Summer Ed Staff

Summer Ed Staff 2008

Education Director & Lead Teacher Linda St George	Linda St George began her career in theatre nearly 30 years ago as Linda Bray. She received a BFA in Acting & Directing from Montclair University in New Jersey and performed in various summer stock and dinner theatres, including the Dam Site Dinner Theatre in Tinton Falls, NJ; Creative Theatre in Englewood, NJ; Vincennes Summer Theatre in Indiana, and the Westgate Dinner Theatre in Toledo, OH. For a number of years she could be seen on the Brockport Summer Theatre stage, playing favorite roles such as Nancy in Oliver!, Charity in Barnum, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and "Fred" in Once Upon a Mattress. She is no stranger to the DCT stage, having performed as Sister Leo in Nunsense II, Agnes in I Do! I Do!, and as part of the ensemble in Puttin' On the Ritz. She also designed costumes for the acclaimed, Godspell, and has performed in several staged readings. Summer 2005 marked her NYC debut in a production of Last Period, written by her husband, Dick. This past year, Linda designed costumes and props for In the Beginning, and created five new puppet characters for the production. Working with preschoolers through high school students, Linda has taught theatre and improvisation skills to a variety of students at the Burhyte Ballet. In addition, she taught Improvisation for the SUNY Brockport theatre department for a number of years. Linda also received her MS in Elementary Education from SUNY Brockport. To conclude her program, Linda's thesis researched "Arts in the Classroom." She has taught Kindergarten through 5th grade for the past 9 years. Currently, she teaches 5th grade in Hilton, NY. In recent years, Linda has worked to integrate the arts into the regular academic curriculum, having students write and perform poetry & plays. She is experienced in working with students of all ages and abilities.
Lead Teacher Carl Krickmire	Carl Krickmire Carl is thrilled to be joining DCT's Summer Ed. Program for the first time. Carl is a native of Rochester and a 2004 Graduate of Niagara University with a BFA in Acting. Carl has been acting since he was a child and has been acting professionally since his graduation from NU. He has just wrapped up his first season with the Merry Go Round Playhouse's Youth Theatre tour, touring all over New York state as an Actor and Educator. Local audiences may remember Carl for his six month run as Man #2 in DCT's I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change and his turns as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, Linus in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown and Chris Keller in All My Sons at Geva's NextStage. Carl has also performed Off Broadway in the original comedy Last Laugh. In the fall Carl will begin a second season with the Merry Go Round, but for the summer looks forward to being an educator with the Summer Ed Program.
Lead Teacher Patty Selig	Patty Selig returns to the Summer Education Program for a third season. She has had extensive experience working with children and has performed an assortment of roles in numerous theatrical productions. Most recently, she has served as costumer for the Brockport Middle School musicals for the past 7 years. She majored in Graphic Design from Buffalo State and has taken course work in Arts for Children. In addition, Patty holds a Masters in Elementary Education from SUNY Brockport. For the past 9 years, Patty has taught pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and 4th grade. Currently, she is the pre-school coordinator for St Andrews school in Rochester. Patty considers performance to be an important element within the school curriculum. She believes in optimizing the security found in the classroom setting to allow children to gain the confidence to perform on stage. In 2006, her students participated in the Genesee County Storytelling Contest with six children moving on to the finals at Pavilion Central School. As a culmination of the school year, Patty also directs a class play which is performed for the student body as well as family and friends.
Lead Teacher Nicole DiMattei	Nicole DiMattei is delighted to be a part of the Summer Education Program here at DCT. While not out around the country performing regionally, Nicole resides in Manhattan, continuously taking classes to better her craft. Just because you're a professional doesn't mean you don't have anything else to learn! Nicole has a BFA in Musical Theatre and a Performance Degree from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC. Nicole also works seasonally at Walt Disney World, Florida in their shows and parades. Other professional shows include Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey), Noises Off (Brooke/Vicki), Man of La Mancha (Antonia), Godspell (Disciple), Guys and Dolls (Adelaide u/s), Dreamgirls (Sweetheart), A Christmas Carol (Mrs. Fezziwig u/s), Urban Cowboy, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Sleeping Beauty, and South Pacific.
