Over the past five years, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Dave Neal as an assistant drama coach, actress and singer for more than several musical theater performances and fine arts camps in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky areas. What a wonderful experience it has been for me.

One of the best things I appreciate about Mr. Neal is his professional attentiveness to his co-workers. First of all, it is a priority of Dave’s to make sure that all of the contracted artists working with him on a given project are not only compensated adequately or fairly, but compensated well, so that they know that they are truly valued for their services. I believe all too often in the performing arts world, especially with regards to performances in the Christian community, that it is taken for granted, before even undertaking a project, that one will never be compensated as well as one would prefer – “That’s just how it is in the entertainment field”(outside of Hollywood) is unfortunately a pill we - those of us who are passionate about theater and music - have had to swallow over the years.

Fortunately for those of us who have worked with him, it can be clearly seen that Mr. Neal’s refreshing attitude is that every employee’s compensation should generously reflect what they bring to a project. I have always appreciated that about Dave – this attitude that extends to children as well. My daughter at age 12 was hired to teach clay sculpting at a summer fine arts camp, and was compensated very well for someone her age. Of course, Mr. Neal also very much understands the overall budget involved in a project and is very conscious of making that work as well.

Another uncommon but very appreciated characteristic of Dave’s way of dealing with his “talent” is that – unlike so many producers and directors in the entertainment field – he does not “pigeonhole” people – only using them in one slot or one type of work again and again. For example, Mr. Neal has hired me as both an actress and drama coach for different projects; he’s willing to take a chance and let people demonstrate more than just one skill within his company (i.e. only acting or just singing). This has been very liberating for me artistically and has caused personal and professional growth as I have been given the opportunity to develop new skills.

I have also seen Mr. Neal “train” people on the job. He is an excellent teacher and demonstrator and does not “hoard” or keep his own skills to himself; he is more than happy to share any skills he possesses – and he is able to pull out much more than just one rabbit out of his creative hat – including singing, acting, directing, producing, teaching drama classes, constructing unbelievably beautiful sets on limited budgets, recruiting personnel, scheduling, and budgeting, to name a few.

Mr. Neal also has a great “sixth sense” about people: Without having known them for very long, he has an uncanny ability to sense what their gifts are and put them to work right away; in other words, unlike so many other people in this industry, he’s willing to give people the benefit of the doubt until they prove otherwise. I have seen him do this for other people in addition to myself.

Finally – although this does not in any way come close to summing up his talents – I do feel it’s important to close with this: Dave is amazingly creative and displays to everyone he works with – like the many facets of a diamond - just everything he is able to accomplish. A perfect illustration for this is a Christmas dinner theater production Dave and I worked on at a church in Cincinnati, a wonderful, yet inspiring comedy, “One Quiet Night.” Our performance space was very limited and outdated.

Yet, to my utter amazement, I saw Mr. Neal and his handpicked small crew – within a matter of days – transform a typical 1950’s church basement fellowship hall, (with the standard folding tables, metal chairs and pea-green décor), - into utter magical professional dinner theater ambiance - replete with professional-looking lighting, a homemade sound panel that sounded absolutely professional, smooth scene changes, professional soundtracks, a professional curtain, actual stage entrances and exits – and all the glitter, sparkle and mood lighting that you could hope for during the holidays – simply amazing – from a church potluck atmosphere to polish and professionalism on a bare-bones budget. With a packed audience dining on festive holiday fare, it was truly a holiday memory for everyone to cherish. I felt so privileged to be an actress in this production.

Finally (well, I lied; I do have another example) Dave is able to assess other people’s talents and use them exactly where they feel comfortable; he does not push people beyond their limits; he only pushes them to be all that they already have the ability to accomplish. I have seen him work with cast members who have been limited, due to time constraints or other issues (one woman in a production had her leg in a cast). And yet, he pulls off the staging as if it were all meant to be – professionalism no matter what the constraints are along the way!

Oh, and before I forget – Dave is not some overbearing militaristic director who only tells people what to do and never does it himself. I have seen him work on sets, joke with actors and actresses, hem a costume, explain scene changes to school children who have temporarily lost their concentration, work with school administrators, and get on his hands and knees with crayons to help kids finish a poster on the opening day of a fine arts camp.

Well, his professionalism is simply amazing. Maybe you just might want to try working with Neal Productions yourself - the next time you’re looking for something in your own backyard that is affordable, enjoyable for both the artists and public alike, and a very, very brand new adventure.