This page contains professional profiles and contact information for Theatre Program faculty and staff.
You can also find Dance Program Faculty.
From off campus, dial 484-664- plus the four-digit extension. If no number is listed, please call the main Theatre & Dance number, 484-664-3335.
Theatre Faculty
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James Peck, Theatre Program Chair Professor: Directing, Performance Studies, and Theatre History Dr. James Peck has directed over 60 productions of plays, operas, and musicals at theatres throughout the United States. He has published numerous scholarly articles in academic journals and in books from university presses. His current research focuses on the history and practice of directing. He is Series Editor of The Great North American Stage Directors, an eight-volume history of the art form of theatre direction published by Methuen Drama. He has also served as editor of Theatre Topics and book review editor of Theatre Journal. At Muhlenberg, Jim has received the Class of '32 Research Professorship, the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Williams Award for Research by a Junior Faculty Member, and the First-Year Advising Award. In 2020, he received the Oscar Brockett Award for the Outstanding Teacher of Theatre in Higher Education from The Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE). Jim chaired the Department of Theatre & Dance from 2006 to 2013. In addition to Muhlenberg, he has taught at the Yale School of Drama, the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and the Playwrights Horizons Theater School. he/him/his | jimpeck@muhlenberg.edu | x3582 |
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Rebecca Lustig, Director of the Co-Curricular/Production Program Assistant Professor: Costume Design Rebecca Lustig is a costume designer whose work has appeared across the U.S. and was featured in the United States Exhibit at the 2015 Prague Quadrennial. Favorite projects include The Happiness Lecture created by the incomparable Bill Irwin at the Philadelphia Theatre Company, the Page-To-Stage version of I Am My Own Wife starring Jefferson Mays and directed by playwright Doug Wright at the La Jolla Playhouse, the original workshop production of Rajiv Joseph’s Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo at SUNY Purchase, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona directed by Eric Tucker at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Rebecca was the Assistant Costume Designer on the North American productions of Billy Elliot the Musical (Broadway and National Tours) and Assistant/Associate Designer on the Hal Prince directed productions LoveMusik on Broadway, Paradise Found in London, and Candide at the New York City Opera. Rebecca holds an MFA in Design from the University of California, San Diego. rebeccalustig.com she/her/hers | rebeccalustig@muhlenberg.edu | x3331 |
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Jessica Bien, Director of Operations and Production Adjunct Professor: Stage Management, Arts Accessibility Jessica Bien has served as the department's general manager since 2006. She returns to her native Allentown from Boston, where she worked as executive assistant to the chief operating officer of the Wang Center for the Performing Arts. She also held positions as theatre manager and access coordinator at the Wang. She has served as marketing associate for Zoellner Center for the Arts, at Lehigh University; box office manager and director of marketing for the AmeriCulture Arts Festival; marketing and public relations intern for the Williamstown Theatre Festival; and communications and publications assistant for Hartwick College. Jess has also held production and administrative positions for events at Kutztown University, Civic Theatre, and Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre. Jess holds a certificate in Arts Administration from the University of Massachusetts and is also a 200-hour certified yoga teacher. She is the recipient of the 2018 Arts Ovation Award for Service to the Arts. she/her/hers | bien@muhlenberg.edu | x3087 |
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Associate Professor: Acting Holly Cate is an award-winning actor who has appeared on Broadway in An Ideal Husband, directed by Sir Peter Hall, and regionally in Blithe Spirit (Portland Stage), An Ideal Husband (Pioneer), All My Sons (American Stage), and Arms and the Man (Asolo), in addition to numerous New York Theatre credits. Holly has performed in two world premiere productions at Philly Fringe: Judith/Dresses/Joe, an evening of avant-garde masterworks, at the Walnut Street Theatre, and Then Athena, a devised work about women, war, and wisdom, at the Drake Theatre. She recently appeared in the web series The Other F Word, which can be found on theotherfwordseries.com. Holly also played the deliciously evil Janice Maxwell on As the World Turns, has appeared in over 20 national television and radio commercials, and works as an audio book narrator. In addition to performing, Holly also creates and directs her own theatre, including HENRY, a three-play adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry VI tetralogy. She is a Stanislavski-based acting technique teacher with an emphasis on the role of the body in the actor's process, both on stage and on camera. hollycateactor.com she/her/hers | hcate@muhlenberg.edu | x4019 |
