KIDSTAGE hires highly trained professional artists and arts educators and provides them with additional training in child development and KIDSTAGE techniques. Most teachers have at least two years experience teaching youth in the performing arts before joining the KIDSTAGE staff. Instructors are also required to pass a Washington State Patrol check and complete the Village Theatre Conduct with Minors form and an extensive orientation before working with students.

= Village Institute Instructors

KIDSTAGE Staff

Kati Nickerson (Director of Youth Education) Dedicated to youth development and arts education, Kati has guided Village Theatre’s youth education program for 13 years, reaching over 54,000 young people, families, and teachers throughout the region annually. A northwest native, Kati grew up in Bellevue and quickly found a passion for the arts. She directed her first production at 12 years old at Highland Jr. High in Bellevue. At Interlake High School, she played her favorite roles as Nellie in South Pacific and the Artful Dodger in Oliver!, and soon thereafter attended Western Washington University. There she studied theatre through the Actors Intensive program, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, with an emphasis in theatre and education. From there, Kati then enjoyed a 10 year career in communications and marketing, before her next move was made clear as she witnessed the positive impact of theatre education on her two young children. In 1996, Kati founded SKY Theatre in Snohomish County. Two years later she joined Village Theatre and has had the distinct honor of working with thousands of young people teaching KIDSTAGE classes, Pied Piper workshops in schools, and directing such musicals as Peter Pan, Oliver!, The Wizard of Oz, and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.

Suzie Cameron Bixler (Issaquah KIDSTAGE Programs Manager) enthusiastically joined Village Theatre in 2003, days after leaving high tech corporate life to follow her lifetime passion of working in a theatre. Ms. Bixler has directed High School Musical, The Secret Garden, Les Misérables and Last Exit for KIDSTAGE and produced productions of Save As..., Into the Woods, Disney's Aladdin Jr., Once On This Island, A Perfect Fall, Disney's The Jungle Book KIDS, Seussical, trust me., Honk! Jr., Joseph..., The Velveteen Rabbit, Anything Goes, High Tide at Three Forks, and We're Having a Ball. Ms. Bixler has a BA in Theatre Arts from Western Washington University and has performed at Intiman, Seattle Children's Theatre, Renton Civic, and the late Pioneer Square Theatre. Her directing credits include Crimes of the Heart, Steel Magnolias, A Shayna Maidel, Royal Gambit, The Death of Bessie Smith, and The Firebugs. Ms. Bixler also was in the 1985 Village Theatre KIDSTAGE production of Bye, Bye, Birdie.

Erica Weir (Pied Piper Manager, Instructor) is in her tenth year as an instructor with KIDSTAGE. She has also worked as an Administrative Assistant, Production Assistant, Props Master, and Production Coordinator for KIDSTAGE productions, is a former preschool teacher, and mother of three kids ages six, 11, and 15. She is excited to have the opportunity to use her background in music and the arts and her education and experience in early childhood to act as a positive role model in children's lives while teaching kids about theatre arts.

Janet Cole Hamilton (Youth Education Special Projects Manager, Instructor) rejoined educational theatre after a nine year sidetrack in corporate America. Armed with a BA in theatre arts from Western Washington University and a Washington State initial teaching certificate in drama through the University of Washington, Janet enjoys the challenges of each new project within the vast Village Theatre Youth Education program. Janet has worked as a theatre artist throughout the Puget Sound region with Arts West, Civic Light Opera, Renton Civic, Driftwood Players, and many others. Directing credits include Romeo and Juliet, Penguin's South Pole Christmas, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, Sylvia, The Foreigner, The Woman in Black, and A Midsummer Night's Dream for KIDSTAGE. Personal motto: duck for luck.

Lisa Nathans (Everett KIDSTAGE Programs Manager, Instructor) is honored to return to KIDSTAGE being a KIDSTAGE kid herself! Lisa is a triple-threat actor (SAG/AEA), director/producer, and instructor. A Kamiak High School graduate, her KIDSTAGE performances include The Little Mermaid: A Rock Musical Fable and Footloose. She studied abroad at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) and earned her BFA in Acting from Boston University before attending BU’s Acting in Hollywood Graduate Program, created by Nina Tassler, President of CBS Entertainment and Jason Alexander. Lisa has studied Improv at The Second City LA and The Groundlings School. Professionally, she has performed Shakespeare with Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum and in the Village Originals shows The Fabulist and The Last Star Fighter. Musical Theatre experiences include Ann Reinking’s Broadway Theatre Project where she studied under Ben Vereen and Frank Wildhorn, performing as a vocal soloist in a documentary for Francesca Zambello (director, Broadway’s The Little Mermaid), and being asked to audition to replace the role of Ariel in the Broadway Cast. She has helped cast numerous feature films, TV shows, and commercials and worked for talent agencies in Boston and LA. Most recently she collaborated with fellow BU Alums to produce the new hit show Wolf Girls for the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Lisa has instructed KIDSTAGE classes as well as been on the production teams for FAME, Godspell, and Beauty and the Beast.

Nancy Dolliver (Issaquah KIDSTAGE Class Coordinator) has a Speech/Drama degree from the UW and taught for 25 years in Bellevue. She worked with Bellevue Youth Theatre and directed productions for Tyee Middle School. Past Issaquah KIDSTAGE shows include Les Misérables, The Velveteen Rabbit, Anything Goes, Singin' in the Rain, and Footloose. She is excited to be a part of the Village Theatre staff.

Angela Linder (Pied Piper Coordinator, KIDSTAGE greeter) is entering her fourth season with Village Theatre. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English, and enjoys bringing her "grammar guru" skills to the Youth Education department. She has a background working in the preschool environment, as well as in an office environment, and loves the unique blend of creativity, energy, laughter and collaboration that surround her in the Youth Education office.

