Oaks, Ron: - Ron Oaks was born South Dakota. He earned a degree in speech and drama from Yankton College in Yankton, South Dakota; a degree in voice from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland; and a master's degree in drama from Catholic University in Washington, D. C. Since then he has written a musical comedy, a religious opera, a number of reviews, plays, and poems and Book One, Beyond the Tall Grass, of the fantasy series under the general title of Billy Bones. Ron has directed or performed professionally in numerous operas, musicals, and plays from New York to Miami. He was the artistic director of the Garrison Playhouse in Baltimore County, Maryland, for 10 years and taught high school drama in Maryland for 16 years. More recently, Ron stage-directed seven operas for the Municipal Opera Company of Baltimore, Maryland and numerous shows for the Woodbrook Players in Baltimore, Maryland. Ron was the bass-soloist with the Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church for many years and teaches voice in the Maryland and Washington, D.C. areas. Ron lives with his wife in Central Maryland.