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Assistant Professor: Scenic Design You-Shin Chen is a Taiwanese designer who is committed to diversity and humanity. Trained as a scenic designer, she centers the human experience in the process of creating a three-dimensional space. Her design for Eclipsed (Lewis Center for the Arts) is featured in the USA exhibition at the 2019 Prague Quadrennial. She is the recipient of the 2019 Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Award at The Lilly Awards, as well as a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Scenic Design in 2020. Some of her favorite credits include: Mlima’s Tale (St. Louis Rep); Troy Anthony’s The Revival: It Is Our Duty (The Shed, NYC); SKiNFoLK (the Bushwick Starr & National Black Theatre); UGLY & The KILL ONE Race (Raja Feather Kelly & the feath3r theory); Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie (ArsNova); Monsoon Season (AFO Theatre); and Man of God (InterAct Theatre Company). As a scenic design associate/assistant she has worked closely with Mimi Lien and Laura Jelinek on theatre and opera productions in NYC and regionally. Member of USA829. www.youshinchen.com she/her/hers | you-shinchen@muhlenberg.edu | x4281 |
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Adjunct Professor: Stage Combat Michael Chin serves as fight director in residence for both The White Horse and Pan Asian Rep in NYC. He has taught, choreographed, and consulted on Broadway as well as for The Mint, Murder To Go, Theatreworks USA, La MaMa ETC, The National Theatre, Juilliard, New York University, Henry Street Settlement, The Drama League, The Classical Theatre of Harlem, and the New York Renaissance Faire. he/him/his | michaelchin@muhlenberg.edu |
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Adjunct Professor: Scenic Construction; Technical Director Eric Covell's responsibilities include overseeing all scenic builds for department productions, and supervising and teaching work study, stagecraft and volunteer students in shop safety and construction. His professional experience includes freelance designer and sound engineer at Fitchburg State College, Bay Street Theatre, and AmeriCulture Arts Festival. He served for two years as resident scenic and lighting designer, facility manager, and technical director at Civic Theatre of Allentown. Most recently he was the project manager for Great Eastern Seating, restoring and installing theatre seats in the tri-state area, including work at the Apollo Theatre. he/him/his | ecovell@muhlenberg.edu | x3644 |
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Visiting Assistant Professor: Playwriting & Theatre Scholarship Dubbed “feisty as hell” by The New Yorker and “a great modern American playwright” by Broadway World, Dean’s plays have been produced/developed Off-Broadway and Regionally at distinguished companies such as New York Theatre Workshop, Manhattan Theatre Club, McCarter, The Kennedy Center, Oregon Shakespeare, and many others. Notable plays include Heartland (Pulitzer Prize nomination, National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere); In Bloom (Canadian Risk Theatre Modern Tragedy Award); Terminus (Austin Critic’s Table Award); Qualities of Starlight (Broadway Blacklist); Entangled (New York Innovative Theatre Award nomination); and his often-produced play for young audiences The Transition of Doodle Pequeño (AATE Distinguished Play Award, NETC Aurand Harris Award). Dean penned book and lyrics for the young audiences musical Mario & the Comet and the activist musical Our New Town (The Civilians R&D Group). He was recently hired to polish the feature film Get Gomez by Cranium Entertainment, and his script for television, We Belong, was a finalist for the Humanitas New Television Writer Award. Dean received the Hodder Fellowship from Princeton University, was a Dramatist’s Guild Fellow, Core Writer/Affiliated Writer at the Playwrights’ Center, and is a Usual Suspect at New York Theatre Workshop. He is published by Samuel French, Playscripts and Dramatic Publishing. GabrielJasonDean.com. he/him/his | gabrieldean@muhlenberg.edu |
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Adjunct Professor: Acting Jessie Dean has trained at the Globe Theatre in London and earned her MFA with a focus on classical work from Illinois State University. Jessie is a multi-discipline theatre maker, writer, performer, director, musician, and Associate Artistic Director of Molière in the Park, Brooklyn’s first free theatre in Prospect Park. Previously, she has also served as Co-Artistic Director of Monk Parrots, and Managing Director of Dad’s Garage Theatre. She is the co-author of Our New Town, a musical developed with the Civilians, and the movie Get Gomez, set to begin filming this summer. Jessie began working in the theatre professionally in Atlanta, Georgia after graduating from Oglethorpe University with a BA in theatre. She quickly became an acclaimed director and musical theatre performer specializing in comedy and musicals. After building a theatre company in Atlanta, Relativity Theatre Concern, and working in real estate to support it, she decided to go back to school to earn her MFA in performance. Since moving to New York after graduate school, Jessie has performed and produced groundbreaking avant-garde work with Monk Parrots, classical work with Molière in the Park, written a book, become a mother, and began writing sketch comedy. Jessie has performed and developed work at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, Dad’s Garage Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, La MaMa, and the Kennedy Center and continues to produce and perform work in New York. she/her/hers | jessicadean@muhlenberg.edu |
