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William (Bill) Gregg is the former Executive and Producing Artistic Director of Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre (SART) and retired Theatre Professor, Emeritus from Mars Hill University. 

     Since the theatre’s inaugural season in 1975, as a founding company member, he has worn many hats – from actor to stage manager to company manager to director, including the role of Mortimer in the Fantasticks. The summer of

2001 was his first as Artistic Director, when he staged Noises Off, Lost Highway, and Frankie, which he co-authored with Perry Deane Young. Bill spent a total  of 32 summers working with SART.

     During the last two plus decades, Bill has directed SART productions of Lost in Yonkers, Arms and the Man, Shelton Laurel, The Spitfire Grill, Kiss Me Kate, Annie Get Your Gun, Of Mice and Men, Finding Clara (winner of the Silver Medal Harold Pinter Award), Steel Magnolias, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Accomplice, Hank Williams: Lost Highway, Taking a Chance on Love, by C. Robert Jones, God’s Man in Texas, To Kill A Mockingbird, Incorruptible, The Memory Collection, as well as the revival and tour of Shelton Laurel, and Mountain of Hope, his second collaboration with Perry Deane Young. Stardust Supper Club, a World Premiere by fellow alum Mark Cabinass, A Tennessee Walk, SART’s 60th World Premiere, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Harvey, Sweetwater Taste, First Baptist of Ivy Gap, and Nocturne (C. Robert Jones). Likewise, he directed A little Night Music, As you Like It, Gypsy, Funny Girl, Death of A Salesman and was director and co-author of the world premiere Heritage Play Home Again about Thomas Wolfe, The Miracle Worker, The Dixie Swim Club and Evita.

     Before returning to Mars Hill, Bill was Producing Artistic Director of the New American Theatre in Rockford, IL; Artistic Director of TheatreVirginia in Richmond; Associate Director and Production Manager of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival; and Production Stage Manager of the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, MN working with internationally renowned directors Liviu Ciulei, Andre Serban, Richard Forman, Michael Langham and Lucien Pintilie, among others. 

Other directing credits include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Rumors, Always, Patsy Cline, Othello, As You Like It, Tartuffe, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Glass Menagerie, Peter Pan, Grace & Glorie, The Sunshine Boys, Pump Boys and Dinettes, and My Name is Rachel Corrie, with Mars Hill University Alumni actress, Amanda Ladd. MHU ’03.

     A 1975 graduate of Mars Hill College, Bill earned his MFA degree in Drama (Acting and Directing) at the University of Virginia.  As Chair of  the Theatre Arts Department, and Professor of Theatre Arts on the MHU faculty he directed The Little Foxes, Anything Goes, Bye, Bye, Birdie, Story Theatre, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Tartuffe, The Crucible, Company, The Importance of Being Earnest, Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, The House of Bernarda Alba, The Dining Room, Noises Off, Three Sisters, Jekyll and Hyde, Scapino!, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Clue, The Musical, The Laramie Project, The Jack Tales, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, and Honk! The Musical. In December 2008, Bill directed the world premiere musical production of Miracle in Bedford Falls, by Mark Cabinass; based on the movie It’s a Wonderful Life and a co-production with SART and Mars Hill College. 

     He credits as his early mentors SART founder James W. Thomas and professors C. Robert Jones and Dr. Virgil Gray, Jr.

     Bill (a native of Western North Carolina) lives in Weaverville with his wife, actress, singer, voice-over talent and retired nurse, Elizabeth Aiello. They have three children, Cameron, Lucas and Emelia.