ABOUT THE CAMP STAFF:

Beverly Houck is the Program Director for the Institute’s program PrimaryStages. 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.   

Debbie Bowman - Theater directed the Musicals for Exeter Township for many years with her husband.  A mother of twins and now a grandmother she truly enjoys working with the younger ones in their creative endeavors.  During the school year, Mrs. Bowman works for the Wilson School District in Elementary Mathematics instructional support.

Tammy Updegrove Braunsberg – Visual Arts is a designer/painter specializing in murals, set design, decorative paint finishes and the drawing and painting of animals. She has studied at Anvil Art Studio and Kutztown University and is an experienced instructor of children and adults.

Nicole Bucks - Dance holds a BA in Dance from Point Park University, with her concentration in Modern and Contemporary Jazz. Nicole Bucks is also a certified Instructor of Kripalu DansKinetics as well as Kripalu Yoga. Nicole Bucks has been teaching for nine years. 

Christine Cieplinski, M.Ed - Theater . 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. 

Theresa Cocci - Music teaches family music, rhythm patterns and preschool music. She is a graduate of Kutztown University with BA in Elementary Ed. She is a member of MTNA, and has taught private music for many years. She currently serves a music instructor for our Preschool Department. 

Jenni Destefano – Mini Bridges, Visual Arts holds a BS in Art Education from Kutztown University and is certified to teach Art K-12. She taught elementary art in Wilmington, DE.  At the Institute she is a lead teacher for our Neighborhood Bridges program.

Timothy Dewalt – Visual Arts is one of the founders of the Institute's Summer Arts Camps.  He is the Head of the Art Department for Exeter Township School District.

Sharon Dixon – Toddler Camp, Visual Arts has taught preschool at the Institute of the Arts for over  years.  Currently she is the instructor of the two-day 3 year old program, Kindergarten Discovery and Preschool Discovery Classes.  She has also taught Little Artists at the Institute.

Joel Gori – Theater 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. 

Karen Houck- Dance is a graduate of WilkesUniversity with a BA in Elementary Education and a minor in Dance. She has trained with Ballet Northeast, and the Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. In 2007, Karen won the Wilkes University Dance Award.  She currently teaches Pre-Ballet and Ballet I for the Institute of the Arts’ Dance Dept.

Rich Houck – Visual Arts holds a BFA in Painting from the University of the Arts and Certification in Art Education K-12. He has 15 years of teaching experience. Rich Houck is an artist at the Goggleworks and can be found in studio 312.

Debbi Silas - Theater/ Broadway Junior has spent her life doing what she loves best: working with children. As a Theater professional she has directed, acted and choreographed in numerous productions. The past 10 years, she has thoroughly enjoyed directing young people locally at Genesius Theatre, Alpha Omega Players and Reading Community Players (RCP). She most recently directed the poignant drama, The Secret Life of Girls at RCP. In 2009 she directed five shows over the course of 5 weeks as the Director of Theatre for Young Audiences at Mt. Gretna Theatre. Debbi has accompanied two award winning casts of young actors to the Music Theatre International’s Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. Onstage, Debbi's favorite roles include: Ernstina in Hello Dolly (Gretna Theatre), Mrs. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol (Reading Civic Theatre), Guido’s Mother in Nine (Alpha Omega Players), Jennyanydots in Cats (Genesius Theatre). In 2010, she will have completed 35 year career in the same school as a Life Skills teacher.