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Will Detlefsen Visiting Assistant Professor: Directing Will Detlefsen is a Bay Area-born New York-based freelance theatre director. Will trained at the Playwrights Horizons Theater School at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He later received his Masters in Directing from UC San Diego. Directing credits include: The Straights by T. Adamson (JACK), The Funfair by Simon Stephens (Cal Rep) Machinalia by Steph Del Rosso (JACK & Ubuntu Theatre Project), Strange Men by Will Snider, Go. Please. Go. by Emily Feldman, Lear by Young Jean Lee, and Vieux Carré by Tennessee Williams (UC San Diego). Will has assisted directors such as Trip Cullman, Young Jean Lee, Chay Yew, Tyne Rafaeli, Tony Taccone, Des McAnuff, Alex Timbers and Rachel Chavkin. Past directing fellowships include The Drama League, MTC Directing Fellow, Playwrights Horizons Directing Fellow, and the 5th Cohort of the O'Neill National Directors Fellowship. In addition to his work at Muhlenberg College, Will teaches Advanced Directing at the O’Neill Theater Center’s National Theater Institute. he/him/his | willdetlefsen@muhlenberg.edu |
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Associate Professor: Acting, Voice & Speech, Theatre History & Theory Troy Dwyer is an actor, writer and director who has devised and performed in new experimental theatre at venues throughout the United States, including Velocity Dance Center (Seattle), The Painted Bride (Philadelphia), Project Artaud (San Francisco), Horizon Theatre Company (Atlanta), the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, and many others. His original full-length works for the stage range from dance theatre epics such as World Headquarters and Caw (both with Charles O. Anderson), to new musicals such as Lures & Snares (with Beth Schachter and Mike Krisukas), as well as community-engaged devised performances closer to home, such as Then Athena (with Allentown Public Theatre). Troy is an acting-styles teacher with specializations ranging from classical lyric performance (such as Shakespeare) to the contemporary realist acting methodologies of Sanford Meisner. He is also a teacher of voice & speech specializing in the work of Kristin Linklater and Arthur Lessac. At Muhlenberg, he served as the faculty director of the Sedehi Diversity Project from 2008 to 2019, and was the recipient of the 2018 Paul C. Empie Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching. His scholarly writings on queerness, voice and acting have appeared in leading academic journals such as Theatre Journal and The Voice & Speech Review. he/him/his | dwyer@muhlenberg.edu | x3786 |
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Adjunct Professor: Stage Makeup A "legend in the theatrical make-up world," Prime Time Emmy-nominated celebrity makeup artist La Sonya Gunter travels globally to design makeup for theatre TV, film, commercials, print, editorial, runway and fashion. Her work on Jesus Christ Superstar Live on NBC was nominated for an Emmy Award, and her Broadway credits as a makeup artist, makeup supervisor, and designer include Kinky Boots, The Rose Tattoo, SpongeBob, and Hairspray. She also created the makeup for Billy Porter's Sun God look at the 2019 Met Gala. lasonyaguntermakeup.com she/her/hers | lasonyagunter@muhlenberg.edu |
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Adjunct Professor: Costuming; Wordrobe, Crafts & Stock Coordinator Lex Gurst's costume credits include Big Love, The Possibilities, Polaroid Stories, On the Town, Stop Kiss, The Winter’s Tale, and Dance Emerge for Muhlenberg College; Psycho Beach Party and Belle Reprieve for The Theatre Outlet; and Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre productions of Avenue Q, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Seussical, A Year with Frog and Toad, and the world premieres of Gruff! and Grimm! Previously, she has worked at the Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colo. In her spare time, Lex is known as Minerva Steel and volunteers with the Lehigh Valley’s premier roller derby league, The Lehigh Valley Roller Girls. she/her/hers | alexis.gurst@muhlenberg.edu | x3589 |
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Adjunct Professor: Voice & Speech Bridgett Jackson is a dialect coach, accent coach, speech/diction coach and a speech-language pathologist. In addition, she is a teacher of voice, phonetics and communication. She has also been a guest lecturer at Gallaudet University and with the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. She holds a Master of Science degree from Howard University, with a specialization in speech and accents. She is a member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and was the recipient of the ASHA Ace Award in 2018. Recent credits include Aint No Mo’ and Cullud Wattah with The Public Theater in New York, and Cost of Living (2018 Pulitzer Prize Winner) with The Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, as well as 2020's A Raisin in the Sun, here at Muhlenberg. Some of the regional dialects and accents she has coached include: General American, Southern, Western, Midwestern, Eastern, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Kentucky, California, Detroit, Chicago, London, Australia, West Africa, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, just to name a few. she/her/hers | bridgettjackson@muhlenberg.edu |