Lindsay Lucas (Issaquah Education Coordinator) or the past 15 years has been touring, traveling, educating, performing, directing and learning about theatre. She is a graduate of Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts and Dell Arte International. Lindsay values the process of education and thrives on teaching theatre. She has had the amazing fortune to teach a vast range of youth demographics and learning styles. Her teaching pedagogy is in experiential education, physical acting, Lecoq, group dynamics, commedia and giving at risk youth a voice through theatre.  Lindsay is so thrilled to be the Education Coordinator as well as a teacher for KIDSTAGE at Village Theatre. Some of her favorite roles include: Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire, Alex in On the Verge, Maria in Twelfth Night, Mom in The Yellow Boat and Lily in Annie.

Brian Nulle (Issaquah KIDSTAGE Production Coordinator) thoroughly enjoys getting to share his passion for theatre and storytelling with an enthusiastic group of students every day. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in theatre management where he also accumulated a variety of stage management and production credits. Brian values the educational power of theatre and the rehearsal process specifically, and believes a positive outlook to be the most useful aid to the creative learning process. He is so thrilled to be the Production Coordinator and occasional stage manager for KIDSTAGE at Village Theatre. Some of his favorite shows at KIDSTAGE so far have been 13, Hairspray, and Godspell, though it’s hard to only pick a few..

KIDSTAGE Instructors & Directors

Kiki Abba is so excited to be working with the Company Originals program this year. Originally from Iowa, Kiki has been in Seattle for 3 years working with a variety of theatre companies across town. She is the Audience Development Associate at Seattle Rep by day and at night you can find her teaching at the Seattle Children's Theatre or acting at a small fringe theatre most likely in Capitol Hill. Her greatest acting role to date is pretending to be a fanatic in her family's Fantasy Football league. Go Packers!


Megan Adams has been performing for over 25 years and has trained in theatre and dance at the University of Washington, Cornish, Spectrum Dance Studio, and Westlake Dance Studio. Her experience ranges from director, to choreographer, to singer, to dancer, to teacher. Ms. Adams has also performed with Seattle Hip Hop Groups In-Effect, Breed, and Cruz Control. Ms. Adams currently teaches at Westlake Dance center in Seattle and is a KIDSTAGE teacher of all ages.

John Allman (Music Director/Vocal Coach) has coached singing actors at Village Theatre, Lyric Light Opera, Cornish College, Washington Academy of Performing Arts, and at the College of Santa Fe, NM. Recently, he was Music Director/Conductor for Camelot, The King and I and The Sound of Music at Lyric Light Opera, and Rocky Horror Show at Second Story Rep. Prior to that he Music Directed several Village Theatre Originals readings including The Alchemists, The Last Starfighter, and Anna Karenina, and led KIDSTAGE productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Honk!, Jr. Other credits include MD'ing A Man of No Importance for Showtunes!, the West Coast premiere of Illyria at Redwood Theatre, and Honk! Jr., at Issaquah Middle School. He was Assoc. MD for Village Theatre’s premiere production of Little Women, has played keyboards for VT Mainstage productions (CATS, Evita and Chasing Nicolette), and played for Sweeney Todd (Eastside Musical Theater) Bat Boy (ArtsWest) and Hairspray (SMT}. As a composer, NYC premieres include vocal and incidental music for Aeschylus’ Agamemnon and Shakespeare’s Henry V at LaMaMa Experimental Theatre; also, he produced a workshop of his original musical based on Alice in Wonderland at the International Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Krystle Armstrong has been choreographing, teaching dance and performing in the Seattle area since 2002. Some favorite performances include Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Angie in …New Jersey and upcoming Peggy Sawyer in Village Theatre’s 42nd Street! Her choreography has been seen locally with the Hi-Liners, CDA Summer Theatre, Liberty High School, Ballard High School and Village Theatre KIDSTAGE.

Emily Blackburn has been a teacher and director on four continents. A former actress turned passionate director, Emily has a degree in theatre from Northwestern University, earned her teaching certificate from Western Washington University and is only a thesis away from her Masters in Theatre Studies from Southern Oregon University. She is thrilled to be back in the Pacific Northwest and to be a part of Kidstage and Village Theatre.

Jim Blackett has been involved with KIDSTAGE as a performer and music director, and is currently music directing the Summer Independent Production of Chicago. Credits include 13 the Musical (Asst. MD) and All Shook Up (Asst. MD / conductor) with KIDSTAGE as well as The Last Five Years (MD). He loves working at Village Theatre and is excited to be a summer camp instructor. This fall he is headed to Occidental College in Los Angeles.

Cathan Bordyn is a local actor and director having just recently moved back to Washington from the San Francisco Bay Area. His favorite roles have included Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing (Montana Shakespeare Company), Tom in The Glass Menagerie (Grandstreet Theatre), Konstantin in The Seagull (Galvin Playhouse), Nate Cole in the world premiere of Bernardo Solano's Speak Spanish to Me (Actors Theatre, Phoenix) and Todd in The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow (Actors Theatre, Phoenix) for which he was nominated for an Arizoni Award. Cathan studied acting and directing at Carroll College and received his MFA in Performance from Arizona State University. In addition, he has studied Shakespeare and Linklater voice training from Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA and Suzuki/Viewpoints from Anne Bogart and the SITI Company. He also has a combat certification in unarmed and broad sword styles of fighting from Dueling Arts International, and is a member of the Actors Equity Association. Cathan has been teaching acting for theatre and film to students and professionals up and down the West Coast for 8 years, and is thrilled to be a part of Village Theatre and Kidstage's brand new Institute program.

Kasha Browning has been teaching at Village Theatre for the last year. A former KIDSTAGE kid, she received her BA in Theatre from the University of Washington with an emphasis in Directing/Youth Education, Spanish and Chicano/a Studies. She has been involved in KIDSTAGE Summer Independent productions onstage as Rosalia and as a designer/dialect coach for West Side Story and hair and make-up designer for All Shook Up. When she isn't onstage she is usually traveling around Europe and Mexico speaking Spanish. She is currently pursuing her Post-Baccalaureate Washington State Teacher Certification through CWU.

