Titans Game or Playing Walter Lee in A RAISIN IN THE SUN: What’s Harder?

Accomplished actor, director, and educator, René D. Copeland, served as the co-founder and manager of Nashville’s Mockingbird Theatre for a decade before joining The Rep in 2005. At The Rep, Ms. Copeland leads the daily management and operation of the theatre and oversees the team’s fundraising, marketing, financial, personnel, education, production and facilities; and season planning/scheduling. She also is Nashville Rep’s primary director of our productions. She most recently directed the company’s productions of the thrilling and intense world premiere of Good Monsters, Nashville’s holiday tradition A Christmas Story, The classic Tom Stoppard Elizabethan comedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and a contemporary drama The Whipping Man, just to name just a few. In addition to directing at The Rep and Mockingbird, she has also directed for Nashville Children’s Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre.

She has taught theatre at the professional, collegiate, and high school levels, including Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. A frequent guest speaker, she currently sits on the Theatre Board for Lipscomb University and was selected to 2015 class of Leadership Nashville. In 2011 was listed with her late husband Scot (who for 30 years led Nashville Children’s Theatre) as one of the “Top 100 Reasons to Love Nashville” by Nashville Lifestyles magazine and has been cited as Best Director in Nashville Scene. She holds an MFA in acting and directing from University of North Carolina-Greensboro and a BFA from the University of Montevallo (AL). In the last several years, Ms. Copeland’s national reputation has escalated because of The Rep’s New Work’s program. This recognition also advances Nashville as a hotbed for play development and a growing destination for professional theatre.

Eddie George could have retired a proud man, with a strong legacy as a history-making athlete.   After all, his accomplishments on the football field were legendary–Heisman Trophy winner, star running back at The Ohio State University, NFL rookie of the year and holder of a host of NFL records.  Instead of resting on his records, Eddie took on the challenge of his lifetime—during the past decade he has quietly built businesses aimed at helping improve the quality of life for all Americans.  Eddie, who also received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago, understands that he is mostly known for his athletic accomplishments. “Since I’m mostly known for winning on the football field, a lot of people seem surprised when they hear that I’ve used my education, experience and passion to build these exciting businesses. They say ‘you’re a businessman, too?’ I like that reaction,’” Eddie said.  Eddie’s vision of healthy people and healthy places is being brought to life through the commitment of everyone at George Enterprises.

Eddie’s companies include The Edward George Wealth Management Group, EDGE Group, a planning and design firm helping to create healthy communities, and EGX Lifestyle working to help people develop healthy lives. Beyond leading these organizations Eddie’s business life is filled with media appearances, entertainment roles, speaking engagements and philanthropy. Eddie finds his work with charities very rewarding, donating his time and money to various organizations, including his own non-profit organization, Visions with Infinite Possibilities (V.I.P).  Currently, Eddie has recently returned to his alma mater in his new role as Assistant Vice President of Business Advancement at the Ohio State University.

Eddie is married to Tamara “Taj” Johnson-George, a Grammy®-nominated singer with the soul group SWV (“Sisters With Voices”), which sold more than six million records. Taj was also featured on the Survivor television show in 2009, and voted one of the fan favorites, and currently on the new reality show, SWV Reunited; which can be seen every week on WEtv. Eddie also made a guest appearance on the Survivor program.  Taj and Eddie live in Tennessee. They are the loving parents of two sons, Eriq and Jaire. They enjoy a busy life of friends, family and kids’ sporting events.  As an example to others, Eddie continues to train hard and find balance to maintain his peak physical, mental and spiritual condition to meet the challenges of his demanding schedule.