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Adjunct Professor: Acting Mark McKenna is a theater artist (actor, director, producer) and educator. He specializes in devised work, physical theatre styles, facilitating structures of play for learning, integrating art with academic curricula, and developing relationships and civic dialogue through theater. He was a full-time resident ensemble member at Bethlehem’s Touchstone Theatre from 1986 to 2008, and artistic/producing director from 1995. Nationally recognized community-scaled highlights include Steelbound, a co-production with Cornerstone Theatre, and Don Quixote of Bethlehem. He has co-created and performed in over 40 devised theatre works. Script-based acting credits include: Stones in His Pockets, Twelfth Night, Waiting for Godot, Frankenstein, Fool for Love and The Glass Menagerie. He has participated in over 75 arts-in-education residencies in pre-K to 12th-grade classrooms throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Service history includes the national board of the Network of Ensemble Theaters, peer review panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the New Jersey Arts Council. Mark serves as secretary for the Bethlehem Chapter of PIAA Basketball Officials. he/him/his | mckennamark@verizon.net |
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Visiting Assistant Professor: Acting Jamie McKittrick straddles the modes of theatre, dance, and performance art as performer, creator, choreographer, director, intimacy choreographer, and teacher. Recently, she directed Jacked! by Idris Goodwin for Metro Theater Company and it was a featured production for TYA USA, Gruesome Playground Injuries for Creative Inhabitor (St. Louis Best Theatre), and Urinetown the Musical and Lysistrata for Webster Conservatory of the Arts. Notable original work includes: Sparkle — TA DAAA!!! (Critic’s Choice Award winner of the St. Louis Fringe Festival), SURIVE! (“Best of the Year”- Philadelphia Weekly), Lady M (Curated by LiveArts Fest), and national tours with Enchantment Theatre Company. She’s been on faculty at Webster University’s Conservatory, Muhlenberg College, UMSL, Lindenwood University, and of theatre teaching acting, movement, directing, and storytelling. she/her/hers | jamiemckittrick@muhlenberg.edu | x3905 |
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Assistant Professor: Directing, Performance Studies, Theatre History & Theory Dr. Moore has directed at theatres in New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco and Ireland, and is a founding member of The Proper Villains Theatre Co. He has taught courses in directing, devising, theatre history and theory at Stanford University as well as courses in acting and playwriting for the University of New Orleans. His current artistic work centers on group devising practices and methods of physical training, both of which played a key role in his production of Agamemnon at Muhlenberg College. His scholarly interests include the avant-garde, ecological theatre and performance theory. NEWS: Matthew Moore recognized at 2019 Honors Convocation he/him/his | matt.moore@muhlenberg.edu |
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Adjunct Professor: Staging Creativity & Introduction to Early Childhood Education Filled with a passion for learning and teaching, Leah Naylor has worked professionally with children for more than 18 years in a variety of settings from preschools and after school tutoring centers to elementary schools and at the college level. Upon receiving a bachelor's degree in Children and Family Studies and a master's in Elementary Education from New York University, Leah has taught in the New York City public schools, Denver (Colorado) public schools, a Pennsylvania charter school and a Pennsylvania college. Her goal is to guide and encourage shared experiences and explorations where children (and really anyone) can flourish and grow authentically. Leah’s involvement in the schools range from early childhood education through sixth grade and on to college-level courses based on teaching and inspiring children. she/her/hers | leahnaylor@muhlenberg.edu |
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Visiting Assistant Professor: Performance Studies and Theatre History Dr. Ethan Philbrick is a performer and writer based in Brooklyn. He has recently performed original work in New York at Abrons Arts Center, BRIC, Dixon Place, Grey Art Gallery, SculptureCenter, and NYU Skirball, and his writing has been published in The Drama Review, Movement Research Performance Journal, PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art, Studies in Gender and Sexuality, and Women and Performance: a journal of feminist theory. Ethan holds a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from New York University, where his dissertation received the Monroe Lippman Memorial Award for Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation. Before joining the faculty at Muhlenberg, Ethan taught in the MFA program in Performance + Performance Studies at Pratt Institute and in the Performance Studies program at New York University. ethanphilbrick.com he/him/his | ethanphilbrick@muhlenberg.edu |
