Faculty for our 2020 Summer Theatre Workshop at SUNY New Paltz is in the works!
We are currently reaching out to our incredible network of friends and colleagues - all industry professionals - to determine scheduling and their availability for this year's program. In the meantime, check out who joined us last year!
2019 Faculty for BAC/SUNY New Paltz Summer Theatre Workshop
* Faculty members subject to change due to Artists' availability.
Denise Summerford (Program Director/Instructor - Voice & Musical Theatre) is an award winning Broadway Actress and the founder of Broadway Arts Collective. Denise has appeared on Broadway in such shows as the Rosie O’Donnell/Boy George musical Taboo, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Denise received a Drama Desk Award for her work in the hit a cappella musical In Transit where she created the role of Jane. She was also in the original cast of the Off Broadway musical Shout!. She has played leading roles in the Broadway touring companies of Leader of the Pack, Grease, Company, The Who’s Tommy and has worked at more than 15 regional theatres across the country. She has created roles in the development of many new plays and musicals most notably In Transit, Spring Awakening's Duncan Sheik & Steven Sater’s new work The Nightingale and Urinetown's Greg Kotis & Mark Hollmann's new mastermind ZM, all at The O’Neill Theatre Center - as well as Dollface and Behind the Limelight (Broadway’s Chaplin), both at Powerhouse Theatre/ New York Stage and Film. A dynamic singer, Denise has drawn praise from around the music scene with her solo show COVER GIRL. She can be heard on various voice-overs, jingles and recordings and has sung with many national and international recording artists. Denise has had the distinguished honor of singing at the White House for the President and First Lady. Denise has a BFA in Acting and was a company member of Half Moon Theatre in Poughkeepsie where she founded and served as Director of Half Moon Theatre School of the Arts for 6 years. She teaches her audition and voice master classes at many universities and acting academies across the country as well as running a private voice and acting studio in New Paltz, NY. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, SAG/AFTRA, AGVA and NATS (National Assoc of Teachers of Singing).
Clyde Alves (Guest Artist) has been seen on Broadway in The Music Man (Tommy Djilas) *Astaire Award Winner, Oklahoma!, Hairspray, Wicked, Anything Goes, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Bullets Over Broadway and most recently starred as Ozzie in the critically acclaimed revival of On The Town *Astaire Award Nomination. He reprised his performance as Tommy Djilas in ABC's The Music Man. National Tours: A Chorus Line (Mike). Off Broadway: Altar Boyz (Juan). New York City Center Encores: The New Yorkers (Monahan), and most recently shared the role of George M! with Joel Grey in Hey, Look Me Over! Regional Theatre: Crazy For You (Bobby Child) Drury Lane Theatre *Jeff Award Nomination, Nice Work If You Can Get It (Jimmy Winter) Music Theatre Wichita, Oklahoma! (Will Parker) at The Muny, Kiss Me, Kate (Bill Calhoun) Shakespeare Theatre Company *Helen Hayes Award Winner. Clyde reprised his performance in Kiss Me Kate at the 5th Avenue Theatre. Concerts: On The Town with the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, West Side Story (Tony) with the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra. Clyde is a passionate singer-songwriter and guitarist who can be heard playing his original music throughout New York where he so happily resides with his wife and son!
Lauren Bone Noble (Acting/Movement/Improv) is an actress, director, educator and theatre maker. As an actress she has worked on and off Broadway, in regional theatres across America and at Vienna's English Theatre in Austria. Lauren has made guest appearances on multiple television shows and over 35 national commercials. She is contingent faculty at SUNY New Paltz where she directed her gender bent Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night's Dream and most recently, The Servant of Two Masters. She is the recipient of SUNY New Paltz's Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching. This January Lauren premiered her dark comedy FURY! and hopes to begin touring in the fall.
