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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Dr. Leslie Hill, Chair & Artistic Director of Theatre & Dance Professor of Theatre Director, performer and scholar Leslie Hill is interested in the intersection of theatre with politics, activism and social justice movements. She has spent the past 15 years producing work that focuses on creating curiosity and engagement around environmental issues, and exploring more sustainable methods to create theatre performances. Hill was most recently a Professor of Theatre and Performance Making at the University of Roehampton, London. Her most recent book, Devising Theatre & Performance: Curious Methods (2021), is a deep dive into creative practice. Previously, Hill was Associate Professor and Artistic Director of Stanford’s Department of Theatre & Performance Studies (2011–2017). She also led the practice-based interdisciplinary arts Ph.D. program at the University of East London (2006–2010). Hill is the co-founder of the London-based performance company Curious, where she was co-director for 25 years, specializing in highly collaborative, site-specific performance works. she/her/hers | [email protected] | x4017 |
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Jim VanValen, Director of Theatre Assistant Professor: Acting Jim VanValen is a professional actor who teaches courses in Acting Process, Meisner Technique, and Solo Performance. He directed The Haunting of Hartfield Hall in 2024 and The Importance of Being Earnest in 2019, and he performed in the departmental production of Local Girls in 2023. As a Theatre faculty member, he continues to train with Theatrical Intimacy Education and Open Intimacy Creatives. He has also developed a partnership with the Rehabilitation Sciences and Nursing Programs at Moravian University, where he connects Muhlenberg actors with Moravian healthcare students in order to build compassion, communication, and empathy across disciplines. 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 presence 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 | [email protected] | x4393 |
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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 | [email protected] | x3087 |
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Robyn Watson, Director of the Co-Curriculum for Theatre & Dance Lecturer: Tap A native of Philadelphia, Watson has performed with innovators and trailblazers in the discipline of tap dance, including Dianne Walker, Germaine Ingram, Savion Glover and the late, legendary Mabel Lee. In 2016 served as the tap instructor for the Broadway sensation Shuffle Along. She also has been a collaborator with Grammy Award-winning MacArthur Genius recipient Rhiannon Giddens. She was the featured dancer on the Grammy nominated album American Originals: 1918, along with Giddens, for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Over the past ten years she has had the opportunity to work and study under the direction of Tony Award-winning choreographer Savion Glover, performing in several of his productions, including Sole Power, Stepz and Bare Soundz. Robyn was a resident artist at the Painted Bride Art Center, where she began developing The Blackbirds’ Suites, a trilogy of tap dance narratives that address Black women’s identity throughout American history. she/her/hers | [email protected] | x3281 |
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Lecturer: Lighting Design Haley Brown is a theatrical and event lighting designer. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design and Technology from the University of Georgia and a BA from Furman University. She has been regionally recognized by the Southeastern Theatre Conference as a recipient of the John Spiegel Theatrical Artist Award. Throughout her career, Haley's artistic endeavors have spanned a diverse array of domains, from theatre and opera to dance, even extending into live concert design as the Resident Lighting Designer at The Warehouse, a prominent music venue in Athens, Georgia. At the heart of her work lies an unwavering belief in the profound impact of the arts in evoking intense emotions and fostering deep introspection, ultimately cultivating a sense of community and understanding. Her commitment to this principle is reflected in her dedication to elevating Indigenous narratives that articulate the traditions, struggles, and aspirations of Indigenous peoples and communities. Select regional design credits include We Will Rock You (Circa ’21 Playhouse), All the Natalie Portmans (Out Front Theatre Company), Maytag Virgin (Peterborough Players), Painting Lessons (New Hazlett Theater), Nunsense (Thin Air Theatre Company), Goldilocks (Birmingham Children's Theater), and The Taming (LEAN Ensemble Theater). For a glimpse of her body of work, you can explore her portfolio here. she/her/hers | [email protected] | x4027 |
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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 | [email protected] | 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 | [email protected] | x4281 |