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Assistant Professor: Performance Studies, Theatre History & Theory Dr. Leticia Robles-Moreno teaches courses on Performance, Race, Gender, Memory, and Politics in the Americas. In addition to her academic background, she studied theatre arts in the Club de Teatro de Lima, as well as improvisational theatre and Theatre of the Oppressed techniques. Her doctoral research focuses on theatre groups of “creación colectiva” in Latin America — particularly in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador — exploring their networked practices as strategies of political survival, from a combined perspective of Performance Studies, and Memory and Affect Studies. As a member of the Women Mobilizing Memory research group at the Center for the Study of Social Difference at Columbia University, she has studied Latin American Antigones’ role in post-conflict contexts. She has published in Latin American Theatre Review, Contemporary Theatre Review, Hispanic Issues Online, and Conjunto. Her dissertation, "Becoming Collective: Relational Cartographies of creación colectiva in Latin America," was awarded the Deena Burton Memorial Award for Outstanding Dissertation Research. she/her/hers | leticiarobles@muhlenberg.edu | x4367 |
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Professor: Acting, Directing, Theatre History & Theory Dr. Beth Schachter has directed at New York Theatre Workshop, Second Stage, The Public Theatre, McCarter Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Adirondack Theatre Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and The Vineyard Theatre, among others. She has directed world premieres of plays by Suzan-Lori Parks, Doug Wright, Theresa Rebeck, and Mac Wellman. She also co-wrote and directed the musical Lures and Snares with Troy Dwyer. Beth is formerly the director of Muhlenberg’s Women’s Studies Program. Her areas of expertise include contemporary American avant-garde theatre, feminist theatre and theory, African-American drama, and Jewish ethnicity studies. Before coming to Muhlenberg, Beth taught at Princeton University, Brooklyn College, City College, and UCSD. She recently directed the world premiere of Brighde Mullins's The Bourgeois Pig at Muhlenberg College, as well as two staged readings for The Blank Theatre (Los Angeles). she/her/hers | bethschachter@muhlenberg.edu | x3558 |
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Visiting Assistant Professor: Directing Nigel Semaj is a New York City-based director, movement director, choreographer and educator from Washington, D.C. Notable directing credits include For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, which won awards from the Kennedy Center in Direction, Ensemble and Excellence in Costume Design; Ntozake Shange’s Spell No. 7; and Paula Vogel’s The Baltimore Waltz; as well as new works such as Black Hollow, by Aeneas Sagar Hemphill, and wolfchildren runslowly through a bruegel landscape, 1558, by Ruth Tang. Their adaptation work includes a five-female adaptation of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus entitled 10,000 Moor, and a queer retelling of the Hercules myth. In addition to Nigel's body of artistic endeavors their work has included residential life, Title IX policy creation to protect students of color, and working to decolonize traditional academia structures and work towards a more equitable, diverse, inclusive, and accessible education system. Nigel's work in education and academia incorporates anti-racist and restorative justice techniques. When Nigel is not doing this work, they are most likely dying of laughter from memes or cooking. nigelsemaj.com they/them/theirs | nigelsemaj@muhlenberg.edu |
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Visiting Assistant Professor: Acting Larry Singer established The Larry Singer Studios in 2006, where he teaches professional actors in New York City. He received a B.F.A. from Boston University in 1977 and made his Broadway debut in the comedy Gemini in 1980. He then worked Off-Broadway, landing the lead in Andora, by Max Frisch, as well as roles at Ensemble Studio Theatre, and Circle Rep Mr. Singer’s acting career has included work in regional theatres, commercials, television, and film. In 1988 he began his work as a teacher and director. He has taught at New York University (founding board member of CAP 21), AADA, AMDA, and the prestigious Michael Howard Studios. In 2002 he joined the faculty of the Columbia University M.F.A. He recently established LSS ONstage, that produces ensemble work with high artistic standards. He also established a summer conservatory which is accredited by Muhlenberg college to further actors abilities and educate them in preparation for professional careers. larrysingerstudios.com he/him/his | lsinger@muhlenberg.edu |