Musical Director Mark Goho	Mark Goho is very excited to be joining the DCT Summer Education program this year. He graduated from SUNY Fredonia in 2007 with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education, concentrating in choral and vocal music. While at Fredonia, Mark had some wonderful instructional opportunities. Mark helped to start Premium Blend, a co-ed a cappella group singing group and arranged and taught the group many songs. Mark also had the distinct honor of being asked to prepare his college choir for their role in George Bizet's Carmen while the choir's faculty conductor was preparing for his own recital. Mark has been teaching Elementary General Music and Chorus at Fairbanks Road School in the Churchville-Chili School District this year. His continuing goal for teaching music has been to challenge students in a way that elicits growth. He has had a wonderfully successful year and looks forward to putting this teaching philosophy into use at the Summer Education Program. In his free time, Mark is committed to always becoming a better singer and musician. Mark has sung with the Finger Lakes Choral Festival, Rochester Oratorio Society and currently sings with a local, men's a cappella group (The Smoking Hot Pipes) and continues to teach and arrange for that group."
Voice Instructor (Sessions 2 & 3) Meghan Nutting	Meghan Nutting will be entering her senior year at The Boston Conservatory in the fall of 2008 as a Voice major. She began her career in Musical Theater as a child and gradually shifted from Musical Theater to Opera and Classical Performance. She has played such roles as Nancy in Oliver!, Ms. White in Clue The Musical, Mere Mathilde in Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites, and in The Boston Conservatory Opera Workshop Scenes as Musetta from Puccini's La Boheme, and Fiametta in Gilbert and Sullivans The Gondoliers. Meghan is looking forward to her first year working with DCT's Summer Education Program!
Voice Instructor (Session 1 & 4) Jennifer Button	Jennifer Button - Greece native Jennifer Button has been teaching and performing for the past 15 years. She currently teaches middle school general music in the East Rochester School District. In addition, she teaches recorder, voice and keyboards for the East Rochester Summer Enrichment program. She has also maintained a private voice studio in her home since 1994. Before graduating from Greece Arcadia in 1989, she played the part of Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly! and won second place female vocal in both the Greece Performing Arts Society and Rochester Philharmonic League Young Artists competitions. She then went on and earned a bachelor's degree in voice performance and music education in '94, and a master's in voice performance in '96, both from Ithaca College. While at Ithaca, she sang in the Women's Chorale, Choir, Madrigal Singers and Opera Workshop. Jennifer has performed in opera scenes from: Cosi Fan Tutte (Dorabella), The Magic Flute (Third Lady), and Madama Butterfly (Suzuki). Jennifer has performed the following opera roles: Le Nozze di Figaro (ensemble), Die Fledermaus (Geisha), The Tenderland (Mrs. Peterson) and Amelia Goes to the Ball (Confidante). During her time in Ithaca, she performed twice at Lincoln Center, placed second (1994) and first (1996) at the Central New York Finger Lakes National Association of Teachers of Singing competitions. Mrs. Button has also taught elementary-level vocal and instrumental music in Greece and Hilton schools. She served as choir director and cantor at Our Mother of Sorrows Church, in Greece, for five years, in addition to holding section leader positions at The Baptist Temple, in Brighton, and Seneca United Methodist Church, in Irondequoit. She has performed at numerous weddings, funerals and church functions in Rochester and the surrounding area. Other musical experiences have included membership in the Greece Choral Society and a solo recital for the Greece Historical Society's Parlor Musicale Series. She and her husband, Brian, live in Greece with their two daughters: third-grader Alexa and eighth-grader Hailey -- a black lab, Kaylah and three cats: Mac, Tosh and Bella. She enjoys teaching, gardening, spending time in the Adirondacks, and, of course, SINGING!
Choreographer Jessi St George	Jessica St George has grown up in theatre, having performed on the SUNY Brockport Summer Stage at the age of five, and even making her DCT debut when she was 8. Jessi received ballet training with Nancy Burhyte , studied tap with Courtney Andrews World, and modern and jazz with Samantha Kenney. Currently, she is a BFA candidate at SUNY Fredonia, with a concentration in Acting, and a Dance minor. Last year, she danced in the spring Orchesis concert and portrayed Jeanie in Camel Dung and Cloves at Fredonia. This year she was selected to dance a pas de deux in the Spring Dance Ensemble concert. She also played Sue in Eugene O'Neill's Where the Cross is Made, and was seen in Fredonia's Mainstage production of Victor Victoria. She has appeared in nearly 20 different productions at area theatres. Past roles include Little Red (Into the Woods), Annie (Annie), and Andrea (Once on This Island.) Jessi is excited to be returning to the Summer Education Program for her third season!
