Melissa Taylor, 37, is the Executive Director of Reno Little Theater (RLT), a semi-professional playhouse in Midtown that has been a part of Reno's theater scene since 1935. Besides being a venue for Reno's theater community, Reno Little Theater also teaches kids the benefits of performing via Reno Little Theater's Education Program.

​

All that changed when the Theater temporarily shut its doors in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

​

Originally a staff of five, Taylor is now the only staff member at RLT due to loss of revenue streams. Taylor has pivoted RLT's productions and content to a digital format. This includes performances via the new paid virtual platform RLT OnDemand, as well as Broadway Our Way, a series of kids classes and rehearsals ending in a virtual performance. Taylor continues to work with RLT's Board of Directors to secure funding to keep the theater running.

​

Besides working at RLT, Taylor has experienced new challenges at home. Taylor and husband Chad Sweet, 46, continue to help their two older children—Maddie, 12, and Chase, 9,—navigate online schooling, as well as raising their youngest daughter, Penelope, 2.