BIO:  

  Nikoli Smith is an aspiring actor and singer graduating from the University of Georgia with a B.A. in Theatre, an emphasis in Acting, Musical Theatre Certificate, and a Terry College of Business Certificate in Entrepreneurship/Startups. Nikoli is passionate about a wide variety of performing arts, and he has experience in Live Theatre, Live Music, TV/Film Acting, and Dance performance. Nikoli advocates for art’s ability to reach others and its power to change the world one performer/audience member at a time. Due to this, he strives to support the arts in all capacities that he can, whether he is utilizing his 4 years of Stage carpentry/stage hand experience to support a show behind the scenes, his education & practical experience of managing budgets and startups within the theatre space to aid the production process, or to be on stage performing himself, he hopes that he can inspire others to explore what connect us all in the human experience. He believes that in today’s day it is more important than ever to unify people around a vision for a more vibrant and prosperous future. 

   Additionally to his goals for a future in the arts, he has gained practical performance experience with UGA Theatre’s season shows in his role as Frid/Fredrik U/S in A Little Night Music (Dir. Daniel Ellis), Eilif in Mother Courage and Her Children (Dir. Justin Anderson), Zach in First Semester the Musical (Dir. Bianca Cardona), and Terrance in The Finest Hour (Dir. Ariel Ford). He also has performed with the Dessert Theatre where he played Link Larkin in Hairspray (Dir. Kennedi Nichols), with Ars Gratia Artis in several of their shows such as No Exit where he played Cradeau (Dir. Nina Blair/Alex Hutchason) and A Feminine Ending where he played Billy (Dir. Ariel Ford), and with UGA’s Curo Research Grant production of Rabbit Hole where he played Jason (Dir. Jillian Mitchel). Along with his experience performing in Plays/Musicals, Nikoli is the lead singer and rhythm guitar player for the successful Athens band Flatline Drive that went on to tour southeastern college towns, close major music festivals such as Athfest 2025, and play notable historic Athens Music venues such as the 40 Watt Club.