Jim Cairl (Stage Combat) has been teaching acting and stage combat for over ten years, including a year long acting course at PS 176 in Manhattan and an intensive stage combat course for students in London. He has worked with students at Haldane Central School and at the Garrison Free Union School. In New York, Jim has worked with Students Live, performing on Broadway at the Shubert Theater. With Thomas G. Waites as a stage combat instructor for his school. Jim was also the Managing Director of the Mighty Theater, the resident theater company of the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill, NY and Associate Artistic Director of the Ironwood Theater Project in Chicago, IL. Jim has worked with the Off and Off‐Off Broadway community for several years as a performer, stage combat choreographer, and playwright. He has performed with the Hudson Valley Shakespeare for the past three seasons and appeared in Rip Van Winkle, Richard II, The General from America, and Our Town. He also directed Becoming Frankenstein at Hubbard Hall and Death of a Salesman. His one-act play Madame Tellier was performed at the Theater for the New City's "Dream Up!" Festival. He has worked with Chocolate Factory Theater, Inverse Theater, Myriad Arts, and The Kiva Company. Jim appeared in the independent feature film “Homecoming”, performing opposite Josh Hamilton. Jim graduated with a degree in Theater from Bennington College in Bennington, VT and also graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. He has studied at BADA in London with Fiona Shaw, Mick Barnfather, Janet Suzman, Mike Loades, and Mark Wing Davey.
Jenn Gambatese (Guest Artist) is a Broadway actor, singer, teacher and writer whose work has enabled her to see the world and collaborate with some of the most wonderful artists imaginable. Jenn's Broadway debut was in the musical Footloose. She then went on to appear as one of the nicest kids in town in the original company of Hairspray as Penny. Jenn originated her first leading role playing 'Natalie' (and her alter-ego, 'Ed') in All Shook Up and went on to create the role of 'Jane' in Disney's Tarzan. Jenn had the incredible opportunity to travel across America "by bubble" as Glinda in the national tour of 'Wicked' and star on Broadway as 'Principal Rosalie Mullins' in School of Rock. Jenn is soon to appear on Broadway in Mrs Doubtfire! On the home front, Jenn is Mom to two beautiful daughters and loves being a teaching artist and inspiring and encouraging the next generation of performing artists.
Hunter Ryan Hrdlicka (Guest Artist) appeared as Henrik in the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music playing opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury, followed by Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch. He also appeared in the New York revivals of Dear World opposite Tyne Daly and Once Upon A Mattress opposite Jackie Hoffman. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon and has taught master classes for NYU, Yale School of Drama, Dallas Summer Musicals, The Children’s Acting Company and the Broadway Classroom.
Hunter Ryan Hrdlicka (Guest Artist) appeared as Henrik in the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music playing opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury, followed by Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch. He also appeared in the New York revivals of Dear World opposite Tyne Daly and Once Upon A Mattress opposite Jackie Hoffman. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon and has taught master classes for NYU, Yale School of Drama, Dallas Summer Musicals, The Children’s Acting Company and the Broadway Classroom.
Nancy Johnston (Acting) was lucky enough to perform with Denise Summerford, Nancy Aufarthe and Elaine Miller last year in concerts in Beacon and at Bannerman’s Island. Broadway credits include Secret Garden, Music Man and Elf. National Tours: The Producers First National with Jason Alexander and Martin Short and TOTS’ Beauty and the Beast. Off-Broadway: Nunsense, Olympus On My Mind, Merrily We Roll Along and Encores’ first season’s Allegro. She has worked in a number of regional theaters including Goodspeed Opera House, Paper Mill Theater, St. Louis Rep, North Shore Music Theater, Cleveland Opera, Virginia Theater, Vermont Stage, Asolo Theater and Stages Rep in Houston. She taught Acting at NYU and in Beacon where she resides with her husband Jess.
Carolyn Ockert (Dance/Movement) has appeared on Broadway in : SHREK the Musical (Assistant Dance Captain), The Pajama Game (Virginia) starring Harry Connick Jr. and Kelli O’Hara, Wonderful Town (u/s Helen) Assistant Dance Captain, the Tony Award Winning Revival of The Music Man (Dance Captain), Annie Get Your Gun (u/s Winnie Tate) starring Reba McEntire, CATS (Victoria) and Footloose. Other New York credits include: The Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, The TONY Awards, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Bernadette Peters in Concert at Radio City Music Hall. You can also catch her on Netflix in Shrek the Musical. Carolyn began her training at the Houston Ballet Academy and Cornish Institute of Fine Arts in Seattle Washington. She continued on to receive her BFA from the University of Arizona graduating Magna Cum Laude. She has had the honor of being on faculty at Joffrey Ballet School for the Musical Theatre Summer Intensive Program. She is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.
