Theater - Faculty - Institute of the Arts

Theater Faculty:

Beverly Houck

- Program Director for the Institute’s program Primary Stages . She attended AMDA in NYC and received her BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She has performed onstage and screen in NYC and regionally with long term associations as a performer and teacher at Hedgerow Theater, The Fulton Theater and Theatre of the Seventh Sister.

Christine Cieplinski, M.Ed. is an avid educator, performer, and comedian, who has worked Off-Broadway, regionally and locally. She currently performs in a touring two-woman comedy wherein she plays 14 different characters. Ms. Cieplinski is the President of Cherry Herring Entertainment Company for which she directs and produces stage shows geared towards young actors and audiences, as well as, plays that serve as major fundraisers for local, regional, national and international non-profit organizations.

Michelle Gregoire Fogel has been active in the regional theater community for the past decade as an actor, director, stage manager, and teaching artist. Most recently Michelle participated in the Lancaster Dramatist Platform’s New Play Festival as an actor, director, and playwright. Having recently completed a Master’s in Management of Nonprofit Arts and Education Organizations, Michelle is an adjunct professor at the PA College of Art and Design.

Joel Gori is the Artistic Director of Metamorphosis Performing Company, and resident theater artist at the Institute. He is a movement theater performer and is involved in workshops, seasonal classes and both directing and performing in several Primary Stages Productions. He is a rostered artist with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Arts-In-Education and does theater residencies throughout the state.

Lisa Joachim holds a BFA from the University of the Arts in Musical Theatre. While there she appeared in a variety of productions, some of which include; Flaherty and Ahrens’ We Tell The Story, Stephen Schwartz’s Working, Stephen Sondheim’s Putting It Together, and performed the role of ‘Bella’ in Stephen Schwartz’s Rags for which she received an Irene Ryan Award nomination.

Adam Kissinger is a recent graduate of Kutztown University where he earned his BA in Theatre and minor in Musical Theatre. Adam has received several nominations for the KC/ ACTF Irene Ryan award through his performances at Kutztown; where he was also involved with children’s theatre group Sunshine Players. Adam is a freelance stagehand and program technician for Pennsylvania’s Governors School for the Arts.

Tama McConnell is an educator, performer and musician. She was most recently seen as Brighton the Elf in the Primary Stages Production of the Elves & the Shoemaker in 2007. Other favorite productions include, Agnes of God, Steel Magnolias, Crimes of the Heart, The Sound of Music, Nine , and Oliver!

Amy Shea made her Primary Stages debut as Mary in Two Marys, Five Jacks & One Very Big Shoe . Other theatre companies she has performed with over the years include: Gretna Theatre, Theater of the Seventh Sister, Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, Rainbow Dinner Theatre, First Stage Theater, Sight & Sound, Co-Motion Theatre, PA Renaissance Faire, Historic Philadelphia, & Maranatha Productions. Amy has also appeared in several independent films as well as being co producer of 2- Shea Productions Inc.

Special Guest Teachers:
Christina Masciotti has developed her work at The New Group, and in artist residencies at The Blue Heron Arts Center, Dixon Place, and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum Theater. She has received grants from The Puffin Foundation, The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, chashama, The Greenpoint Bank Trust, The Independence Community Foundation, as well as a BA from Brown University with Honors in Playwriting and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from Tisch School of the Arts, NYU. Her work has been performed at venues including PS 122, the Ontological-Hysteric Theater, HERE Arts Center, and the International Theatre Institute in Athens, Greece. She was awarded the Weston Award for Creative Writing, was nominated for the Susan Smith Blackburn Award, and has been a semi-finalist and a finalist for The Princess Grace Award and a Creative Capital Award. Her play Vision Disturbance was nominated for the 2008 Barrie and Bernice Stavis Playwright Award. She is currently developing a new play at The New Group.

Forrest McClendonis a performer and coach. Professional credits include notable productions in theaters throughout the

U.S.

including the Westport Playhouse (CT), Walnut Street Theatre (PA), A Contemporary Theatre (WA), Jupiter Theatre (FL), and Charlotte Repertory Theatre (NC). Forrest received the Central Texas Critics Table Award and the B. Iden Payne Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play for The America Play at the Zachary Scott Theatre (TX), and he was a Barrymore Award nominee for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for The Threepenny Opera at the WilmaTheater. Forrest received his BA in Music, Vocal Performance with directed study in Vocal Anatomy and Pedagogy from the University of Connecticut and has taught at several universities, and noted theater companies. He is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of the Arts where he teaches audition technique and self-marketing to graduating seniors. His students are currently appearing on stage and screen in everything from soaps to opera.

Sam Scott (Samantha) is one of New Zealand's leading theatre and television directors. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Massive Company, which produces all new work and has performed nationally and internationally at prestigious theatres such as the Royal Court, London, UK and Contact Theatre, Manchester, UK. Massive Company specializes in working with emerging actors and offers an extensive mentoring program for all related theatre areas. Massive Company's work is dynamic, physical and highly innovative in its style and form. At the heart of Massive's work is their unique and powerful approach to working with personal stories as the base of all their productions.

Morgan Shea , founder of the Independent Fight Director's Guild. He is the resident fight choreographer for Theater of the Seventh Sister in Lancaster PA, and Co-Producing Director of 2-Shea Productions. Morgan is also teaches classical fencing. He is a veteran of both the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire and the Pocono Renaissance Faire. Morgan teaches stage combat and fight directs for theaters all over central Pennsylvania, concentrating heavily on "Basic Stage Combat for Young Actors" and "The Organics of Stage Combat."

Megan Rose Wieder received her BFA in Acting from Lindenwood University in Missouri. She also holds a degree in Spanish, and has taught Improvisation in our Theater Department and Spanish in our Language Department. She performed as the Snow Queen in the Primary Stages Production, and has an extensive resume in Theatre, Film and Modeling.