Lisa Buettner recieved her dance training in the Seattle area focusing on jazz, hip hop, and ballet. She studied at Bellevue Community College and was a member of the Eastside Moving Company and Fusion Dance Company of Seattle. She has studied under many choreographers including "So you think you can dance's" Tyce Diorio and Mandy Moore. She has taught locally and has choreographed competition jazz, hip hop, and lyrical for over ten years. Her latest ventures are judging for two consecutive years Seattle's "Bubblin Brown Sugar" hip hop charity competition and teaching workshops for The Village Theatre's Kidstage program. Lisa's passion is to bring joy and seft esteem to her students through dancing. Lisa currently teaches at Dance Elite and The Dance School.

Karissa Bryant is thrilled to be back in Washington teaching music again after a few years of travel, teaching, and study throughout Asia. Her passion is teaching music and yoga and she is grateful for the many opportunities to do both of these in Seattle and around the globe. Karissa was last seen in this area as a music director, vocal coach and teacher with Village Theater's KIDSTAGE and Studio East in 2008. She loves helping her students to realize their potential in singing and in life.

Sara Coiley received her BA in Theatre Arts Performance and Education from Central Washington University, where she received honors for performance and choreography. She most recently was assistant director/assistant choreographer for Seussical Jr. and choreographed the SummerStock production of Joseph and the Technicolor® Dreamcoat. She has taught art, musical theatre, and dance to students of all ages in universities, public schools, and studios since 1994. As a mother of two young girls, she has become very passionate about the impact of the arts and movement upon young children's health and learning. She has studied extensively with international movement educator Anne Green Gilbert at the Summer Dance Institute for Teachers and joined her faculty at the Creative Dance Center in 2000 where she embraced the philosophy of brain compatible/conceptual education and forged this with her own belief that all children have the right to dance with meaning and joy! Sara currently is director of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Stars – a mobile dance program that brings education to pre-K schools, lead teacher and co-developer of Arts Adventures preschool program at The Village Theatre/Everett, and teaches dance through Lake Stevens Community Education.

Suzy Conn is a musical theater composer, lyricist, and librettist, and graduate of the two-year Theatre Building Chicago Musical Theatre Writers' Workshop. Her shows include PLANE CRAZY -- a salute to airline stewardesses in the '60s (productions/readings in New York, Toronto, Oklahoma City, Issaquah); Beatrix Potter's THE TALE OF PIGLING BLAND (with Mitchell Kitz -productions in Chicago, Sedalia, Toronto); THE MERCER GIRLS (for The 5th Avenue Theatre's AMT program); DAISY THE FIRECOW and LARRY GETS LOST IN SEATTLE (part of Northwest Bookshelf 2 for The 5th Avenue Theatre's AMT program); BECKY AND THE BOOGER (with Mitchell Kitz); SAVE AS... and THE LAST SHOT (with Orlando Morales for Village Theatre's Kidstage Company Originals); and original material for COCKTAIL NUTS at ACT Theatre. Prior to focusing exclusively on musical theater, Suzy spent ten years in Toronto and Nashville writing country and pop songs, and commercial jingles. She has numerous U.S., international, and Canadian cuts, and she has several songs which hit #1 on the international country charts. She is a recipient of the prestigious SOCAN Advanced Writer's Workshop Award. Suzy teaches musical theater writing at the Village Theatre in both Issaquah and Everett, and is a coordinator of The Musical Theatre Writers Salon, sponsored by The 5th Avenue Theatre. Suzy originated and ran the Toronto branch of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Writers Workshop for three years. Suzy is the editor of Blogway Baby (http://blogwaybaby.com), one of the leading theater blogs on the Broadway and Off-Broadway scene. Suzy is a member of the Dramatist's Guild of America, Songwriters Guild of America (SGA), Association of Canadian Librettists, Composers, and Lyricists (ACLCL), SOCAN/ASCAP, ACTRA, and A.F. of M.

Ross Cornell started his career in New York City where he attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He has performed all over North America in the national tours of Footloose, CATS, and The Music Man where he served as Susan Stroman's dance captain. Other training highlights include the University of the Arts, Springfield Ballet Company and American Ballet Theatre. Here in the Seattle area, Ross has performed at the 5th Avenue Theatre in productions of White Christmas (twice), Cabaret (dance captain), 7 Brides and will be seen in their upcoming production of Guys & Dolls. At Village Theatre, Ross has taught several Kidstage classes and was seen last season on the Mainstage as Andy Lee in 42nd Street.

Kristin Culp. Armed with a BA in Jazz Dance and minor in Musical Theatre from Point Park University, Kristin has happily made a living performing, choreographing, and teaching for the past five years. Kristin teaches group musical theatre and dance classes for Village Theatre KIDSTAGE and Seattle Children's Theatre, dance workshops for local high schools, and private dance lessons for professional and future professional musical theatre performers. Local choreography credits include: Urinetown for Second Story Rep, Bat Boy for ArtsWest, Into the Woods, The Secret Garden, Once On This Island and Children Of Eden for Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE, Cinderella for CenterStage!, Bat Boy at Nathan Hale High School, and Seussical at Skyline High School.

Brian Demar Jones graduated from the PATP in May of last year, and has since been working professionally as an actor and teaching artist all around Seattle including the 5th Avenue Theatre and here at the Village Theatre in Chasing Nicolette. His favorites theater credits include: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with Contemporary Classics and RK Productions, Hello Dolly!, Les Misearbles, La Cage Aux Folles, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Twelfth Night. He has taught acting at the University of Washington School of Drama, Studio East, Stone Soup Theatre, Seattle Chidlren’s Theatre, and previously with Kidstage as part of the Steve Tomkins Studio. He specializes in Suzuki/Viewpoints, Auditioning, Scene Study, Shakespeare, and Acting in Musical Theatre.

