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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Charles Richter, Director of Theatre Professor: 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 | richter@muhlenberg.edu | x3330 |
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Curtis Dretsch, Director of Design & Technical Theatre Professor: 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 | dretsch@muhlenberg.edu | x3739 |
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Part-Time Lecturer: 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 is currently appearing in the web series The Other F Word, which can be found on thegirlfriend.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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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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Part-Time Lecturer: 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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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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Part-Time Lecturer: 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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Part-Time Lecturer: 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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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 |
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Part-Time Lecturer: 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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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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Part-Time Lecturer: 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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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 currently Series Editor of Great North American Theatre Directors, an eight volume history of the art form of theatre direction under contract with Bloomsbury Methuen. He served as editor of Theatre Topics and book review editor of Theatre Journal. At Muhlenberg, he 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. He chaired the Department of Theatre & Dance from 2006 to 2013. In addition to Muhlenberg, Jim 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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Visiting Assistant Professor: Directing Margarett Perry is an award-winning director of new plays and has directed and developed new work Off-Broadway and in regional theatres across the country as well as in Scotland and London. Recent world premieres include Born in East Berlin by Rogelio Martinez, The House by Brian Parks, Education by Brian Dykstra, Banned from Baseball by Patricia O’Hara, and Seared by Theresa Rebeck. Margarett was the Resident Director at the Kitchen Theatre in Ithaca, where she has directed over 25 productions including Private Lives, Cock, Old Times, Clean Alternatives and most recently The Children. Other recent favorites include: Shrek the Musical (Connecticut Rep), Electra (Resident Acting Company) and Brian Dykstra’s hip-hop play Used to Was (Maybe Did) with Center Theatre Group. Margarett is an Artistic Fellow at The Lark, where she has worked with a variety of writers developing new plays. She has taught acting, directing and voice and guest directed at College of the Holy Cross, University of Connecticut, Bard College, and California State University Long Beach. margarettperry.com she/her/hers | margarettperry@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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Visiting Assistant Professor: Acting Drew Richardson has directed and performed solo and ensemble devised plays for arts centers, theaters, and festivals nationally and internationally. He appeared in China at the International Comedy Art Festival and played with Squonk Opera in the Broadway touring production of Bigsmorgasbordwunderwerk. Drew also appeared in the play Fusions by Nic Ularu at La MaMa. Richardson studied with Jacques Lecoq in Paris, is a certified Essential Somatics Exercise Coach, and has a teacher’s certificate from the Michael Chekhov Association (MICHA). Richardson has taught actors at Adams State University, Ohio University, University of Michigan, Virginia Commonwealth University, Point Park Conservatory, and The (Very) Physical Comedy Institute. He has coached and consulted for theatre companies including Arena Stage, 500 Clown, Strawdog Theatre, and Next Theatre Lab. He is best known as the first person in the 21st century to have new silent movies shown in major motion pictures theaters. www.Physical.Actor he/him/his | drewrichardson@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 |
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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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Ian Scot Part-Time Lecturer: Sound Design & Composition Ian Scot is a Brooklyn based composer and sound designer specializing in the development of new works.His music and designs have been heard at PLaywrights Horizons, Roundabout Underground, Actors Shakespeare Project, Dorset Theatre Festival, Listening Eyes Theatre Company, The Wild Project, Ars Nova ANT Fest, PRP THTR, Heartbeat Opera, Yale Repertory Theatre, The Carlotta Play Festival, NYU Tisch, and Yale Cabaret. As a composer, his music has been workshopped and performed at Boston Conservatory and Yale School of Music, where he was fortunate enough to work closely with many acclaimed musicians and composers. During his residency in Chicago, Ian took a deep dive into the practiece of interdisciplinary arts. This is where he created his own hybrid creative practice and explored the intersectionality between sound, text, movement, and visual arts alongside a small cohort of other multidiscipline artists from around the world. In addition to his artistic endeavors, Ian has made an extensive career as an A1 production audio engineer for productions with Audible, The New Group, Signature Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, Minetta Lane, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Classic Stage Company, Five OHM Productions, The Kitchen Theatre, Theatre for the New City, and Berkshire Theatre Festival. he/him/his | ianscotwilliams@muhelnberg.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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Part-Time Lecturer: 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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Charley Tucker Part-Time Lecturer: Acting Charley Tucker is a professional actor, living in New York City where he has worked in theatre, film, and television for the over 25 years. New York and regional credits include Hedda Gabler (American Globe), Uncle Tom's Cabin (The Drama Dept.- Workshop Co.), Misalliance (Pennsylvania Center Stage), Desire Under the Elms (American Stage), Six Degrees of Separation (Florida Studio Theatre), and American Buffalo (Asolo Conservatory Theatre-guest artist). Film and T.V.: Curdled (Miramax), Amy Schumer Show (Comedy Central), Tennessee (Lee Daniels Entertainment), and several television and radio commercials. Currently Charley has three films in production. As a teaching artist, Charley has worked at New York University (co-teacher with Phylicia Rashad), American Globe Theatre (Shakespeare First Folio Technique), University of Texas-Austin, Penn State University and New York Film Academy where he is currently teaching Acting for Film, Scene Study and the Meisner Technique. he/him/his | charleytucker@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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Part-Time Lecturer: 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 |
Theatre & Dance Staff
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General Manager 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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Assistant Technical Director Eric Covell's responsibilities include assisting with 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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Assistant to the Costume Shop Manager & First Hand Meg Evans Gartley has more than 20 years experience working at Muhlenberg as a costume designer, shop manager, stage manager, stitcher and carpenter. She also co-teaches the costume techniques section of the stagecraft course. Meg's responsibilities in the costume shop include assisting with all builds/rentals for all Theatre & Dance Department productions as well as supervising and teaching work study, stagecraft and volunteer students in costume construction. She also coordinates and instructs student volunteers on wardrobe crews. Her professional experience includes The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C., as well as Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, Conn., and Allan Albert, New York City. Meg taught Spanish in a K-8 elementary school before rejoining the Muhlenberg costume shop in 2012. she/her/hers | mgartley@muhlenberg.edu | x3589 |
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Technical Director Damon Gelb's professional experience includes five seasons with Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre, most recently as Technical Director in 1997. Design credits include lighting Quilters for the Berks Festival Theatre, and lighting and scenery for The Nina Variations at The Theatre Outlet. Other productions include Bad Girls, Anything Goes, and A Night Divided, as well as various one-act plays and dance concerts. He spent eight years in the professional lighting industry, working with architects, consulting engineers, and theatre consultants on lighting system designs; notable projects include Trinity Church in New York City and Microsoft's Productivity of the Future exhibit. He is a former IATSE stage technician. he/him/his | dgelb@muhlenberg.edu | x3332 |
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Resident Costume Designer & Stitcher 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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Administrative Assistant 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. designs lights and other scenic elements for many of the theatre and dance productions on the Muhlenberg Theatre & Dance mainstage. He has had experience as technical director in the York Little Theatre and the Lincoln Amphitheatre, and as a free-lance designer in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. he/him/his | ptheisen@muhlenberg.edu | x3119 |