Meet Our Staff
Eric Franklin- Owner, Director, Teacher/Director, and Technical Theatre Designer- Eric is a founding director at The Curtain Playhouse. He is Director of Technical Theatre here at the Curtain, having developed and built sets on every one of our 125+ productions. Past directing credits include "Into the Woods", "Quilters", "Singin in the Rain", "The Lion King“, "The Hound of the Baskervilles”, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”, “The Wizard Of Oz”, “A Christmas Carol” and many, many more. When convinced to take to the stage, Eric is also a formidable actor. He is an adjudcator for Denver's Bobby G awards and is a multiple winner of several National Youth Arts awards. ​
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Tammy Franklin- Owner, Director, Teacher/Director, Costume Mistress and Theatre Designer-Tammy has directed many productions here at the Curtain and with other groups over almost 20 years in the Denver theatre community. She is a multiple winner of several National Youth Theatre Awards. Proud to be involved in all kinds of theatre for kids, Tammy also works for The Denver Center for Performing Arts. She is the Costume Mistress for all of our shows. She earned her undergraduate degree and Master's Degree at the University of Colorado. The Franklins live in Applewood with their daughter, cat and 4 rescue dogs.
Ava Arangua Francis- Teacher- Ava is an alumin 2024ni student here. She is a graduate of the AMDA's Conservatory of the Performing Arts in New York. She has perfomed in "Anything Goes" at San Diego Musical Theatre, and locally in "Into the Woods" at The Arvada Center, "Avenue Q" and "The Little Mermaid" at Miners Alley Playhouse, and "Matilda" at Town Hall Arts Center. She was the lead teacher for our summer camps program in 2024.
Cole Franklin- Teacher/Costumer- Cole became a Curtains alumni in 2018, having spent over 10 years as a part of the program. Cole is pursuing a theatre degree at Metropolitan State University. He has directed "Godspell", "Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "Finding Nemo" and "Matilda". As a performer with Curtains, Cole has received multiple acting awards with National Youth Arts Awards, and is an eight-time First Place holder for his work in costume design at Musical Theatre Competitions of America. He believes strongly in encouraging theatre students to start working in technical theatre and design at a young age, and to provide opportunity for them to showcase their interests.
​Caitlin Hoffert- Vocal Music/Piano Teacher- Caitlin is a graduate of West Chester University where she earned a bachelor's degree in music education with a concentration in voice and minors in jazz studies and music history. She also recently earned her masters in music education at Temple University. Eventually, she aspires to earn her doctorate in order to be able to teach music education at the collegiate level. Currently, Caitlin teaches K-5 music, choir, and drama club at Rocky Mountain Elementary School. ​Caity has taught voice, piano, guitar, and ukulele lessons both in person and via Zoom for many years, making connections with students and preparing them for recitals, auditions, and solo gigs. ​As a performer, Caitlin identifies as a classical singer, jazz singer, and singer-songwriter. As a solo artist, she accompanies herself on piano, guitar, and ukulele in a variety of genres. During her career at WCU, she was the featured vocalist for the Criterions Jazz Ensemble and a member of the top choral ensemble, Concert Choir.​​ Caity's true passion is teaching. Caitlin believes that music can sculpt an individual, both intellectually and emotionally, when practiced at any age. As an educator, she hopes to guide her students in this pursuit.
Charles Turley- Vocal Music/Piano Teacher- Dr. Charles Turley has performed extensively with regional opera companies throughout the US, while teaching voice lessons and classes at the University of Oregon, Dodge City Community College, Friends University, Mercer University, Ouachita Baptist University, and The University of North Texas. He earned his DMA in Voice Performance, with minors in Musicology and Opera, from UNT in 2002, preceded by master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Voice Performance from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and Jacksonville University, respectively.
He now teaches private voice lessons, directs the chancel choir at Green Mountain UMC, and sings with various ensembles in the Denver area.
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Layla Edwards- Vocal Music/Piano Teacher- Layla is a mezzo-soprano from Brunswick, Georgia currently residing in Denver, where she is an active member of the local musical community. With a background in theatre and music from the University of Georgia, she has enjoyed a diverse career, including roles such as Sally in the Greek premiere of Samuel Barber’s "A Hand of Bridge" during the International Festival of the Aegean in Syros, Greece, as well as Petra in "A Little Night Music" and Cherubino in "Le Nozze di Figaro". Prior to moving to Colorado, Layla performed with Central City Opera’s Fountain of Youth, Austin Opera, at National ACDA and other regional companies.
Passionate about opera, musical theatre, and theatre, Layla enjoys teaching inside and outside the classical realm while still incorporating music fundamentals into every lesson. She believes everyone can sing! Her teaching philosophy focuses on providing a creative, engaging, and welcoming environment where students can thrive and build a solid musical foundation for a lifetime. Trained in a variety of acting methodologies, Layla excels at helping students tap into their dramatic instincts.