SARAH CHAET  Drama Instructor -  Hartford County

Sarah has loved theatre her whole life, and even received a degree for her passion. Concentrating in directing, Sarah graduated from the University of Rhode Island. She then completed internships in North Carolina and central California, working as assistant director on major theatrical productions such as Mrs. Warren’s Profession and the world premiere play Bloody Blackbeard at Triad Stage and White Christmas, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Les Miserables at the Pacific Conservatory for Performing Arts. Sarah also toured to California’s central coast schools as stage manager for adaptations of Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins and Francisco Jimenez’s The Circuit. Her family has long expected the transition to teaching, and she’s looking forward to teaching acting to children and young adults.

Christopher Cavallo is excited to return to Performing Arts Programs! He holds a BFA in musical theatre from Five Towns College. He recently performed Off-Broadway at the Duplex and is continuing to pursue the New York theatre scene. Some favorite past credits include: Grease (Doody), Urinetown (Bobby Strong), Barefoot in the Park (Paul Bratter), Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour), Les Miserables (Thenardier), Crimes of the Heart (Barnette Lloyd) and Proof (Hal). He has also been a part of many musical revues and cabarets encompassing the Broadway repertoire. In 2005, Christopher was a National Anthem vocalist for the New Britain Rock Cats baseball team. He has also worked in the publicity and marketing departments for the Yale Repertory and Long Wharf theatres. Christopher assisted the chairman of the Five Towns College Theatre Division as publicity coordinator. Christopher’s passion for the arts and as a performer transfers directly to his work as an educator; with a desire to expose young people to such a wonderful and diverse art form as he inspires young artists to reach their potential and foster their talent. He is glad to be back and can’t wait to begin!

AMANDA MULE   Drama Instructor -  Hartford County

Amanda Mulé is a 6^th semester vocal performance major at UConn, where she is currently studying with Meredith Ziegler. At Simsbury High School, she participated in every select ensemble. Her favorite choir moment was singing the boy-soprano solo in Bernstien's Chichester Psalms in Concert Choir's Pearl Harbor, Hawaii concert. She was a founding member of the student-run a capella group, Nothin' But Treble. She studied through the Hartt School's Community Division with Louise Fauteaux for 7 years and was accepted to their Summer Vocal Institute as well as the Solo Singer's Program at Westminster Choir College. She played leading roles in her high school's musicals, plays, and one-act festivals earning her the titles of Outstanding and Best Actress. Also, Amanda directed the 2006 Freshman class to win Outstanding Play (“The Apple” by Jimmy Brunelle) in the Fall One Acts Competition. In addition to being President of the Executive Youth Board for Simsbury Summer Theatre for Youth from 2006-2008, Amanda has held leading roles in five of their shows and teaches improv workshops for them each summer. She placed twice in the Symphony in Simsbury competition to sing with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. In 2006, Amanda was awarded with the Connecticut Association of Schools Award for Outstanding Performing Artist. At UConn, Amanda played First Witch in Opera Workshop's production of Dido and Aeneas and was in the chorus of Opera Theatre's The Magic Flute. She played Nanetta in Verdi's Falstaff for Opera Theatre's Scenes performance and appeared in the Spring production of Riders to the Sea. Most recently, Amanda played Susanna from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro in Opera Studio's Italian Scenes production. In summer 2009 she organized, taught, and directed an improvisation and acting classes for teenagers, culminating in an end-of-summer show. Amanda is ecstatic to join the Performing Arts Programs team!

KRISTEN PALMER    Drama Instructor
 

Kristen Palmer is a playwright and arts educator recently relocated to this area from Brooklyn, NY.  She has over 15 years experience developing and teaching theatre and creative arts programs in Atlanta, New York City, rural Kansas, Seattle, Washington DC, Minneapolis, England and Virginia.  From 2005 – 2008 she was a full-time teacher at Brooklyn Free School, developing the elementary program there and leading a writing program for all students, and before that she worked as a Teaching-Artist and Program Manager with the Creative Arts Team in NYC. As a playwright, she has received a Jerome Fellowship, been a finalist for the O’Neill Festival and her plays have been produced in New York City, LA, Washington DC, Seattle and Poughkeepsie, NY.

She holds a MA from NYU where she studied Educational Theatre and a BA in Dramatic Arts from Bretton Hall College, in Yorkshire, England. 