In teaching, acting, and life one must strive for perfection knowing full well that perfection is unachievable…otherwise why do it!

Julie Denninghoff (Instructor/ Music Director) has worked at Bellevue College teaching voice, piano and conducting the Bellevue Acappella. Before joining Bellevue College she was the Managing Artistic Director for the Washington Academy of Performing Arts and Conservatory High School in Redmond, WA. She has been the staff musical director for CLO, and has worked with the 5th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, Eastside Musical Theatre as well as many high schools and children’s programs in the area. In the summer, she is a staff musical director/accompanist for the Broadway Theatre Project at the campus of USF in Tampa, Fl. She continues to be a sought after accompanist, arranger and vocal coach across the country.


Craig "CT" Doescher has appeared locally in Eastern Standard (BWC), two years of David Sedaris’ The Santaland Diaries (Seattle Public Theatre), The Miser (Seattle Shakespeare Company), Othello (Freehold Engaged!, and Wooden O), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Tacoma Actors Guild), the workshop of Temple (Seattle Repertory Theatre), Flora, the Red Menace (ShowTunes!), and the long-running Stones in His Pockets (CHAC). Regional credits include Marat/Sade, Enrico IV, Lysistrata (American Repertory Theatre); Angels in America (Stage West); and Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Merrimack Repertory Theatre). He also teaches and coaches independently, as well as at Seattle Pacific University and Freehold Theatre Lab:Studio. He studied in New York with Larry Singer and Michael Howard, and received his MFA from American Repertory Theatre/Moscow Art Theatre School. Proud member of the Sandbox Artists Collective.

Christian Duhamel delighted audiences as Vinnie LoBianco in Village Theatre's Once Upon A Time in New Jersey. He is a Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Award-winning director, musical director, composer, lyricist, and playwright, and has worked at theatres across the country including: The Zipper Theatre, Utah Shakespearean Festival, The Kennedy Center, The Human Race Theatre Company, The 5th Avenue Theatre, and Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre. He has worked with young performers at many high schools, Wright State University, Auburn University, DePaul University, Village Theatre, and Puget Sound Musical Theatre. In 2002, he presented Tangled Tales: Fairy Tales with an Urban Twist for the inaugural session of City of Federal Way's Summer Youth Theatre. Mr. Duhamel earned his BFA in Acting-Musical Theatre from Ohio's Wright State University. He is the Artistic Director of Puget Sound Musical Theatre.

Ann Evans has been a vocal instructor, performer and theatre arts educator in the Seattle area since 1988, and has an active private voice studio. She holds membership in AEA, Actor’s Equity Association and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Ms. Evans' work as an instructor has ranged from public/private schools in Colorado, New York, California, and Washington, and to performing arts programs such as Washington Academy of Performing Arts, Village Theatre Kidstage, Seattle Playhouse, Youth Theatre Northwest, Seattle Children's Theatre, West Seattle Theatre Arts, and Tacoma Actors Guild. She developed the curriculum and was the acting chair of the Musical Theatre Department at Washington Academy of Performing Arts from its inception to 1998. Ms. Evans' studio is focused on Broadway style singing. Her students range from high school performers to Broadway actors, with students playing roles on Broadway in Spring Awakening, Wicked, All Shook Up, 42nd Street, The Pirate Queen, Aida, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Xanadu, and White Christmas; in National Tours of Annie, Cats, The King & I, My Fair Lady, Mamma Mia, Wicked, Jersey Boys, and Next to Normal. Studio alumni have gone on to study at top theatre programs around the country.

Aaron C. Finley a card carrying member of Actors' Equity, has a B.A. in Theatre with an Acting and Directing Emphasis from Pacific Lutheran University. He made his way to Seattle 7 years ago from his hometown of Bozeman, Montana. He was last seen in Village Theatre's Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus/Judas). Some of his favorite shows have been A Christmas Story (ensemble), The Gypsy King (Drago), Follies (Young Ben), I Love You Because (Austin), Aida (ensemble), Plaid Tiddings (Frankie). He has had the pleasure of being apart of amazing productions with The 5th Avenue, Village Theatre, Artswest, Taproot Theatre, ACT, Showtunes, Centerstage, Contemporary Classics and others. He is currently rehearsing for Village's Take me America (Gary) and is super stoked to work with the KIDSTAGE kids!

Ashley FitzSimmons is a Seattle-area teacher, choreographer and performer. She has taught dance and theatre classes for local organizations like Studio East, Youth Theatre Northwest and 5th Avenue Theatre. Choreography credits include Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, Bugsy Malone, Beauty and the Beast, and Joseph...Dreamcoat. Local performance credits include 5th Avenue Theatre's Adventure Musical Theatre - Rosie the Riveter, Jesus Christ Superstar (Village), The Full Monty (Village), Show Boat (Village), Disney's Beauty and the Beast (Village) to name a few. Ashley holds a BFA in Acting from Minnesota State University, and brings over 20 years of dance training to KIDSTAGE.

Sarah Harlett is an active member of the Seattle Theater community. Locally, she has performed at ACT Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theater, Intiman, New City Theater, Seattle Shakespeare Company, The Empty Space and On the Boards. Internationally, she performed at the Centre de Danse in Paris, France with the Megan Murphy Company. Sarah was a founding member of the Compound Collective, a nationally acclaimed performance group in Seattle that focused on original works from 1994-2000. She graduated from Cornish College of the Arts and received additional training at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland and with the Royal Shakespeare Company at Oxford University. Sarah was a recipient of the Derek Jacobi Scholarship for her training at Oxford.

