MFA in Theater: Student Profiles

MFA Class of 2013 - MFA Class of 2012

Christina Coates is so honored to be a member of the MFA program in Contemporary Theatre at Naropa University. Originally from Massachusetts, Christina received her BFA in Theatre Performance at Salem State University, where she was first introduced to the incredible world of experimental theatre by her mentor, friend, and Naropa alum, Kate Kohler Amory. Also, Christina is very proud to be an active member of Ghostlight Theatre Company of New England, where she has done of her best work as an actor, director, acting coach, and producer. Christina would like to thank Joseph Puleo for her head shot.

In Los Angeles, Marc Devine was the media editor for Opera del Espacio, the assistant editor on Ken Roht's feature film The Bloody Indulgent, and co-directed Roht's one-act opera Permissible Union for the 2010 COLA Awards Show. He is the voice for the Literal System’s Production of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Marc has performed with The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra, ARTEL, needtheater, Ken Roht's Orphean Circus, Opera del Espacio and Teatro de Facto. Marc holds a BFA from the College of Santa Fe.

Monica Dionysiou found her way to Boulder after living and working in Chicago.  Her time in Chicago provided her with the opportunity to collaborate with TimeLine Theatre Company, 20% Chicago Theatre, The Moving Dock Theatre, Livewire Chicago Collective, Lifeline Theatre along with many other storefront theatres.  She is a proud, founding member and contributing artist with Chicago’s one and only Alluvium Group. Her educational history includes a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and attendance at the Dah Theatre’s International School in Belgrade Serbia.  Monica’s passions include traveling the world, exploring new cultures and rediscovering the common bonds that brings all of us together. 

Chelsea Gregory is an artist and cultural organizer working through the media of dance, theatre and poetry. Her work has been presented by Culture Project, LaMama ETC, LA Women's Theater Festival and Chicago Hip-Hop Theater Festival. She toured with Eve Ensler and Jane Fonda's co-production We Got Issues! and choreographed for Cornerstone Theatre's Summer Institute, Yadira DeLaRiva's One Journey and other productions. She has danced with ASE Dance Theatre Collective, Movement for the Urban Village, Atlanta Ballet and Ned Williams Dunham Company, and studied with Urban Bush Women, The Limón Institute and Baba Richard Gonzales. Her solo play The 6 Project has toured to over 10 cities throughout the US.

T’ai Hartley was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. He graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in theatre/acting. Since then he’s tried to kickstart a traditional professional career, realized that’s not quite what he wanted, and started companies with his friends called Autonomous Theatre Collective and Blood Ensemble. He recently performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the East/West Project in a self-generated show using Tectonic Theatre Project’s technique of Moment Work. 

Elizabeth Horab hails from the Midwest. She grew up in Fargo, ND, doing plays at the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre (FMCT), URSA Productions, and Theatre B. While going to school at North Dakota State University, where she received her B.A. in Theatre, she took a year residency at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT and directed Swimming in the Shallows by Adam Bock. For six summers she has taught theatre to ND Governor's School's students. After graduation she found herself working at FMCT as box office manager and volunteer coordinator for a year. Before starting at Naropa she worked 2 years in an outpatient classroom at a mental health hospital in Fargo teaching subjects such as theatre and math.

Matthew Kerns holds a BFA in performance theatre from Eastern New Mexico University. Acting credits:  WORKING, The Misanthrope, & Balls; Five one-act plays by Alan Ball.  Solo artist credits: Christian Growth with Father Curver, A Quest for the Altar, Chicken. Directing credits: All Tied Up In Love (World Premiere), Noises Off, Kiss Me Kate, Cabaret. Matthew served as the head of theatre for The Chicago Academy for the Arts and Sonoma Academy.

James Jesse Peck grew up in Pennsylvania.  He graduated from Northwestern University and The Del’Arte School.  He has acted professionally with the Geese Theater for Corrections/Prisons, Berkeley Repertory Theater, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Imago Theater.  Recently, he directed and made masks for Haroun and the Sea of Stories at Ashland High School and was an adjunct professor at Southern Oregon University. He is artistic director of Nutshell Masks and Theater. Please visit: www.nutshellmasksandtheater.org.

For ten years, Dana Jannel Peterson has served as a theatre student, teacher, performer, poet, and director. Inspired by studies at Double Edge Theatre in 2008, her first solo piece regarded A Doll’s House, song, sand, eye contact, and raw meat. Directing credits include Alice in Wonderland, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Vagina Monologues. For the past two years, Jannel lived and worked in Hanoi, Vietnam. Supported by Language Link and Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, she taught performance to ESL students. Jannel also performed in five productions as a member of the Hanoi International Theatre Society. She thanks and sends much love to her family and friends.

Veronica Santoyo is originally from Mexico. She has a BA in Speech Communication, obtained in Mexico, and an MA in Drama Therapy from New York University. She studied acting in Mexico and at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and the HB Acting Studio, in New York City. As a drama teacher, Veronica has taught theatre across the academic curriculum, from kindergarten to college level. She has also conducted workshops in drama therapy and educational theatre, working with diverse populations: cerebral palsy, down syndrome, speech and hearing rehabilitation, domestic violence, mentally ill and substance abuse clients.