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Adjunct Professor: Stage Combat Sean Michael Chin is a fight director, combat performer, and stage combat teacher based in New York City. He is an Artistic Associate with New York Classical Theatre, whose mission is to provide free, professional theatre to all New Yorkers. He often performs for the Metropolitan Opera, being featured in Il Trovatore, Tosca, Rigoletto, and others. Sean teaches nationally and internationally as an SAFD Certified Teacher, including as a Lead Teacher for the National Stage Combat Workshop in Ruston, Louisiana. SeanMichealChin.com. he/him/his | [email protected] |
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Assistant Professor of English Literatures & Writing and Theatre 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 | [email protected] | x3313 |
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Visiting Assistant Professor: Directing, Acting Process, Shakespeare Jessie Dean has trained at the Globe Theatre and the RSC in England and earned her MFA with a focus on acting classical work from Illinois State University under the direction of Henry Woronicz. Jessie is a multi-discipline theatre maker: writer, actor, director, producer, musician, and former 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, an avant-garde theatre company based in Manhattan, and Managing Director of Dad’s Garage Theatre in Atlanta. She is the co-author of Our New Town, a musical developed with the Civilians, a co-producer of a Joe’s Pub cabaret called Hate, Actually, and a co-writer of the movie Get Gomez. Jessie began working in the theatre professionally in Atlanta, Georgia after graduating from Oglethorpe University with a BA in Theatre, quickly becoming an acclaimed director and musical theatre performer specializing in comedy. Since moving to New York after graduate school, Jessie has performed and produced groundbreaking off-Broadway work with Monk Parrots, classical work with Molière in the Park, written a book, become a mother of three, and written 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, 59E59th, Joe’s Pub, and the Kennedy Center. she/her/hers | [email protected] |
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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 | [email protected] | x3786 |
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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 | [email protected] | x3589 |
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Adjunct Professor: Audition Workshop, Senior Showcase Director Dana A. Iannuzzi is a New York based actor/director. She received a BA in Theatre Arts Performance Studies from Muhlenberg College. TV/film credits: The Border (Columbia Grad Film), The Leftovers (HBO), Guiding Light (CBS). Theatre credits: The Taming (Bianca), Havana Nocturne (Workshop), The Buddy Holly Story. Most recently Dana was the Associate Director for the musical SiX for Norwegian Cruise Lines. Other directing credits include: Monty Python’s Spamalot (Forestburgh Playhouse), Murder for Two (Greenbrier Valley Theatre), On Your Feet (John W. Engeman Theatre), A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (Timberlake Playhouse), Freedom Summer (Baldwin Wallace University), Steel Magnolias (Greenbrier Valley Theatre), Beehive: The ’60s Musical (Timberlake Playhouse). danaiannuzzi.com IG: @thedanaiannuzzi she/her/hers | [email protected] |
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Associate 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 | [email protected] | x3331 |
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Adjunct Professor: Voice & Speech for the Actor Casey McGinty is a bilingual voice teacher, actor, and musician from Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. She is a Designated Linklater Teacher (DLT) and holds an MFA in the Linklater Teaching Practice (Voice & Theatre Arts) from Rose Bruford College in London. Casey’s actor training is grounded in Linklater Voice with additional focuses in the Michael Chekhov Acting Technique, Trish Arnold’s Pure Movement, and Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. Casey is a fluent Spanish speaker and was able to spend a semester observing senior DLT’s at Estudio Corazza in Madrid, Spain, as part of her MFA. Casey is a violinist and singer who has performed with local bands such as Fig for a Kiss, Trouble City All-Stars, the Groove Merchants, and Bovine Social Club. She most recently helped devise and performed in Christmas City Follies at Touchstone Theatre in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. she/her/hers | [email protected] |
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Katrina Miller Adjunct Professor, Stagecraft 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 | [email protected] |
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Associate Professor: Theatre History & Theory, Performance Studies, Directing Matt has directed for theatres in New York, Washington D. C., Philadelphia, San Francisco and in Ireland. He has published scholarly articles and reviews, and is co-editor of Troubling Traditions: Canoncity, Theatre and Performance in the US, winner of ATHE’s 2024 Edited Works Award. He is co-chair of the American Society for Theatre Research’s 2024 conference, Ecologies of Time and Change, and is a past Executive Board member of Performance Studies international. At Muhlenberg, Matt has received the First-Year Advising award, and was honored to deliver the Last Lecture during the pandemic. He teaches a wide range of theatre courses as well as first-year seminars and interdisciplinary and expeditionary learning courses with colleagues across the college. His current projects involve immersive theatre and the intersections between theatre and ecology. In addition to Muhlenberg, Matt has taught at Stanford University and at University College, Cork in Ireland he/him/his | [email protected] |