Lee Ann Hittengerger has been a choreographer, actor, theater arts teacher through out the Northwest. She has taught stage combat at West Sound Academy, Bainbridge Performing Arts, Roosevelt High School, Tacoma Little Theater, Kitsap Youth Theater Camp, and choreographed fights for productions of Macbeth, Man of La Mancha, Peter Pan, Oklahoma and 2 films. She studied under Fight Master Geof Alm and holds skill proficiency in 8 stage combat weapons, is an Actor Combatant and is a member of the Society of American Fight Directors. Movement training includes dance, View Points, mask work (Arnie Zaslove), Alexander Technique (Cathy Madden), and Meyerhold (George Lewis) with Ensemble Training Intensive at Freehold and the Creative Dance Center Teacher Training Intensive "The Brain Dance" (Anne Green Gilbert).

Brandon Ivie is a Seattle-based theatre director and producer. He has worked and produced locally at Seattle Repertory Theatre, ACT Theatre, Village Theatre, ArtsWest Playhouse, Seattle Musical Theatre, Theater Schmeater, Empty Space Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theatre, where he is Casting Associate and Artistic Project Manager. He is also artistic director of Contemporary Classics and creator of the popular New Voices series. He worked on the Broadway production of Next to Normal and Off-Broadway on The Yellow Wood, both with Pulitzer Prize winner Brian Yorkey. He has directed/produced Seattle premieres of Zanna, Don’t! (Seattle Times Footlight Award), I Love You Because, john & jen, A New Brain, tick, tick... BOOM!, and The Last Five Years. He is an alumni of the KIDSTAGE program where he directed Summer Independent productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Ruthless! The Musical.

Eric Polani Jensen is thrilled to be teaching, and directed Last Exit in 2009 and Children of Eden in 2007, and choreographed fights in Les Misérables (School Edition) and trust me for KIDSTAGE. He was last seen at Village Theatre as the Beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, as Perón in Evita, and will be reprising his role as Howard in Village Theatre's Mainstage production of Stunt Girl. Regional credits include: Oscar Jaffee in On the 20th Century with Showtunes!, Emile de Becque in South Pacific, the Governor in Man of La Mancha at Village Theatre, and Sweeney Todd at The 5th Avenue. He has also performed at Seattle Repertory Theatre, SCT, ACT, and TAG.

Danny Kam holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Western Washington University, with concentrations in Acting and Directing. Outside of the Theatre Arts Department, he studied Vocal Pedagogy, performed extensively as a soloist with Western’s Music Department, and founded an original concert series, Fresh Hot Songs, which had four sold-out installments. As an actor, Danny has performed with the 5th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, Seattle Musical Theatre, Mount Baker Theatre, and Contemporary Classics, among others. As a teacher, he also works with Seattle's Broadway Bound Children's Theatre, and teaches private voice/acting lessons at Kaleidoscope School of Music in Issaquah. He is so thrilled to be working with KIDSTAGE, after growing up in this wonderful program and performing in several shows, including The Spitfire Grill (Caleb), trust me (Seth), Joseph... (Levi) and Les Miserables (Grantaire).

Rob Knop has worked in the performing arts as an administrator and performer for over 18 years. He is currently the Marketing and Audience Development Director at Seattle Repertory Theatre. In addition to his work at Seattle Rep Rob consults on marketing and audience development strategies for local emerging arts groups Seattle Modern Orchestra and Arc Dance Company among others. Rob is also a local musician having most recently played as a member of independent rock group Harvey Danger from 2005 to 2010 and currently working with singer/songwriter Gavin Guss. Rob was recently the music director for 100 Heartbreaks a new country musical by local playwright Joanna Horowitz. His original rock musical Diana Moves was produced in 2004. Rob holds a Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University and an Associates Degree from Berklee College of Music.

Bobbi Kotula received her BA in Theatre Arts from Penn State University, her Teaching Certificate from Villanova University, and has studied for her Masters in Directing. Her 30 year acting career includes performances on screen, television, radio, and on stages across the country. She is a proud member of Equity, SAG, and AFTRA performance unions and also works as a fundraising manager at Village Theatre.

Jessica Low is a long time KIDSTAGE instructor/director/choreographer with credits including Once Upon A Time in New Jersey (director), Disney’s The Jungle Book (director/choreographer), You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (choreographer/assistant director) and Honk! Jr. (choreographer) as well as teaching classes for ages Pre-K-12. Jessica has a BA in drama from UW and works around the Sound as a performer, choreographer, director and teacher. Credits include work at Village Theatre, ArtsWest, Sound Theatre Company, Capital Playhouse, Seattle Musical Theatre, Coeur d‘Alene Summer Theatre, Centerstage and Bainbridge Playhouse. Village credits: Annie Get Your Gun, Jesus Christ Superstar and 42nd Street. Jessica has worked with KIDSTAGE since 2005, including these productions: High School Musical, The Jungle Book and Once Upon a Time in New Jersey.

Matthew Lawrence comes to Seattle from southern California where he grew up and attended William S. Hart High School and was a member of the national award winning show choir Sound Vibes. He then moved to the central coast trained at PCPA/The Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (class of 2009). While at PCPA Matthew was in the productions of Les Misérables (Joly/ensemble), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Moth), The Music Man (ensemble), and Batboy the Musical (Batboy/Edgar). Productions at other theatres include Canyon Theatre Guild/Santa Clarita Regional Theatre: Fiddler on the Roof (Feyedka), Grease (Doody); Actors Repertory East: Thoroughly Modern Millie; The Theatre Project: Sing Me a Happy Song, Any Evening with Stephen Schwartz; and Oregon Caberet Theatre. Matthew has also worked as a choreographer and youth workshop instructor at The Canyon Theatre and The Santa Clarita Regional Theatre where he contributed choreography for various gala and charity events along with the productions of Grease, Beauty and the Beast, High School Musical, The Bard is Back, and A Christmas Carol. Matthew is getting ready for a Summer Season at Utah Festival Opera.

