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The people of Footlight Players are its greatest strength. All of us are experienced in both making exciting theatrical productions, and in helping children discover their creative potential.
DIRECTORS AND PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS
Jane Potter-Baumer, (Music Director) performs and directs music for Footlight’s public performances, including individual coaching. She offers workshops in:
Corey Lunchuck (Technical Director) leads the company in producing the technical elements of the show, especially scenery construction and stage lighting.
ARTIST/COUNSELORS Artist/Counselors work directly with small groups each day conducting workshops and rehearsals. All are early career professionals or advanced students majoring in Theater at IUP. Dan Iwaniac (Scenery and Costume Designer) works with the company to create the visual elements of the productions. Provides lessons in basic costuming techniques and scenic art. Grace Maberg (Lead Councelor, Company Manager) Kelly McCaughn (Workshop Leader/Actor) Tyler Mumau (Intern Councelor) Jillian Orr (Director) offers workshops in performance, and directs young company productions. Caitlin Simkovich (Workshop Leader/Playwright) playwrighting workshops, and workshops in basic stage combat.
GUEST ARTISTS Sharen Camille (Director of Musical) directs the Teens Musical and assists with the creation of the younger company production.
BIOGRAPHIES: Brian Jones, (Executive Director) is an Associate Professor of Theater at IUP. He is the Scenery and Lighting Designer, as well as the Production Manager, for Theater-by-the-Grove. He has designed scenery and lighting for companies across the US including the Salt Lake Acting Company, Theaterworks West, Metro Playhouse of New York City, and The Northeast Theatre. Brian is developing a specialty in puppetry and maskwork, and is a co-founder of the local puppet ensemble, Another Bloomin’ Puppet Company. He recently designed scenery for the acclaimed production of Colorfast at the Pittsburgh International Children’s Theatre Festival.
Kevin Bean, (Program Director, Staging Director) has a BA in Theatre from IUP as well as an MA in English Literature. He has been involved in over 50 theatrical works, be it acting or directing in his career and has appeared on both stage and film. Kevin once had the honor of directing and teaching at the Alaska Theatre of Youth program in Anchorage, Alaska. You can currently find Kevin directing for Windber Area High School in Windber, Pennsylvania. He is proud to be the father to wonderful children and married to his best friend.
Corey Lunchuck (Technical Director) graduated from IUP with a BA in Technical Theater. He has been working for Theater-By-the-Grove as the Scenery Studio Supervisor for the past year as well as freelancing technical directing, lighting and sound. He was technical director for OnStage Arts and Entertainment for two years at Theater on Fifth, Indiana High School.
Sharen Camille (Guest Artist) Audiences may remember Miss Camille when she played Maria in West Side Story ("Her voice is pure, powerful, and meltingly tender"- The Connecticut Post) in the final National Tour overseen by Jerome Robbins, with the honored distinction of being the last Maria he ever cast, performing in more than 25 cities across America in over 400 performances. The Houston
Chronicle: "She moves with grace and sings with crystalline beauty and precision" and The Baltimore Sun: "…her soaring soprano imbues the lush Bernstein melodies". She appeared as Maria throughout European opera houses, including Paris, Baden Baden, Dusseldorf, and Hamburg. In New York, Sharen joined the historical ranks of NY's longest running musical The Fantasticks as The Girl. “Sharen Camille, with her striking features and strong voice is a natural” said the Washington Square News. Sharen’s musical theatre career has included tours portraying: Ellie in Showboat, Louisa in The Sound of Music, and Lucy in A Christmas Carol; and numerous musical theatre performances that include: Marian in The Music Man, The Mistress in Evita, Cinderella in Cinderella with Zsa Zsa Gabor, Louise in Carousel, Agnes in George M, and Godspell. In Los Angeles Miss Camille appeared with the Attic Theatre in The Frogs, the Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera in Showboat, the Open Fist Theatre in the world premiere of Feets! Don't fail me now, and the Garden Grove Theatre in the Los Angeles premiere of Lovesong. In her hometown of St. Louis, Sharen has been seen at the St. Louis Art Museum in the title role of Alice in Wonder.com (the World Premiere), Evita at the Muny Opera, Carousel and Annie get your gun with Stages St. Louis, and received kudos for her performances of It’s All True as Olive with the Hothouse Theatre Company, and as the Narrator in As the Eagle Flies with Historyonics. She has delighted cabaret audiences in Los Angeles, Denver ("….voice of an angel"- Denver Post), St. Louis, Hamburg and Paris. Sharen's versatility has led to successful performances on the classical stage as well as the musical theatre stage where some of her appearances include: The Magic Flute with the Orlando Opera, opera aria highlights with the Belleville Philharmonic, Opera at Florham Park, Central Florida Light Opera and the Los Angeles Premiere Chorale. Miss Camille made her Powell Hall debut as the soprano soloist in Messiah with the Bach Society of St. Louis, as well as performing the Messiah solos with the Masterworks Chorale. She has sung the Brahms Requiem, Faure Requiem, and Rutter’s Psalmfest as the soprano soloist, and appeared in An Evening of Victor Herbert with Windsor Theatre. She was a regional finalist in the MacAllister vocal competition and appeared as the soprano Young Artist with the Bach Society of St. Louis.
As an accomplished actor on the screen Miss Camille´s Film and TV credits include: Co-Starring in Death Benefit (USA) with Peter Horton, Stop the World, I want to get off (A&E) as the daughter of Peter Scolari and Stephanie Zimbalist, Co-Starring with Henry Thomas in Psycho IV (Showtime), appearing in Dave's World (CBS), The Other Side, Superboy and Superforce and Feature releases of Why do Fools fall in Love, Tom Hanks' That Thing You Do, and the Independent short parody Greased to Kill.
Sharen has recently recorded her first CD, Angels We Have Heard On High, a wonderful collection of Christmas Classics! Hear the voice that The Connecticut Post called “pure, powerful and meltingly tender” perfectly accompanied by Harp, violin, cello and flute.
Caitlin Simkovich (Counselor/Workshop Leader/Playwright) She has recently graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Theater. During her four years at IUP she was involved in such Mainspace Productions as The Hostage (Theresa understudy), Streetcar Named Desire (Stella), Much Ado About Nothing (Hero), Minor Demons (Diane and Mrs. Simmonds swing), and A Flea in Her Ear (Raymonde) as well as numerous studio shows including performances by the Directing Class, Steel Magnolias (M’Lynn), and Vanilla Frank (Carise). She also wrote two plays (Room 211 and Four Little Monkeys) both of which where produced in Theater-By-The-Grove’s studio theater. In 2005, she trained and was certified in Stage Combat and in 2006 she attended the KCACTF festival in New York as an Irene Ryan Partner. While there, she participated in many acting and writing workshops and was cast in a staged reading of The Importance of Being Earnest as Gwendolyn. She is thrilled to be working with children because it is both gratifying and fulfilling work that constantly keeps you on your toes. |