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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 | [email protected] |
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Lentz Endowed Professor in Theatre: Directing, Performance Studies, and Theatre History Dr. James Peck is the Lentz Endowed Professor in Theatre. He 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. 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 been awarded 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). 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 | [email protected] | x3582 |
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Associate 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 | [email protected] | 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 | [email protected] | x3558 |
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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 | [email protected] |
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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 | [email protected] | x3589 |
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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 | [email protected] | x3087 |
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Interim Manager of Operations, Theatre & Dance (effective Sept. 1, 2024) Allie is an arts administrator, theatrical intimacy professional, performer, and digital content creator. She has performed, choreographed intimacy, and held administrative positions at non-profit arts organizations in the Lehigh Valley, including Civic Theatre of Allentown and The Pennsylvania Playhouse, as well as others outside of Philadelphia. She was the Theatre & Dance Office Manager at Muhlenberg from 2022 to 2024. She currently sits on the Cinema Committee at ArtsQuest and curates film series at Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas. Allie holds a Master of Arts degree in Arts Administration from Kutztown University. alessandrafanelli.com she/her | [email protected] | x3335 |
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Cutter/Draper Clara holds a Masters Degree in Costume Design and Technology from the University of Cincinnati- College Conservatory of Music, and an undergraduate degree in Education from Hamline University. After undergrad, Clara blended her love of learning and teaching into her career in theater. She worked as a freelance costumer across the Twin Cities for almost ten years. In that time she explored all aspects of costumes from stitching, to design, to wardrobe, finally deciding to return to school to focus on costume construction. She is passionate about bringing characters to life and is eager to apply her skills to this new opportunity at Muhlenberg. Previously, Clara has worked as a Wig and Wardrobe Technician at the Guthrie Theater, and as a First Hand at the Santa Fe Opera. she/her | [email protected] | x3589 |
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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 | [email protected] | 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 | [email protected] | 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 | [email protected] |
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Costume Shop First Hand she/her | [email protected] |
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Marketing & Development Manager Prior to coming to Muhlenberg in 2010, Scott Snyder served for 11 years as Managing Director of the Civic Theatre of Allentown, where he developed marketing and communications strategies that helping to position Civic as a community arts center for the region. He then spent three years as Director of Alumni Communications for Lehigh University. He also currently serves as Layout & Design Editor for the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) and Southern Theatre magazine. He has served on the board of directors of several arts organizations, including the William Allen Arts Academy, Lehigh Valley Arts Council, and Arts Luminarium. Scott has performed, served as production stage manager and/or designed sound, props, and projections for a couple dozen theatre productions, but that was mostly back in the day. he/him | [email protected] | 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 | [email protected] | 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 | [email protected] | x3589 |
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Assistant Technical Director Nathan Zwart is a Connecticut native and a Wagner College graduate. His professional work includes Technical Director at The Sharon Playhouse for the 2023 Summer Season, Lighting Supervisor for Pa'Lante Scholars In The Rep, and numerous overhire technician and carpentry gigs throughout Manhattan. He plays the tuba. Nathanzwart.com. he/him | [email protected] | x3332 |