Silas Lindenstein is very happy to be teaching at again at KIDSTAGE. He is in his sixth year of running the drama program at Eastlake High School in Sammamish. There he has directed the musical productions Grease, Once Upon A Mattress, Zombie Prom, and You're A Good Man Charlie Brown (Revised). He also coaches the school’s Improv team Aw Snap! which last fall won the Jet City Improv High School Open Tournament. He has been acting and directing in educational, fringe, and professional theatre for the last 14 years. He holds a BA in theatre arts from California State University, Chico.

Ian Lindsay is very excited to be teaching here in the Village Theatre Institute. A professional actor and drama teacher, Ian has appeared on the Village Mainstage a number of times, as well as performing at the Seattle Children’s Theatre, ACT, Seattle Opera, Taproot Theatre, and in Australia with theatre simple. Ian has worked as a drama teacher here at the Village Kidstage, with Seattle Children’s Theatre’s Drama School, at Montalke Elementary, and at the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India. Ian sees his job as teacher to be one of collaboration. Each actor must work hard to find his or her own most effective approach to material. Ian looks forward to collaborating with each individual and with the class as a whole as they work towards that goal. Ian is also a professional auctioneer.

Michael Matlock is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan with a BM in Composition. Before that he was a KIDSTAGE kid, performing both on stage and at the piano. And now he is excited to be working with the next generation of young talent! Favorite credits include music directing with Summer Independent performances of Sweeney Todd and West Side Story.

Ellen McLain enjoys a busy career in theatre and opera. She received her Bachelor and Masters Degrees with Honors in Music from The New England Conservatory in Boston. Ellen’s Broadway credits include My Fair Lady with Sir Rex Harrison and Peggy Lee in her show, Peg. Regional and national theater credits range from Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman (Montana Rep/Nat/l. tour) to Mimi in La Boheme (Seattle Opera Outreach). She served on the voice faculty of Cornish College of the Arts from 1996 to 2001 and has had a private voice studio for over twenty years. Ellen is also well known in the computer game community for her voice-over work in Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead and Portal.

Stephanie Lynn Merrow received her MA in Acting and Dance in 1999 and has been teaching drama and dance, directing and choreographing for all ages since 1997. Currently, Stephanie teaches/directs/choreographs for Village Theatre, Cornish College of the Arts Summer Program, Mt. Si High School, Snoqualmie Middle School and Ignite! Dance and Yoga. Some choreography credits include Guys and Dolls, …Spelling Bee, and Kiss Me Kate at Mt. Si High School, Suessical at Youth Theatre Northwest and Brigadoon for Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theatre. Directing credits include You Can’t Take It With You at Mt. Si High School, Who Said What Now??? At Snoqualmie Middle School, Into the Woods and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Oak Hill High School and Whose Life Is It Anyway? at Chico High School. Acting credits include many roles with Unexpected Productions, Live Girls!, Macha Monkey, Jet City, Valley Center Stage and Northwest GOGA. Stephanie also works as a professional improviser for Effective Arts and leads the Ignite! Improv Troupe.

Vanessa Miller An actress, teacher and director, Vanessa has worked in many capacities for Village Theatre. Last season, she was the co-director of ANNE OF GREEN GABLES after directing the reading for the 2009 Village Theatre Festival of New Works. A fan of new musicals, Vanessa also directed the world premiere of SACAGAWEA (Willows Theatre) and FAIRYSTORIES (Village Theatre Originals). Also at Village, Vanessa was the assistant director for THE WHO'S TOMMY, SECRET GARDEN, and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, working with director Brian Yorkey each time. She directed the KIDSTAGE productions of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, FOOTLOOSE (2002), and IN YOUR EYES. Other directing projects include OTHELLO, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and THE WINTER'S TALE (Seattle Shakespeare) and THE BIRDS, SUNLIGHT and WELL (ArtsWest). She earned her BA cum laude at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and continued her post graduate studies at LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts). With over fifteen years of teaching experience, Vanessa specializes in coaching actors and teaching musical theatre, opera, and Shakespeare. She has taught and designed programs for most of the local major theatre companies, including Village Theatre KIDSTAGE, Seattle Repertory Theater, Seattle Shakespeare and Intiman, and has designed many residencies for nearby school districts.

Orlando Morales has been involved with KIDSTAGE since 2001 as a music director, instructor, and composer/lyricist. Favorite music directing credits include Ruthless, Little Shop of Horrors, Last Exit, trust me, Disney’s The Jungle Book KIDS, and Willy Wonka Jr.; as well as Rent: School Edition at SCT. Writing credits include scores for the KIDSTAGE Company Original productions Save As… and The Last Shot. In 2008, he was a selected participant in the AMTP Johnny Mercer Songwriters Workshop (at Northwestern University). Orlando received a BA in American Ethnic Studies and Music Minor in 2006, and a Masters in Teaching (Secondary Language Arts) in 2009—both from the University of Washington where he also scored two productions for the UW School of Drama (The Tempest and Arabian Nights). Orlando is active at the Filipino Community Center in Seattle, where he coordinates a youth choir and folkloric music ensemble.

Kate Myre received her MFA in Acting from Brandeis University. Selected Regional Acting credits include: Rosalind in As You Like It, Helen in Baby With The Bath Water, Ann in All my Sons, Elsa in The Road to Mecca, Gremio in Taming of the Shrew and as Lady MacBeth. She had the honor of meeting Arthur Miller and performing the role of Patricia in his play The Last Yankee. With the assistance of Mr. Miller, Kate was brought to New York to recreate the role for the Signature Theatre Company under the direction of Joseph Chaikin. She has worked with the Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Opera’s Young Artist Training Program, ACT, Seattle Public Theater, The Village Theatre, Cornish College, The Tacoma Actors Guild, The Immediate Theatre, Toast Theatre, Vocal Arts Northwest, and The Boston Repertory Theatre. She is an Associate Professor at Cornish College of the Arts as a voice and speech teacher, where she has had the pleasure of teaching for 12 years. Kate works nationally as a commercial actress/voice talent, and is a member of Actor’s Equity and AFTRA.

