Theater is a family affair for Lipscomb's Kari Smith
Lacey Klotz |
Kari Smith (’00), adjunct faculty for Lipscomb University’s Department of Theatre, is no stranger to the world of theater.
Recently taking the stage as the Witch in Lipscomb’s fall 2015 production of Into the Woods, a show she is well acquainted with, Smith has dedicated her life to theater, as many of her family have done before her.
A native of Brentwood, Tennessee and daughter of Jim (’75) and Karen (Wagner) Himelrick (’76), co-founders of Brentwood’s Towne Centre Theatre and Lipscomb alumni, Smith grew up having several opportunities to perform with her family.
“My mom and dad both met at Lipscomb in its Early Music Consort,” said Smith. “My dad did theater as a high school student, and my mom was from a family of 
singers; but they both had passion for music.
“After college, they got married and started a wedding music business in Nashville called Wedding Notes in the late 70s. But it wasn’t until the 80s when our family’s passion for theater really took off, and we did our first family show with both my mom, dad, me and my brother when I was in second grade.”
Kari, along with her brother, Tadd Himelrick (’02); and sister, Briana Himelrick (’07), grew up participating in several various productions with parents in the community theater circle. Her mother, Karen, a private voice instructor, directed and produced several community theater productions, and her dad, Jim, was an active musician and actor, in the local theater community.
Like her parents, Smith decided to attend Lipscomb University where she double majored in English and theatre education, and minored in vocal performance. At 19 years old, she accepted a part-time job helping choreograph Brentwood High School’s production of Into the Woods.
After graduating Lipscomb, Smith worked for two years teaching English at Centennial High School before accepting a job as Ravenwood High School’s theater director for its new theater program in 2002.
For nearly ten years, Smith worked to grow the program and within those ten years, also directed Ravenwood High School’s production of Into the Woods.
Throughout her time with Ravenwood, Smith continued to participate in several shows on the side with her family. However, it was concerning to her family that Brentwood lacked a community theater. 
“My mom and dad were very connected to the community theater realm and decided that Brentwood needed a community theater of its own.”
In December 2006, Jim and Karen opened the Towne Centre Theatre with a Christmas show called Homecoming, and its first full theater season started later that June with a production of Nunsense.
Located in a historical building in Williamson County, the Towne Centre Theatre was originally a schoolhouse in the 1860s and then became a church building.
“The building has a lot of old and unique aspects to it, including ceiling wood panels and stain glass windows, and it is an intimate theatre with 100 seats,” Smith explained.
In 2009, Smith joined her family on the Towne Centre Theatre stage to perform in Into the Woods, for the third time in her theater career.
Smith accepted a job in 2013 teaching introduction to communication and dance courses at Lipscomb, and has since become an active part of the Lipscomb Theatre community.
Today, she teaches beginning acting, intermediate directing, choreography, history of musical theater, theater education courses and multiple dance classes including tap, jazz and modern. She also helped co-found Lipscomb’s resident dance studio called Foundation Dance Theater. 
She has also participated in over 20 shows at the Towne Centre Theatre and has kept the Himelrick family tradition alive.
In 2014, Smith, her son and her daughter participated in the Towne Centre Theatre’s production of Oliver.
“My daughter loves theater and participated in Lipscomb’s 2014 production of Shrek and played the baby kangaroo in Lipscomb’s 2015 production of Sussical,” said Smith.
“Getting to participate in theater productions with my family was such an important part of my childhood, and it is so fun to also get to do that with my own kids as well.”
To learn more about Lipscomb’s College of Entertainment & the Arts, visit cea.lipscomb.edu.