Thom Talbott started at NCTC in January 2003 as an adjunct instructor, for the 2003-2004 school year he became a unique part-time full-time instructor, and then started as the full-time drama instructor in the fall of 2004. However, this was not always the plan for Thom. When he first started his undergraduate studies at Baker University in Baldwin City, KS it was as an accounting major, not a theater major. But after two years of studying accounting, Thom realized that sitting behind a desk with an abacus and a bit of whale bone (after all this was before the age of computers) was not for him. So he followed his first love and became a theater major. After graduating from Baker in 1985 with a B.A. in Theater and Business, he set his sights on obtaining a graduate degree. He chose Texas Woman’s University (his mother’s alma mater) and in 1987 graduated with his M.A. in Drama with an emphasis on directing.

Thom soon went to work at Butterfield Stage, the local community theater in Gainesville, where he served as Artistic Director for fifteen years.  It was only fitting that he return to Gainesville, since his family had come from here and the family homestead is still out on Burns City Road.

Thom has directed over 75 productions. He has received a number of state wide awards for his production design work and has had three productions invited to perform at the state level of the national AACT FEST theater festival. He currently sits on the Board of Governors of the Texas Nonprofit Theaters and is also an accredited adjudicator for the UIL One Act Play Festivals.