Heather Nobis has been working with KIDSTAGE for over two years and is extremely thrilled to be teaching again this summer. She started at Village Theatre as a KIDSTAGE student and is excited to be back teaching for a program that brought her so much joy. Some of her favorite acting credits include Women of Lockerbie, Dear Mrs. Martin, Children of Eden and Crazy for You. Along with acting she has enjoyed directing Story of My Life and Happy No-lidays. She has completed her B.A. in theatre at Seattle Pacific University.

Kasey Nusbickel has been involved in the arts since age 3, as a dancer, singer, actor, teacher, director, musical director, and choreographer. She has also spent years working with kids from the pre-K age to high school. KIDSTAGE is an amazing place to explore one’s creativity both as teacher and student, and she is thrilled to be a part of it!

Marianne Roberts has been a choreographer for over 25 years with productions at Seattle Children's Theatre, Seattle Rep, Intiman, Cornish College, Village Theatre, and KIDSTAGE. This past year she choreographed Peter Pan and The Brementown Musicians at SCT and Children of Eden at KIDSTAGE. Marianne danced professionally in New York for many years and toured internationally with several New York dance companies. Teaching credits include Cornish College of the Arts, in both the dance and theatre departments, and KIDSTAGE.

Faith Russell has been working in Seattle as an actress, teacher, choreographer, and director for the past 20 plus years, and is so excited to be with KIDSTAGE for another session of fun! She has also been pleased to teach and direct for Taproot Theater's Acting Studio in Seattle, and for Studio East in Kirkland. She was in Village Theatre's production of Once on This Island and can often be found at Storybook Theatre!

Erika Shaw has been with KIDSTAGE since spring of 2011 when she taught for the Preschool program. She completed the Education Internship with KIDSTAGE in the summer of 2011 and has been teaching theater and dance with KIDSTAGE ever since. Erika also majored in Elementary Education with an emphasis on Early Childhood and since then has been involved with education, whether as a tutor, Para educator, or teaching dance at Dance Elite, dance studio in Everett.

Jessica Skerritt grew up in KIDSTAGE and has enjoyed being a teacher for this wonderful program off and on for the past four years. She has also been the vocal director for the ArtsWest Summer Conservatory Program. Professionally, Jessica has been seen on Village Theatre's Mainstage in Million Dollar Quartet, Barefoot in the Park, Chasing Collette, and The Gypsy King, and in productions locally at ArtsWest, ReAct, and Showtunes! She is thrilled to be back at KIDSTAGE this year working with such wonderfully imaginative children!

Ben Skubi (Instructor) is excited to return to KIDSTAGE as an instructor after having been a KIDSTAGE kid and intern! Ben has earned a B.A. in music composition from Reed College and loves to teach the kind of music he writes. He has worked as a private piano instructor, accompanist for various ensembles, instructing and assistant music director positions in various KIDSTAGE productions, as the music and movement specialist at Camp Patterson at Silver Lake, and as music director in I Love You Because. He's looking forward to a great summer with a new generation of KIDSTAGE kids!

Natalie Scollick graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Music focusing in Vocal performance and Pedagogy. She also minored in modern dance. In 2009 Natalie won 1st place in NATS Musical Theatre Competition. She loves performing as well as teaching and working with youth. She is currently the Musical Director for Cascadia Montessori School in Redmond. She also has a thriving private voice studio in her home and is directing a 40 person choir for her church.

Josh Scribner is a Seattle-based dancer and choreographer known for his innovative and contemporary interpretation of tap dance. He recently finished a year-long tour as a dancer for Cirque du Soleil's first Broadway show, "Banana Shpeel," and has appeared on the television show “Showtime at the Apollo” at New York’s famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, toured with the Las Vegas dance company, "Iron Beats," and participated in the creation process for Cirque du Soleil's "Zaia." When not performing, he teaches and choreographs around the US and Canada, directs Premiere Dance Center's tap company for teens and young adults, and teaches the adult tap program at Seattle's historic Century Ballroom. He's very excited to be a part of the Village Theater and teaching for Kidstage!

Ryan John Spickard is a native to the Northwest, Ryan is a BFA graduate from Cornish College of the Arts and a member of the Society of American Fight Directors as well as the United Stuntmen's Association. As a working fight choreographer and actor in the Seattle area, Ryan has performed with various theaters such as the Seattle Shakespeare Company, Book-It Repertory Theater, GreenStage, Balagan Theater, Theater Schmeater and others. Regional Credits include work with the Idaho Shakespeare Company and the Colorado Shakespeare Company where he was nominated as best supporting comedic actor for "The Comedy of Errors" by the Denver Post. In 2009, along with other members of the stage combat community in Seattle, he formed Performers' Forge, a theater company dedicated to the performance and education of staged violence, of which he is currently Co-Artistic Director.

Tim Symons is a KIDSTAGE alum (1990-1999) and is thrilled to be able to work with the program that raised him. Since his “graduation” from KIDSTAGE, Tim has taught numerous classes and music directed a number of productions in Issaquah and Everett. With Brian Yorkey, Tim has composed the scores for Last Exit, Trust Me and A Perfect Fall, all written and performed in collaboration with the Issaquah KIDSTAGE Company. Tim has been the Resident Music Director for Village Theatre since 2005, and has music directed many productions on the Mainstage, including 42nd Street, Meet Me In St. Louis, Show Boat, Beauty and the Beast, CATS and The Who’s Tommy.