CHRISTINE POLAND    Dance Instructor

Christine Poland began dancing with Jenny Rocha in 1995 and in 1998, became a founding member and the managing director of Rocha Dance Theater. During her years with the company, Christine has assisted the productions of Gaining Voice, Ponder Me, Not so Soft in NYC, RI, and Boston. She graduated with honors from Roger Williams University with a BA in Dance Performance Studies. Christine has performed with Sonia Plumb, Works/Laura Glenn, and Joseph Albano of Hartford, CT. After moving to NYC, she began performing for many small pick up companies getting exposure to the NYC dance scene. In 2005, she joined Hedi Latsky in Club Riot as “Valkeries”, this production took place at LaMama Experimental Theater. Performance credits include dancing for Monica Bill Barnes, Mary Fullam, Full Force Dance Productions, Guta Hedwig, Noel MacDuffie, Oil and Water Productions, Vanessa Paige and Angela Jones. Theatrical dance productions include Shirley and the Tropicana, Fishbowl, Her Mom’s Feet, and Queen Juniper all of which were directed by Christine Henry and choreographed by Jenny Rocha. She has also co-choreographed STUCK with Jenny. This piece has been presented at such events as Dancers Responding to Aids, Dixon Place, New Dance Group and Spoke the Hub. During 2000 – 2003, Ms Poland was a guest choreographer for Creative Arts Studio in Brooklyn, NY. Her choreography has also been in a silent film short by Christian Zuccoro, Serenity. In 2005, Christine had the great pleasure of dancing as the evil seagull for Gary Shore of RI in Ode his silent dance film. She has just completed a full season with Cornerstone Playhouse in Mystic, CT. 

JAIME MORANO    Drama Instructor

Jaime recently returned to CT after performing in the National Tour of "Magic Tree House: The Musical." Jaime attended the Hartford Conservatory as a Musical Theatre Major and later received a BFA in Theatre at Central Connecticut State University. She has been teaching theatre and dance throughout Connecticut since the age of 17. Jaime currently works as a performer at The Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Fairfield County and an acting teacher/choreographer at C.A.S.T. Children's Theatre. Jaime is very excited to share her experience and love of theatre with Performing Arts Programs!

Madge O’Toole has worked in Theatre as a Director, Actor, and Teacher for over 10 years in cities such as London, UK, NYC, NY, and Portland, OR.  Her work has developed and matured over the years in part to the training received by such artists as: Ben Whitely (musical director for CATS on Broadway), Japan’s NOH theatre traveling group, Richard Crawford (Cirque Du Soleil), and Nigel Hess (Musical Director for the Royal Shakespeare Co. UK).  She is currently the Drama Teacher at Memorial Middle School in Middlebury, CT and is excited to work with The Performing Arts Program for the first time this fall.

KIT NOVOTNY    Drama Instructor

LARA MORTON    Acting Instructor

Lara native of the CT Shoreline. Ms. Morton graduated Daniel Hand High School in Madison and went on to study Theatre Arts Playwriting at both Hartwick College and the State University of New York at Oneonta.  Lara’s most noteworthy accomplishments/positions include: Drama Teacher of the acclaimed New Haven charter school Amistad Academy, The Tabor Arts Community Arts Center in Branford, Turkey Hill School in Orange, New York state’s B.O.C.E.S. and Evergreen Alternative School , Co-Producer and Public Relations Coordinator of ‘Branstock’, the annual free charity music and arts festival on the Branford Town Green (currently in its 10th year),  Artistic Director and Playwright-in-Residence of Yale-based Teen Pregnancy Prevention program The Open End Theater Company, Program and Education Director of Young Audiences of CT (Y.A.C.), co-Playwright/Creator of Prudence Crandall; Woman of Courage (a one-woman educational theatre piece commissioned by The Anti-Defamation League of CT and Y.A.C., touring Connecticut schools in Black History Month for over 12 years), creator of The Peacetown Puppet Players in Binghamton, NY (a musical theatre puppetry program aimed at teaching Violence and Bullying Prevention to grades pre-K to 5th grade), and former Program Director for the Broome County Mental Health Players (a program of the Mental Health Association, Binghamton, NY), a touring role-play/psychodrama company using volunteer actors and non-actors to address “social, psychological, and professional issues of import to the community.”

Lara Morton has also completed an original stage adaption of Kate Chopin’s classic American feminist novel ‘The Awakening’ (1899).

ASHLEIGH HERNDON    Dance/Drama Instructor

Ashleigh Herndon graduated from Catawba College with a degree in Musical Theatre and minors in music and dance.  Some of her favorite professional credits include The Lost Colony (Jane Jones/ Dancer), Cinderella (Florabelle), Funny Thing Happened…Forum (Tintinabula), Where The Wild Things Are (Max), and Jesus Christ Superstar (dance ensemble). She also performed in three national tours with Theatre IV Children’s Theatre: Stone Soup, A Christmas Carol, and Thumbelina. Ashleigh has an extensive dance background and served as an assistant teacher with Success America Dance Convention and a teacher for Steppin’ Out Dance Academy in Salisbury, NC. Currently she teaches dance for Off The Floor Dance Productions in Woodstock, CT.