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Adjunct Professor: Acting the Song Philadelphia-based actor and director James Stabp maintains a body of work that spans traditional musical theatre, premieres of contemporary new works, and uniquely curated projects of multidisciplinary theatre. Recent engagements include directing assistant to Gina Lamparella on Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival's (PSF) production of Crazy for You, Younger Brother in PSF's production of Ragtime, and Albert Lennox in The Secret Garden at the Arden Theatre in Philadelphia. James holds an M.F.A. in Musical Theatre from The Boston Conservatory. There, he had the great privilege to perform and work closely with Adam Guettel and Tina Landau on new material for their musical, Floyd Collins, as well as devising a song cycle for his thesis based on the religious undertones and poetic prose in the alternative-rock album Babel by the band Mumford & Sons. Social media: @jdstabp. he/him/his | jamesstabp@muhlenberg.edu |
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Adjunct Professor: Lighting & Sound Design; Theatre Technician Paul Theisen is the resident master electrician for the Department, and lighting and sound supervisor for Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre since 1999. A Wisconsin native, he has contributed lighting, sound, and scenic designs to numerous Muhlenberg productions, including Urinetown, Cabaret, Dancing at Lughnasa, Pentecost, and Wonderful Town. He is also the resident lighting designer and technical coordinator for all Muhlenberg Dance concerts he/him/his | paultheisen@muhlenberg.edu |
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Full-Time Lecturer: Acting Jim VanValen is a professional actor who teaches courses in scene and monologue study, voice and speech, Meisner Technique, and auditioning. He directed The Importance of Being Earnest in the Baker Theatre in fall of 2019, and he recently partnered with the Rehabilitation Sciences Department at Moravian College developing a Standardized Patient program for Muhlenberg actors to collaborate with Moravian healthcare students. Prior to his arrival at Muhlenberg in 2018, Jim spent nine years at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, where he was an associate professor of theatre and head of the acting program. He has trained with acting teacher Terry Knickerbocker at TK Studio, studied Shakespeare and voice and text training with Patsy Rodenburg OBE, and received his Meisner Teaching Certification through the True Acting Institute. As an actor, Jim spent three years with the Barter Theatre and has performed throughout the country in such regional theatres as The Fulton Opera House, The Bread Loaf Acting Ensemble, Florida Rep, Riverside Theatre in Iowa, Riverside Theatre in Florida, Iowa Summer Rep, Connecticut Theatre Festival, Old Creamery Theatre, and Muhlenberg's Summer Music Theatre. jimvanvalen.com he/him/his | jamesvanvalen@muhlenberg.edu | x4393 |
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Adjunct Professor: Costuming; Costume Shop Manager Whitney Vaughan has worked all over the country working in costuming. Before attending graduate school she worked in wardrobe management for opera, theatre and dance. Some of her highlights include working for Pittsburgh Public Theater, Playmakers Repertory Company, and touring with the Broadway tour of Evita. After many years in wardrobe Whitney decided to attend graduate school to receive her M.F.A. in costume production from Boston University, to pursue her goal of becoming a costume shop manager. After graduating, Whitney went on to be the Costume Head at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. Whitney’s love in life is creating costumes and being a part of a costume shop. she/her/hers | whitneyvaughan@muhlenberg.edu | x3589 |
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Adjunct Professor: Voice & Speech Originally from the mountains of North Carolina, Joanna Whitney received her BA in Dramatic Arts from The University of North Carolina at Chapel-Hill and her MFA in Acting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition to teaching at Muhlenberg, she has taught at Cedar Crest College, Lehigh University and DeSales University, teaching Fundamentals of Acting, Public Speaking, Collaborative Arts, and Healthcare Theatre among other courses. Her directing credits include Schoolhouse Rock, Live!, The Velveteen Rabbit, A Voice of Our Own, and Emotional Creatures at Cedar Crest College. Through her private coaching business, she works with adults and middle and high school students on voice and speech, audition preparation, acting, and acting for music theatre, and offers summer camps. Joanna has trained with Richard Gough of the Center for Performance Research, Anne Bogart and the SITI Company in Viewpoints and Suzuki, and Frankie Armstrong and Janet Rogers in Vocal Archetyping, and she apprenticed at the Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati. Passionate about the “real world” implications of the study of theatre, Joanna enjoys working with students of all ages, experience and walks of life to help them develop their confidence and sense of self and find their authentic voice. she/her/hers | joannawhitney@muhlenberg.edu |
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Emeritus Faculty |