R.J. Tancioco Favorite music directing credits: Joseph…Dreamcoat, Cabaret, Hair, Smokey Joe's Café at The 5th Avenue Theatre; The Gypsy King, Chasing Nicolette, Stunt Girl, Once Upon a Time in New Jersey, Evita, Peter Pan, Grease, and Joseph...Dreamcoat at Village Theatre; Piece, Iron Curtain, and Cold Turkey for Village Originals; Making Tracks at San Jose Repertory; The Wedding Banquet for 2G (Second Generation); Sisters of Swing at Broadway Rose; Plaid Tidings and Bat Boy at ArtsWest; Rent: School Edition at Seattle Children’s Theatre; New Voices series, A New Brain, and The Last Five Years for Contemporary Classics; and Songs for a New World for Raggedy Z Productions. Recording credits: TMC Work's Katie Tomlinson’s Original Passion, David Austin's A Christmas Carol and Every Little Vow; Jennifer Paz's Awakening. During the day, Mr. Tancioco is an instructor (over 10 years) to Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE classes and shows (High School Musical, The Wiz, Into the Woods, The Secret Garden, Once On This Island, Children of Eden, Les Misérables, Seussical, and Footloose), was the touring musical director for Adventure Musical Theatre (It Happened at the World's Fair and Klondike!) at 5th Avenue Theatre, is an avid vocal coach, arranger, composer, and enjoys educating youth and young adults for theatre.

Alison-Terry is celebrating her first season with KIDSTAGE, and is thrilled to be working with the Saturday Institute students! Alison served as the Tucson Education Manager at Arizona Theatre Company. She has helped create and implement new community engagement and classroom activities for ATC’s AMERICA PLAYS! Celebrating Great American Stories initiative, managed and expanded the Open Doors and the Student Matinee programs, and went out into local classrooms as part of the Master Class and Artist in Residence programs. Alison also served as the Program Director for Summer on Stage, ATC’s intensive acting program for high school students. Alison has conducted professional development/arts integration residencies with 4th and 5th grade teachers and their students through Childsplay Theatre Company. She holds a Master of Arts in Theatre and Dance (Theatre Education and Outreach Emphasis) from the University of New Mexico, and has worked as an adjunct lecturer at UNM. She managed the UNM Summer Theatre Academy, served as Associate Producer of the Words Afire New Works Festival, and served as a faculty directing mentor for undergraduate students. Favorite directing credits include Friday’s Child, In the Wind, Dead Chihuahuas, and Rice for Breakfast..

Pamela Turpen has been dancing for 21 years and received her BA in dance from UNLV. Locally, she has performed with the 5th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Arc Dance Productions, SD Prism Dance Theatre, ACT Theatre, and Seattle Opera. She has been choreographing and teaching dance to all ages and levels for 15 years, choosing to focus on modern, classical jazz and musical theatre genres. She hopes to inspire audiences with her vision as well as be a pioneer for future generations, affecting how we think about dance and storytelling on stage.

Kathryn Van Meter. This marks Kathryn’s 10th anniversary of being involved with KIDSTAGE.  Over the last decade she has taught classes, directed and choreographed shows and facilitated the Company Originals Program.  Kathryn recently returned from spending 6 months living in South Africa with the Refilwe Community Project, teaching theatre and dance to children through A.S.T.E.P (Artists Striving to End Poverty)  Professionally, she has choreographed many shows for Village Theatre’s Mainstage and most recently directed the developmental production of CLOAKED.  She has performed throughout Seattle and can be seen as Dolly Tate in VT’s upcoming production of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN.  She is a proud member of the Sandbox Artist’s Collective.

Eia Waltzer has been working with KIDSTAGE for the last 5 years. She began her KIDSTAGE career acting in a few SummerStock shows and is now happy to share her enthusiasm with a new generation of students. You may have recently seen her choreography in KIDSTAGE's productions of West Side Story, Footloose, High School Musical, and Godspell. She is currently getting her Masters in Teaching while teaching dance, and choreographing, for high schools and various theaters around the area.

Terri Weagant has been a producing actor, director, writer and dialect coach in Seattle for the last 8 years. She has worked with such companies as Seattle Shakespeare Company, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Theater Schmeater, CHAC, Empty Space, Balagan Theatre, Centerstage and Hypnagogia Sketch Comedy Group. She is a former company member of Balagan Theatre where she developed SCHMORGASBORG, a monthly late night theatre cabaret dedicated to new works. Following a month long Seattle run, Terri toured her production of Jane Wagner’s The Search for….Universe to Southeast Alaska and Washington state. In 2009 she was awarded the Theatre Puget Sound Member’s Voice Award and is a two-time Gregory Award Nominee for Outstanding Actress. Terri received her BFA in Acting from Cornish College of the Arts in 2004.

Matt Wolfe is currently in Village Theatre’s production of 42nd Street. He actually worked with the creators of Hairspray on last summer’s Catch Me If You Can at The 5th Avenue, and a few years ago played the role of Sam Phillips in Million Dollar Quartet, which is now playing on Broadway. He works as an actor, director, and theatre instructor in Seattle. In Everett, you may have seen him in a commercial for Providence Medical Center on television. In Seattle, he performs frequently at the Village, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and The 5th Avenue. Matt has been a professional actor for fifteen years and is a proud member of Actor’s Equity.

Marilyn Young loves to dance and was introduced to acting from performing in musical theater shows. She decided to take some classes at Freehold Theatre to improve her performance ability and fell in love! She is passionate about physical theater, mask work, and Theatre of the Oppressed and recently received a Master’s in Educational Theater from NYU.

Mauri Zingarelli has been a KIDSTAGE kid for more than half of her life. A participant in plays since the age of three, Mauri loves sharing her passion for theatre with others, especially children. This is Mauri's third summer as a theatre instructor. In the past eleven years she has worked for KIDSTAGE as a summer camp assistant, intern, production assistant and stage manager. Mauri is currently attaining her undergraduate degree in Social Issues Documentaries at Chapman University.

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