Improvisation Instructor Derrick A. Belkin	Derrick A. Belkin will be starting his senior year this fall at the College at Brockport; there he is a theatre major. In the summer of 2002 he started his improv training. While at Bishop Kearney he performed in three musicals and formed an improv troupe. At the College at Brockport, Derrick has acted in department productions, senior projects, and is an officer in Harlequins - the college drama club. On the Brockport main stage he has played Kokol in Marat/Sade, Bowers in Terra Nova (for which he received an Irene Ryan nomination), several roles in Machinal, Damis in Tartuffe, and most recently was in their production of Hair. For Harlequins Derrick has directed Godspell (2007) and is the troupe leader/founding member of their improv troupe known as "Barrel of Monkeys"; which will begin its forth season this fall. This past year Derrick has directed the play The Dutchmen, has joined the new improv troupe "Awkwerd Brockwerd Improv Troope", and was dramaturge for Brockport's production of I Hate Hamlet . Derrick has taken classes in acting, children’s theatre, creative drama, and improv which was taught by Tim Goodwin, founder of Geva Comedy Improv. He has also been involved with productions for Rochester Community Players, Greece Performing Arts Society, and Webster Shakespeare Festival. Derrick’s goal is to direct and teach theatre.
Acting Coach Meghan Nutting	See bio above!
Acting Coach Spencer Christiano	Spencer Christiano has been acting for 18 years. During his college career, he has received awards from Geva Theatre's Young Playwrights Festival (2005 - Original One-Act Play - The Handyman), The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (2007 - Certificate of Merit for Improvisation and Original Sketches - The Complete Works of Wm. Shakespeare (Abridged)), and SUNY Brockport (2007-2008 Theatre Season - Department Transfer Award). Spencer was also a semifinalist in the Irene Ryan Scholarship Competition at the Region II Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (2008). Spencer has 13 years of juggling experience, and works as a professional juggler at large festivals and parties. Spencer received his A.A.S. degree in Visual Communications from Monroe Community College in 2008, and will begin his senior year as a theatre major at SUNY Brockport in Fall 2008. Favorite roles include Guy in Some Girl(s), The Mute in The Fantasticks, Michael Evans / Boy in Dancing at Lughnasa, Eric in The Man Who Couldn't Dance, Flute / Thisbe in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Margaret Mead in Hair.
Acting Coach Ashley Close	Ashley Close will be a senior at the Crane School of Music SUNY Potsdam as a Music Education Major with a Music Business Minor. She has been involved with theater and dance her whole life and has recently played roles such as Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown and the lead role of Kate in a new musical called The Highwayman by Garth Bardsley and Ben Parry. Ashley is also the music director of an a cappella group at school called The Potsdam Pitches and is looking forward to her first summer with DCT!
Master Class Artists	Our days are filled with fun and learning! On occasion, we bring in area professionals to teach a class or seminar. Master Classes help students to appreciate different art forms, and exposes them to a variety of skills, strategies, and styles that they can apply to their work.
YOUR PICTURE HERE!	DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? We'd love to offer our students Master Classes in all sorts of subjects -- Mime, Auditions, Voice, Dialects, Dance - all genres, Acting, Directing - you name it! If you have a skill to teach, please contact us! We can trade theatre tickets or student tuition! We may also be able to arrange a small stipend. Email us if you are interested!
Dance: Tap (Sessions 2, 3, & 4) Courtney Andrews World	*Courtney Andrews World -* Courtney World is a dance performer, choreographer, and teacher based in Rochester, NY. She holds an MFA in Performance and Choreography from The College at Brockport and a BA in Dance from the University at Buffalo. She has performed at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and the International Dance Festival NYC with James Hansen’s Assemblage Dance Company and has performed in numerous works choreographed by Bill Evans, including both tap and modern dance. She currently performs with BIODANCE, Geomantics Dance-Theater, and Kista Tucker Dance, in addition performing in her own work, which has been presented at by ArtWalk Alive!, American College Dance Festival, ImageMovementSound Festival, and Rochester Contemporary Dance Collective. Courtney has a wide range of experience teaching a variety of dance forms to students of all ages. She is currently an adjunct lecturer at The College at Brockport and Nazareth College. For many years she taught at private dance studios and has taught creative movement in after-school care programs at St. Monica’s School and St. John the Evangelist School. She has taught master classes offered by Hamlin Recreation, DanceRochester!, The College at Brockport’s Student Dance Organization, and Downstairs Cabaret Theater’s Summer Education Program.
Vocal Performance (Sessions 2, 3, & 4) Jennifer Button	*See Bio Above!*
	What a CRAZY STAFF! This pic is from our "Fantasy Day" during Theme Week in Session 2 (2007). Notice all the Harry Potter fans? We've got Molly Weasely, Trelawny, Flitwick, Hermione, and a couple of Hogwarts' girls. We've even got a muggle! (And then there's Belle, Tiger Lily, and the Snow Queen!)