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Charles Richter, Founding Director of Theatre Professor Emeritus: Directing, Theatre History & Theory Charles Richter is the director of theatre at Muhlenberg College, where he has taught and directed for the past 40 years. His productions of The Good Woman of Setzuan, The School for Scandal, and Spring Awakening were selected for presentation at American College Theatre Festival regional festivals. He has directed over 80 productions at Muhlenberg , including Life’s a Dream, Cabaret, The Pirates of Penzance, Wonderful Town, The Mikado, West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Hamlet, and On the Town. He is a founding artistic director of the Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre, former artistic director of the Pennsylvania Stage Company, and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. His productions for the Muhlenberg summer stage also include: Candide, Annie Get Your Gun, Hairspray, 42nd Street, Anything Goes, Hello, Dolly!, My Fair Lady and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He has also directed for the New York City Opera Education Department, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, New York’s Ensemble Studio Theatre and Theatre Three in Dallas. He holds an MFA in directing from Southern Methodist University, and a certificate in Drama from the University of Bristol, England. Charles is a fellow of the Society for Values in Higher Education, a Fulbright Scholar, and a Danforth Fellow. In the spring of 2018, as artist-in-residence at the University of Music and Art of the City of Vienna in Austria, he directed two choral operas by Jean Berger. he/him/his |
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Professor Emeritus: Scenic, Costume, and Lighting Design In addition to his more than 100 designs for Muhlenberg College Theatre and Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre over the past 36 years, Curtis Dretsch’s designs have been seen in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Dallas, Edinburgh, and London. He has designed for the Dallas Shakespeare Festival, Terry Beck Dance Troupe, and Pennsylvania Stage Company, where he did scenery and/or lights 41 times over 12 years. During the 1990s he served Muhlenberg as Dean of the College for Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs. he/him/his |
Theatre & Dance Staff
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Director of Operations and Production Jessica Bien has served as the department's general manager since 2006. She returns to her native Allentown from Boston, where she worked as executive assistant to the chief operating officer of the Wang Center for the Performing Arts. She also held positions as theatre manager and access coordinator at the Wang. She has served as marketing associate for Zoellner Center for the Arts, at Lehigh University; box office manager and director of marketing for the AmeriCulture Arts Festival; marketing and public relations intern for the Williamstown Theatre Festival; and communications and publications assistant for Hartwick College. Jess has also held production and administrative positions for events at Kutztown University, Civic Theatre, and Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre. Jess holds a certificate in Arts Administration from the University of Massachusetts and is also a 200-hour certified yoga teacher. In addition to her administrative role, she teachers courses in Stage Management and Accessibility in the Arts. She is the recipient of the 2018 Arts Ovation Award for Service to the Arts. she/her/hers | bien@muhlenberg.edu | x3087 |
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Technical Director Eric Covell's responsibilities include overseeing all scenic builds for department productions, and supervising and teaching work study, stagecraft and volunteer students in shop safety and construction. His professional experience includes freelance designer and sound engineer at Fitchburg State College, Bay Street Theatre, and AmeriCulture Arts Festival. He served for two years as resident scenic and lighting designer, facility manager, and technical director at Civic Theatre of Allentown. Most recently he was the project manager for Great Eastern Seating, restoring and installing theatre seats in the tri-state area, including work at the Apollo Theatre. he/him/his | ecovell@muhlenberg.edu | x3644 |
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Audience Services and Company Manager Maya Costanzo is a 2021 graduate and Scholar of American University, where she double-majored in International Studies & Foreign Language and Communication Media Studies, with specializations in Film & Media Arts. Most recently, she has enjoyed working with (and might have sold her soul to) the AU Rude Mechanicals as an actor, director, and executive board member. She is especially grateful for her time with The Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theater and Wildwood Summer Theater. Maya is passionate about exploring the relationship that the arts share with identity and community growth. She has a love for telling and elevating human stories and experiences through service, theatre, film, photography, and design. She especially enjoys when opportunities to work and exist and create in these worlds intersect. Maya is beyond excited to craft the new role of Audience Services and Company Manager with and for the faculty, staff, and students of Muhlenberg College! Learn more about Maya here: mayarenee616.wixsite.com/mysite she/her/hers | mcostanzo@muhlenberg.edu | x3637 |
