MANSFIELD, OHIO. — On Saturday, August 1, generations of performers from across North Central Ohio reunited to celebrate more than 35 years of artistic mentorship by Dauphne Maloney and Brian Nabors, two educators whose lifelong investment in youth theatre has shaped thousands of young people and left an enduring mark on the region’s arts community.
Maloney, founder of the award-winning Mansfield Youth Theatre (MY Theatre), longtime Youth Theatre Director at The Ohio State University at Mansfield and a nationally recognized teaching artist, has spent decades creating opportunities for young performers to discover confidence, creativity and belonging.
Alongside her, Nabors has served as a respected music educator and musical director whose leadership in schools and community theatre has inspired generations of singers, musicians and performers throughout North Central Ohio.
The surprise celebration, held in Founders Auditorium at The Ohio State University at Mansfield, brought together hundreds of former students, parents, families and friends whose lives have been touched by the pair’s work.
Attendees traveled from New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles, Tennessee, Missouri and beyond to celebrate the mentors who helped shape their lives.
Maloney and Nabors were led to the venue under the impression they were attending a film screening featuring one of their former students.
Instead, they were greeted by a standing ovation from hundreds of familiar faces—including Maloney’s daughter, Shannon, who traveled from New York City, and her son, Ryan, who traveled from Seattle—before spending the afternoon reconnecting with generations of former students over food, memories, and performances.
The program included a special proclamation presented by Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry, who delivered certificates from Governor Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jim Tressel.
“The City of Mansfield, Ohio thrives on the dedication, passion, and creativity of citizens who selflessly invest their talents into the betterment of our community. Dauphne Maloney and Brian Nabors have faithfully served Mansfield and the greater Richland County as visionary theatre directors for more than 35 years. They have directed countless theatrical productions, fostered a deep appreciation of the performing arts in Mansfield’s youth, transformed local stages into vibrant spaces for storytelling and community connection, and served as invaluable mentors to generations of local actors, stagehands and students, instilling confidence, teamwork and artistic excellence. Their legacy has permanently enriched the quality of life, education and spirit of our city,” Perry said while reading the proclamation.
The proclamation concluded by officially recognizing August 1, 2026, as Dauphne Maloney and Brian Nabors Celebration Day.
Former and current performers honored the pair through moving performances of Thank You for the Music from Mamma Mia! and For Good from Wicked—fitting tributes to two educators whose influence continues long after the curtain falls.
The year-long surprise was coordinated by former student Maude von Ehrenkrook, who quietly organized alumni through a private Facebook group. During the celebration, von Ehrenkrook asked those gathered how many had gone on to pursue full-time careers in the arts. Hands immediately filled the room—a visible reminder of the foundation built by two educators who believed in nurturing young artists.
Maloney’s impact has been recognized not only locally but nationally. In 2012, she was selected as one of only 30 teaching artists from across the country to participate in the National Seminar for Teaching Artists at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Nabors continues to influence music education throughout Ohio as a guest clinician and adjudicator while serving as a faculty member for the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Choir Camp, all while remaining a sought-after musical director for school, community and youth theatre productions.
Yet throughout the afternoon, it became clear that the greatest measure of their success was not found in accolades, but in relationships.
Former and current “stage moms” instinctively slipped back into the roles they had played years before—organizing food, coordinating photographs and making sure everyone was taken care of.
It was an unexpected reminder that youth theatre shapes entire families. The children may have been on stage, but the parents built a community alongside them. These were not one another’s children’s parents. They had become everyone’s stage moms. They were the village that raised generations of theatre kids.
“From the time I was five years old, Dauphne and Brian created a space for me to belong,” said Jillian Henry, former youth theatre performer and current Director of Marketing at the Renaissance Theatre. “I was safe to explore my creativity, build lifelong friendships, learn how to speak confidently in front of people and work as a team to create something that didn’t exist before. Those are skills I rely on every single day. I owe so much to them for their investment in everyone in that room and the thousands of other young people whose lives they’ve touched.”
The celebration concluded with a tradition instantly recognized by nearly everyone in attendance.
Before every performance, casts and crews under Maloney and Nabors gather in a circle, cross their right arms over their left and link pinkies with the people beside them before repeating together:
Whether the weather be cold
or whether the weather be hot,
we’ll be together, whatever the weather,
whether we like it or not.
The chant is repeated three times, beginning as a whisper before building into a joyful shout.
On Saturday, performers spanning decades once again linked pinkies—children, parents, alumni and educators standing side by side.
It was a fitting conclusion to a celebration honoring two people who spent more than 35 years proving that theatre is about far more than what happens on stage. It is about creating a place where young people discover confidence, community and lifelong friendships.
Judging by the hundreds who returned home this weekend, Dauphne Maloney and Brian Nabors succeeded beyond measure.
