FALL FACULTY 2012
John Paul Alfonso John attended the University of the Arts, and studied Music Theory with Carlo Vinci, LeRoy Whitehead and Sean Diebler. John is an actor/singer/musician/musical director/educator.
Dan Cooley Dan is a director/actor from Monmouth County and has performed in theatres in NYC/ NJ as well as appearing in independent and student films. Dan is the Resident Director for New Mystics Theatre Co., a traveling teen company that performs socially relevant pieces and fights for social justice. Dan is also a teacher at Actor’s Playground and Arts Middle School.
Megan Sambataro Donovan Megan is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University. For the past six years she has been performing theatre in NYC and NJ, as well as acting in independent and student films.
Patti Dunnells Patti graduated from Monmouth University with a degree in Art Education. She taught at Raritan High School, Hazlet, NJ for the past 38 years. She has also worked as an art teacher for the Summer Arts program at Brookdale Community College for 15 years. Patti has been designing sets for the plays at Raritan for the past 13 years and has had the honor of receiving the Basie Award for Outstanding Set Design three times.
Marjorie Enerson Marjorie received her B.F.A. in Theatre Arts from Montclair State University and also studied abroad for six months at Middlesex Polytechnic in England. She created and implemented the Performing Arts curriculum for Monmouth Academy (formerly known as Lakewood Prep) from 2004 to 2011.
Diane Fox Diane holds a B.M. in Voice from Kent State. Diane is an Internationally acclaimed vocalist, who has won over critics worldwide with her compelling performances in the dramatic Mezzo-Soprano repertoire. She is an active member of Equity and AGMA. Diane has been teaching voice since 1987 at universities and conservatories across the country. Her unparalleled expertise as a teacher and coach has enabled her students to garner apprenticeships at professional opera companies and to win countless awards.
Bruce Gallipani Bruce is a seasoned drum pro having performed in the U.S. and abroad with several rock-n-roll touring outfits since the late seventies. He is the founder and director of Rockit, a dedicated live-performance program for kids ages 8-18.
Samantha Giustiniani Samantha holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance from Kean University. She is currently teaching for The Learning Experience, Charlie Choo Choo Enrichment Programs with a specialty in creating early childhood theatre and music programs.
Kate Havel Kate holds a B.A. in Art Education from Kean University and an M.A. in Dance Movement from Wesleyan. She is a dancer/ actress/singer (Sugar and Zorba off-Broadway) and has many dinner theatre, nightclub, summer stock and children’s theatre roles to her credit. A former member of Actor’s Equity, SAG, and AFTRA, Kate studied at HB Studio, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and The Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre in NYC.
Joan Kilcommons Joan holds a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Speech and Theatre Arts. She is currently teaching Reader’s Theatre, Creative Theatre and Musical Theatre to the students in the Red Bank Borough Schools as part of our Educational Outreach Program.
Meredith Koloski - Wehr Meredith holds a BA in Dance from Slippery Rock University and an M.F.A. in Choreography/Education from Arizona State University. She has extensive experience in arts education outreach and is a certified Yoga Instructor, Personal Trainer and Kick Boxing instructor.
Bradley Mott Bradley Mott has been working in Theatre, Television, Film, and commercials for over 30 years. His film and television work includes: The Accidental Tourist, The Applegates, Stranger than Fiction, Mildred Pierce for HBO, Roseanne, A Different World, and ER. He recently finished filming on the new Cohen Brothers picture Inside Llewyn Davis. Bradley has taught for over 30 years at Columbia College, Northwestern University in
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Chicago, Monmouth University and NYC’s prestigious CAP21.
Vincent Mottern Vincent received a B.A. in Music Education from Westminster Choir College and is currently a chorus director and music teacher for Knollwood School, and Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School. He is a multi-talented musical theatre director, musician, composer and performer.
Michael O’Keeffe Michael has been performing improv comedy professionally for the past 20 years. One of his first gigs was with the Sak Theatre Comedy Lab in Orlando, Florida with troupe mates Wayne Brady (Who’s Line Is It Anyway?) Jonathan Magnum (Drew Carey’s Improv-A-Ganza), and Aaron Shure (producer/writerEverybody Loves Raymond). Michael holds a B.A. in Education from Villanova; M.A. in Education from Monmouth University and as his “day job” is a reading specialist in the Wall Township School System.
Robin Oddo Robin holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Monmouth University and has numerous stage and television acting credits. Her passion for acting has led to the development of the Black Box performance space and the New Perspectives Acting Troupe. She loves teaching and inspiring her students through improvisation, script performance and character development.
Yvonne Lamb Scudiery Yvonne is the Director of Education for the Count Basie Theatre. She is an accomplished choreographer for ballet, musical theatre, opera, a registered teacher with the RAD, London and an adjunct teacher at Brookdale Community College. Yvonne has taught for over 35 years,
combining her knowledge of dance and acting techniques with her superior coaching skills. This has enabled many of her students to advance to successful professional careers.
Thomas Stanton Tom’s impressive career as a professional dancer, choreographer and teacher makes him a valuable addition to our staff. From ballet to hip-hop, swing dance to tap, television to Broadway... his passion and enthusiasm abound.
Melanie Taylor Melanie has over 20 years of experience in all aspects of theatre, and for the past 12 years has shared her knowledge as a teacher at Raritan High School. Melanie is the VicePresident of the New Jersey Drama and Forensics League, and is the Artistic Director/ Co-Founder of the St. John’s Community Playhouse in Hazlet, New Jersey.
Christopher Tomaino Chris is a local actor and educator. He holds a B.A. in Speech/Communications/Theatre from Monmouth University and an M.F.A. in Acting from Indiana University. He has been an adjunct instructor at Brookdale Community College for the past 10 years as well as being the Musical Theatre Coordinator for the Somerset County Performing Arts Program for six years, creating and running the first curricular Musical Theatre program in the state of NJ.