Katya Stanislavskaya (Music Director) is a musical theatre composer, lyricist, librettist, musical director, and educator. Her original works include full-length musicals RESIDENT ALIEN and GOING SOUTH, theatrical song cycle WOMEN ON LOVE, and numerous short musicals and cabaret songs. Her works have been developed at the BMI Lehman-Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, Dramatist Guild Fellowship, New Dramatists, New Georges, Weston Playhouse, Astoria Performing Arts Center, New York Theatre Barn, and Western Carolina University. Her songs have been performed at Joe’s Pub, Feinstein’s/54 Below, Dixon Place, Merkin Hall, Ars Nova, Barrington Stage, Goodspeed Opera House, York Theatre, and Prospect theatre by Broadway performers including Taylor Trensch, Wes Taylor, Karen Ziemba, Malcolm Gets, Alyse Alan Louis, Amy Justman, and Theresa McCarthy. Honors include the Jerry Harrington Award (BMI), Weston New Musical Award, MacDowell Colony Residency, and Nautilus/New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio.
Katya has served as musical director, conductor, and/or pianist at Prospect Theatre, New York Musical Theatre Festival, Connecticut Rep, Barrington Stage, Arden Theatre, Shawnee Playhouse, Act II Playhouse, and numerous colleges and universities. She is an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at State University of New York- New Paltz. Previously, she was the Musical Theatre Program Director at Western Carolina University, and has taught and music directed at NYU, Temple University, CUNY-Lehman, University of the Arts, and Westminster Choir College.
Katya Stanislavskaya (Music Director) is a musical theatre composer, lyricist, librettist, musical director, and educator. Her original works include full-length musicals RESIDENT ALIEN and GOING SOUTH, theatrical song cycle WOMEN ON LOVE, and numerous short musicals and cabaret songs. Her works have been developed at the BMI Lehman-Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, Dramatist Guild Fellowship, New Dramatists, New Georges, Weston Playhouse, Astoria Performing Arts Center, New York Theatre Barn, and Western Carolina University. Her songs have been performed at Joe’s Pub, Feinstein’s/54 Below, Dixon Place, Merkin Hall, Ars Nova, Barrington Stage, Goodspeed Opera House, York Theatre, and Prospect theatre by Broadway performers including Taylor Trensch, Wes Taylor, Karen Ziemba, Malcolm Gets, Alyse Alan Louis, Amy Justman, and Theresa McCarthy. Honors include the Jerry Harrington Award (BMI), Weston New Musical Award, MacDowell Colony Residency, and Nautilus/New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio.
Katya has served as musical director, conductor, and/or pianist at Prospect Theatre, New York Musical Theatre Festival, Connecticut Rep, Barrington Stage, Arden Theatre, Shawnee Playhouse, Act II Playhouse, and numerous colleges and universities. She is an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at State University of New York- New Paltz. Previously, she was the Musical Theatre Program Director at Western Carolina University, and has taught and music directed at NYU, Temple University, CUNY-Lehman, University of the Arts, and Westminster Choir College.
Mia van Moyland (Makeup Artist) has worked as a professional makeup artist in film and television for over twenty years. After a number of years living in Japan and the UK, she has now returned to Gardiner on a full-time basis. Mia completed her training in makeup and special effects in Los Angeles before relocating to New York to pursue her career in film and television She quickly established herself within the world of independent film, running the makeup department for cult classics such as Gummo (1997), High Art (1998), and The Big Kahuna (1999) before turning her attention to television where she ran the makeup department on Law and Order SVU for several years. She has also worked on major studio movies, including Requiem for a Dream and Michael Clayton, starring George Clooney. She has been teaching basic stage make up at SUNY New Paltz for the past 3 years. Mia is an IASTE 798 union member. She is also the mother of two wonderful children.
John Summerford (Acting/Managing Director, Broadway Arts Collective) has performed in New York City and across the country in numerous productions including Twelfth Night (Orsino), Falling (Bill), Dinner with Friends (Tom), Company (National Tour), Godspell (Jesus), Sweeney Todd (Sweeney), It’s a Wonderful Life (George Bailey), A Christmas Carol (Marley, Cratchit and many others), Radio City Christmas Spectacular and Carnegie Hall. He has also performed locally with Powerhouse Theater/New York Stage & Film, Shadowland Theatre and River Valley Repertory. John was a company member of Half Moon Theatre in Poughkeepsie where he co-founded and served as Co-Director of Half Moon Theatre School of the Arts for 6 years along with his wife, Denise. Off-Broadway, John has served as Assistant Director on Sin: A Cardinal Deposed starring John Cullum at The New Group (OBIE Award & 2 Drama Desk Nominations) and Ionesco’s The Bald Soprano & The Lesson at Atlantic Theater Company. Other Directing credits include productions of Design for Living, Anything Goes, Babes in Arms, as well as numerous One-Act Festivals. John is an alumnus of the Atlantic Theater Company Acting Program, holds a degree in Economics from Trinity College in Connecticut and proudly carries union cards for Actors Equity Association, SAG/AFTRA and AGVA.