CHRIS SMALLEY    Drama Instructor-Fairfield County

Christopher Smalley is a recent graduate of Manhattanville College, where he received a BA in Dance and Theatre. Chris has been doing theatre from a young age and over the years has had the pleasure of playing such roles as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and John Proctor in The Crucible. In the summer of 2005, Chris was certified by the Fight Director’s Canada in Stage combat, also winning the “Rookie of the Year” award. Chris went on to get more training at the National Theatre Institute and the St. Petersburg Academy for the Performing Arts, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Chris spent four great summers teaching theatre at the Foote School Summer theatre program in New Haven, and currently teaches at the Enchanted Garden Conservatory in Ridgefield, CT. He also is an Associate Choreographer for “The Nutcracker” in Danbury, CT. 

LENKA PICHLIKOVA    Drama Instructor-Fairfield County

Lenka is an actress, director and teacher active in Connecticut. She studied dramatic arts at Charles University in Prague (MFA), and, in the US, acting with Uta Hagen and Herbert Berghof and mime with Marcel Marceau.  Lenka teaches at SUNY Purchase and Fairfield University and has also taught at the STW School of Performing Arts and in the Youth Drama Program at SUNY Purchase. She has acted in numerous Off-Broadway and Equity Regional productions, was featured in twelve European films and over forty television roles, and most recently, appeared in featured roles in the independent films, "Apples" and  "Trophy Kids," as well as onstage in her one-woman show, "Katie Luther."  Lenka is well-known for her schools performances throughout Fairfield County and the New York suburban area.  She is happy to be working with Performing Arts Programs.

KATHLEEN MAHAN    Drama Instructor

JP MATTHEWS   Drama Instructor

JP loves to teach and work with children of all ages. He has taught acting for Rutgers University, CYT National Youth Theater, various private schools and youth theatre organizations, and also maintains a private practice in Manhattan. JP is currently undergoing a Master Teacher Mentorship with Scott Miller in NYU’s Graduate Acting Program.

Originally from Kansas City, JP has been acting professionally for 15 years and has performed off-Broadway with the Blue Man Group in New York City, The Dallas Theater Center, Kansas City Rep, Casa Manana in Fort Worth, TX, and Amphibian Stage Productions, a theater company that he has been a member of for 8 years. JP has also starred in national and regional commercials, feature films, and industrials. JP received his MFA in Acting from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and his BFA in Acting and Musical Theater from TCU. JP is represented by The Meg Pantera Agency in NYC.

Nick Checker, graduate of the University of Connecticut (BFA), has written a number of independent films that have been produced and shown in cinemas and made successful film fest rounds throughout the country. Nick has also written a controversial historical play, "Elegy For An Icon," that premiered at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT -- and was later adapted for use in an Emmy award winning documentary, "Mystic Voices." In addition, he wrote a play that was published by Eldridge Publishing, Florida -- "Kangaroo Court," a dark satire where animals put humans on trial. The play continues to be produced in various sectors of the country every year.
 
Most recently Nick wrote the screenplay for the award winning film, "The Curse Of Micah Rood," which stars Ron Palilo formerly of the old "Welcome Back Kotter" TV series. Firesite Films premiered the film at Niantic Cinemas in Niantic, CT last December and it has been shown a number of times at cinemas and at prestigious film festivals. The next screening is at Olde Mistick Village Cinemas on October 30th, 2008.
Nick has performed in numerous plays and independent films and also teaches writing and acting to students in an age range including children, teenagers, adults, and senior citizens. He takes pride in the knowledge that a number of his students have gone on to utilize the crafts of writing and acting in their own pursuits.

Mariah is a professional actress and teacher. She earned her MFA in acting from Brown University and her BFA in Drama from NYU. Mariah has performed with theaters across the country including; The Cleveland Playhouse, Trinity Rep (Providence, RI) and The Public Theater (NYC). Mariah has taught acting to grades 1-12 as well as to University students at Brown, NYU, and Quinnipiac University and she is very excited to be working with the children of Performing Arts Programs this session.

DAVID McCAMISH    Drama Instructor

David has performed and directed throughout the US. He has taught acting and produced shows in NYC for the past six years. Recently he was seen on the boards in the Off-Broadway Comedia Del Arte Production of St. Arlecchino at the Lucille Lortell Theatre. Other recent Off-Broadway and NYC productions include the World Premier of Unbecoming, Measure for Measure, The Lark, Hamlet, Waiting for Godot, Henry V, Terkels' Race and The Boys Will Be the Boys in which David co-wrote and played the role of Stan Laurel. Some of his other Film credits include: Kate & Leopold, Private Parts, Looking for Harrison, Jungle to Jungle and HBO's Path to Paradise.