Caroline Stine is from Ft. Thomas, Kentucky.  She received her undergraduate degree at Butler University in Indianapolis (Theatre/English Writing) and has worked as a performer, director, and professional costume designer for the past five years in Indianapolis and Cincinnati.  She is also a director of the children's theatre group, The Cliffview Players, with whom she explores devised and contemporary theatre.  She has also worked with several international groups in Russia and Italy.

Gustine Fudickar is a Los Angeles based theatre artist.  She received her BA in 2000 from Eugene Lang College with a concentration in theatre/writing.  Her past includes long stints as a cocktail waitress and "online specialist" for Decadestwo.  It also includes 10 yrs of work in the dance community of Los Angeles as a 3 yr member of Common Actions Dance Co., avid participant in Simone Forti's weekly workshops, Dancebank mover, performed in "Without Risk of Excessive Loss" with Rae Shaolan Blum and Beth Leister, and one time choreographer for Earth Sucks a Musical.  She has worked with master teachers at Big Sur Theatre Lab, SITI Co., Oguri and Roxanne Steinberg founders of Body Weather Laboratory, Teatr Zar and Bryan Brown.  She is mucho excited to be here.

Joe Gill: Although born in New York, Joe has directed, performed and produced in many Los Angeles venues such as:  Highways Performance Space, Hudson Theatre, and Stella Adler Theatre. Joe co-produced and performed in Tosca Jumps!(LATC) as well as the critically acclaimed  20th anniversary of Robert Chesley’s Jerker (Moving Arts). Most recently he directed Baggage Claim and Michael Kearns’ Comeback.  Joe co-founded Mijo Productions and is also a member of Moving Arts and Shumka Dance/Theatre Company. Joe has studied Viewpoints with Mary Overlie and has taught acting as adjunct - faculty at CSULA, where he received a Masters (2005). More info: www.yankeezealot.com.

Myles Goldin, has spent the last 10 years performing in NYC.  Originally from Arizona, she grew up most of her life in Florida.  She graduated with a BA in Theatre from Florida State University.  She has worked and performed, and created shows all over the country.  From Seattle to Texas to Colorado to NYC.  She has worked extensively with Messenger Theatre company and Stage Left Studios in NYC.  She has created solo performances that include improvisation and audience participation.  And she recently did a 6 week clown intensive training in Toronto, that prompted her to seek further exploration of her art. She is very happy to be pursuing a Master's at Naropa University.  Myles was living in Colorado 10 years ago going to massage school when she first heard about Naropa.  Interestingly enough, it has been a giant circle, coming back to Boulder once again.

Tristan Grigsby is interested in following his idea of Creative Kindness which he defines as: any sincere attempt by an individual to answer the sleepless gnaw of struggle and tumult that occurs within one's self in order to make a pathway toward the human spirit to allow fulfillment of its natural ability and inclination to radiate good fellowship to all.

Peter Heeringa hails from Saint Paul, MN where he is a member of Sandbox Theater.  He worked actively with Eden Prairie High School for the past nine years.  In 2007 he had the privilege to act as an artist in resident at Fairfield University performing in RAVENOUS and teaching elements of ensemble creation.  From 2005 to 2008 he arranged for and performed with the barbershop quartet, Bello(w).  Peter graduated from the University of Saint Thomas with a BA in Theater.

Scott Manelis was raised in the fine town of Mountain View, California.  Since his beginning as a terrified kindergartener in an eskimo costume watching his class perform "It’s a Small World" without him, he has been striving to prove himself.  He graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Drama.  Recently he spent time farming and studying with a monk in Thailand.  Scott would like to thank his amazing friends, his favorite person in the world, and his Mom and Dad for making his journey possible.

Rebecca Lehrhoff is an artist, performer, director, teacher, and perpetual student, graduated from Skidmore College with a BA in Theater in 2005. She studied Shakespearean text and performance at The British American Drama Academy in London. Throughout the years, opportunities to combine her love of acting and art have given her the most joy. In Museum she created the paintings in the set and played the roles of Kate Siv, Francois, and Julie. Upon graduation she founded The Modus Operandi Collective, incorporating physical theater and Shakespeare. She acted as Artistic Director at Saratoga Summer Stages, a children’s musical theater program and also taught art to Pre-K through Middle School children in Wellesley MA.

In the future, Rebecca hopes to combine her love of art,performance and farm animals.

Haruna Tsuchiya has many faces as a performing artist, creator, translator, and teacher. Since 2006, she has been deeply involved with the true story of HANA’S SUITCASE: performing onstage, serving as an interpreter/interviewer for the film, and producing the special screening. She initiated The Annual Shimoda Youth Festival, flourishing international artistic exchange between Japanese children and American artists. She continues to create projects that speak strongly to people’s hearts. Haruna is a native of Japan, and holds B.F.A. Musical Theatre from SUNY Fredonia.

Kevin Vaught hails from Grand Rapids, MI and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University.  His performance experience includes musicals, plays, opera, dance theatre, children’s theatre, co-created works, film, commercial, and voice over work.  He finds great joy in singing and in writing songs, verse, and prose.  In recent years, Kevin has used theatre at camps, in the classroom, and the developmentally disabled community to meet various goals, primarily, to draw out each person’s innate joy.