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Wardrobe, Crafts & Stock Coordinator Lex Gurst's costume credits include Big Love, The Possibilities, Polaroid Stories, On the Town, Stop Kiss, The Winter’s Tale, and Dance Emerge for Muhlenberg College; Psycho Beach Party and Belle Reprieve for The Theatre Outlet; and Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre productions of Avenue Q, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Seussical, A Year with Frog and Toad, and the world premieres of Gruff! and Grimm! Previously, she has worked at the Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colo. In her spare time, Lex is known as Minerva Steel and volunteers with the Lehigh Valley’s premier roller derby league, The Lehigh Valley Roller Girls. she/her/hers | alexis.gurst@muhlenberg.edu | x3589 |
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Props Master, Scenic Artist Ms. Miller has served as charge artist at the Barn Theatre, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Music Theatre Wichita, and Lehigh University. She has also served as Props Supervisor and Scenic Charge Artist for two seasons at Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre. she/her/hers | katrinamiller@muhlenberg.edu |
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Costume Shop First Hand she/her/hers | erinmiller-todd@muhlenberg.edu |
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Office Manager Gianna began working professionally onstage and in TV/film early in her career, with credits including Annie (’99 Nat’l Tour), ER/Third Watch (NBC), and The Secret Lives of Dentists (Holedigger Productions), before graduating with a B.A. in theatre with an acting concentration from Muhlenberg in 2015. Throughout her four years at Muhlenberg, Gianna performed in both Mainstage and Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre productions, including HMS Pinafore, Crazy for You, and A Chorus Line, and also had the opportunity to study abroad at the Queen Mary University of London. For the past six years, Gianna has served as theatre director and choreographer for Northampton Area High School and has directed and taught theatre and dance at various organizations in the area, including Pennsylvania Youth Theatre, Saucon Valley Middle School, and the Allentown YMCA. Previously, she worked as a math paraeducator at Whitehall-Coplay School District. She has also held front-of-house positions at Zoellner Arts Center, Pines Dinner Theatre, and Muhlenberg. she/her/hers | giannaneal@muhlenberg.edu | x3335 |
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Marketing & Development Manager Scott Snyder served for 11 years as managing director of the Civic Theatre of Allentown. In that position, he developed marketing and communications strategies that increased attendance, personal contributions, and corporate and foundation support for the theatre, helping to position Civic as a community arts center for the region. Prior to beginning work at Muhlenberg in 2010, he spent three years as director of alumni communications for Lehigh University. Scott has also served as production stage manager and designed sound, props, and projections for numerous theatre productions. he/him/his | scottsnyder@muhlenberg.edu | x3693 |
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Theatre Technician Paul E. Theisen, Jr. has designed lights, sound, projection content, and scenic elements for many of the theatre and dance productions on the Muhlenberg Theatre & Dance mainstage. Paul is the resident lighting designer for the student dance concerts at Muhlenberg. He earned his MFA in technical productions from the University of Delaware. Paul has had experience as technical director in the York Little Theatre and the Lincoln Amphitheatre, and as a free-lance designer/technician in Wisconsin, Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania. he/him/his | paultheisen@muhlenberg.edu | x3119 |
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Costume Shop Manager Whitney Vaughan has worked all over the country working in costuming. Before attending graduate school she worked in wardrobe management for opera, theatre and dance. Some of her highlights include working for Pittsburgh Public Theater, Playmakers Repertory Company, and touring with the Broadway tour of Evita. After many years in wardrobe Whitney decided to attend graduate school to receive her M.F.A. in costume production from Boston University, to pursue her goal of becoming a costume shop manager. After graduating, Whitney went on to be the Costume Head at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. Whitney’s love in life is creating costumes and being a part of a costume shop. she/her/hers | whitneyvaughan@muhlenberg.edu | x3589 |
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Assistant Technical Director Kait Welch is a graduate of DeSales University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. Her love for the arts goes beyond performing on stage, as she has enjoyed applying her technical skills to the shows she has been involved in. She has done work for the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, McCarter Theatre, and various community theatres in the Lehigh Valley. she/her/hers | kaitwelch@muhlenberg.edu | x3332 |
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