DARLENE VILLANOVA    Drama Instructor

Christin L. Goff is originally from Newport, Rhode Island which is where she began her stage career at age four in the Newport Players Guild production of The Trojan Women.  Since that time she has performed at several community theaters in the New England area, including The Powerhouse Players in Connecticut, Quannapowitt Players in Massachusetts, and The Rhode Island Shakespeare Theatre and 2nd Story Theatre in Rhode Island.  She graduated magna cum laude (2004) from Rhode Island College where she dual-majored in theater performance and elementary education, and in 2008 completed a six-week intensive at the Atlantic Acting School in New York City.  Some of her favorite roles have been Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Catherine Sloper (The Heiress), Barbara (Major Barbara), Jessie (’night Mother), and Maggie (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof).  She lives in Cranston, Rhode Island with her family and pets and is very excited to be working with Performing Arts, Inc.

Courtney is a Theatre Performance Major at Rhode Island College. She has worked in and around Boston, Providence and Connecticut as an Actor, Model and Dancer. Although she loves the stage, her focus is on acting for film and television. She can be seen in Spyglass Entertainment's 27 Dresses as Jane's Bridesmaid and as a waitress in Showtime's hit series Brotherhood. She has many independent film credits and has participated in the 48 Hour Film Festivals and the National Film Challenge. Her on screen credits include the comedies Movers and Makers and Left in Charge, the Sci-fi thriller The Pitch, directed by Daniel Lee White, the horror films Hiding Humans, Harmony, Rashomon in Pear Shape, The Bordon Home, as well as student projects such as the University of Rhode Island's Student Film Association's Happenstance. Projects in the preproduction include the comedy Bocce.

As a Theatre Major, Courtney has many stage credits including Rhode Island College's main stage production of Twelve Angry Women as Juror Four, the Community College of Rhode Island's production of Mary Brigit Poppelton Writes a Memoir, as Rene, an official selection of The Fringe Festival in New York City. She has also acted with Daydream Theatre Company in numerous original and well received shows.Throughout her performance career, Courtney has taken time to give back as an instructor, primarily in the performing arts and dance.

LAUREN ANNALDO    Drama Instructor

Lauren is currently attending St. Lawrence University and is looking forward to finishing her senior year with a BA in Performance and Communication Arts and a minor in Gender Studies.  During her time at SLU, she has worked with students teaching them acting skills and educating them the importance of the arts. Lauren was able to work alongside professional actors such as the winner of the 2008 Best Playwright, Clay McLeod Chapman. She has recently directed the annual murder mystery, The Deadly Brief Case and a 10 minute play, I Know Your Crazy, Taj say’s so. She hopes to continue to work and be involved with theater while also working with children professionally.

JACQUELINE SEREBRANI-KESNER    Drama Instructor

I am an interdisciplinary arts educator, drama specialist, theatre director, playwright and writer. In addition to teaching, curriculum development and private consultation, I have lead artist-in-residency programs Off-Broadway, in regional theatre, for public and private schools and universities. My work spans cross-cultural populations including students with learning differences. Much of my work also focuses on social issues that have deep significance for students at all strata of society. I am currently Director of Creative Arts Enrichment, an interdisciplinary arts company that provides residency programs, teaching training and individual and group consultation/workshops. I am also a Creative Director at Auracana; a film, television and digital marketing/content development company. I received my bachelors from SUNY/Loughborough University UK, and a Master’s degree from Emerson College, Boston, MA. I believe students of all ages learn best through a thoughtfully guided process that ignites their interest in learning. When a teacher carries an enthusiasm and interest, so too will their students.  I strive in my work to wake people up, to really see…to live fully, to love learning completely, from the inside out.

KACEE STAITI   Drama Instructor

Kacee graduated from Stonehill College with a BA in Communications and a minor in Elementary Education, where she was actively involved with the Stonehill Theatre Company (both on and off the stage). Kacee has experience as a performer, assistant director, assistant stage manager, props master, sound/light board operator, and costume coordinator. She has taught acting classes for the Operatunity Performing Arts Center and The Orpheum Academy, and serves as a member of the Executive Board for The F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company of Boston/Wakefield. She was recently nominated for two “Distinguished Achievement and Special Honors” awards from the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres for her supporting role in The F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company’s production of the musical I Love You Because, (a Boston area premiere production) and for her work as Co-Props Master for a production of Bat Boy: The Musical. Some of Kacee’s favorite performance credits include: Into the Woods (Little Red Ridinghood), The House of Blue Leaves (Bananas Shaugnessy), Urinetown (Little Sally), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Protean). Kacee is excited for the opportunity to share her enthusiasm and love for theatre as a teacher with Performing Arts Programs.