicks, Jennifer Lorraine Hicks Wheeler