Additional Past Faculty
Laura Schutter (Dance/Movement) This Broadway triple-threat has worked on Broadway, London’s West End, and on National Tours for the past 20 years (Mary Poppins, The Apple Tree, Kiss Me Kate, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Thoroughly Modern Millie to name a few). Learn how to take what you know, add more confidence and learn the extra secrets of the business to book the job. Laura will help with fast learning techniques to prepare your audition sides, dance combos, or songs so you do your best in any audition situation. Laura Schutter spent six years performing in Mary Poppins on Broadway. She has performed the role of Millie in the Thoroughly Modern Millie Broadway Tour. Other Broadway and National Tour credits include Kiss Me Kate, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Parade, The Music Man and Showboat on London's West End.
Laura has toured throughout the US and Canada performing and teaching theatre, voice and dance. Laura has been the recipient of many awards and scholarships from dance conventions such as Dance Caravan, PDTA, Dance Masters and Dance Olympus. She continues to study in NYC at Steps and Broadway Dance Center and is also a certified Pilates instructor, choreographer, and jewelry maker! www.broadwaybaubles.com and Lauraschutter.com
Chesney Snow (Guest Artist) is Drama Desk award-winning Brooklyn based theatre artist, songwriter, educator and beatboxer. Recently originated the role of Boxman in Broadway's first a cappella musical In Transit. Considered a pioneering figure in American beatbox culture he founded the American Beatbox Championships and executive produced the documentary American Beatboxer which was placed in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Harvard University Hip Hop archives among others. He twice headlined Carnegie Hall with DCINY, was 3x artist in residence at Harvard University and has collaborated on stage as a beatboxer with many legendary artists including KRS One, Zap Mama, and Nile Rodgers. He has opened for artists such as MC Lyte, Snoop Dogg, and Immortal Technique. His most recent work as a composer and lyricist was alongside renowned playwright and actress Regina Taylor for her 15 year anniversary production of Crowns at Princeton's McCarter Theatre and the Long Wharf Theatre. His critically acclaimed autobiographical show The Unwritten Law is being presented in Dixon Place Theatre’s 2018 production season. National tour: Vocalosity. Select NY credits: In Transit (Broadway) Burn This, Golden Boy, Antigone.
Kim Pedell, Talent Manager with ZOOM TALENT MANAGEMENT, LLC has over 16 years of industry experience and also offers 15 years of experience in Public Relations, Advertising, Sales and Marketing. Before becoming a Talent Manager, Kim sold and produced video and audio programs that ran on many large airlines including American, United, TWA, Pan Am and the NBA Radio network. Previous companies in which she held executive sales & marketing positions include DMB&B Advertising, Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, PIA Radio Network and Bradlee International Ltd. For several years she successfully worked with a medium sized bi-coastal talent management firm before opening ZOOM Talent. ZOOM Talent Management (ZTM) is a full service bi-coastal management company representing children, teens and young adults in NY and LA. Current clients are successfully working in Film and Television, on Broadway and in Regional professional theaters and doing commercials and voiceovers and print work.
Sean McKnight (Guest Artist) is a Broadway actor and Choreographer. He began his choreographic career with the Los Angeles Area premiere of Hot Mikado which earned him nominations for both the LA Drama Critics Circle Award and the LA Stage Alliance Ovation! Award. He made his New York debut directing and choreographing the sold-out, one night concert Broadway Classics at Carnegie Hall starring Cheyenne Jackson and Carolee Carmello. As a performer he last served as Dance Captain for Roundabout Theatre Company’s national tour of Anything Goes. His other Broadway and National Tour credits include: Curtains, Merrily We Roll Along (new cast recording), Girl Crazy, Stairway to Paradise, Shrek the Musical, The Producers, 42nd Street, Cinderella starring Eartha Kitt, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and A Christmas Story the Musical. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan.