RICHIE AKERS
Founder / Artistic Director

Richie found a new sense of purpose at the beginning of high school, in the '9Os (yes, the nineteen hundreds!). Over four years, he was immersed in performance, ensemble life, and the International Thespian Society-appearing in twenty productions, qualifying as an all-state actor, and performing at the International Thespian Society Festival. (His kids have assured him he did not peak in high school.)

More lasting than the recognition was the environment itself. His directors during those formative years created rehearsal rooms rooted in trust, teamwork, and care, where young artists were challenged while still feeling safe. That experience continues to shape how Richie leads and teaches today.

After beginning his career in corporate training and safety management, Richie worked at Theatre Cedar Rapids, one of the Midwest's largest community theaters, serving as Sales and Marketing Director while taking on scenic design, costume, and directing contracts. Working simultaneously in organizational leadership and hands-on creative production deepened his understanding of how strong theater is built-both onstage and behind the scenes.

In 2014, Richie founded Giving Tree Theater, a 110-seat theater dedicated to story-driven work with community purpose. Over the next five years, he produced more than sixty plays and musicals. The theater became known for its youth productions, which functioned not as traditional camps but as true production-company environments-young performers rehearsing and mounting full productions with professional expectations, shared responsibility, and a strong emphasis on collaboration and ensemble culture. That balance of creative joy and care directly informs the design of PaperMap Theater & Co.

Richie brings both artistic depth and operational discipline to PaperMap. His background in occupational safety informs how he designs physically and emotionally safe rehearsal environments, while his MBA studies in leadership shape the studio's sustainable business model and ensemble culture.

PaperMap Theater & Co. represents a return to Richie's artistic calling. Founded in Orlando's Thornton Park neighborhood, PaperMap is a rehearsal-centered theater studio built on intention, trust, and time. Young artists are treated as collaborators. Design and technical work are explored alongside performance. Growth unfolds through sustained process as much as final production.

Richie and his wife, Melissa, have four children-two adults and two school-age-and live in Lake Eola Heights. (The proximity to the studio was a happy accident!)