Amy graduated from Eckerd College in 1994 with a BA in Theater. Performed in professional and community theaters in the Tampa Bay Area. She has taught acting and performance to children and is actively involved in the performing arts enrichment programs at Academy School, where she has been the School Nurse since 2009. Amy directed the Brattleboro performance of Birth: The Play in 2006.
Bill Forchion has filled the past 30 years of his life as a circus clown, actor, acrobat, stunt man, independent filmmaker, and writer (to name a few things). These days Bill can be found coaching at the New England Center for Circus Arts, creating at Dreamcatcher Entertainment (his award winning film production company) or dancing with his three amazing children.
Billy Higgins is an actor, director, and devised theatre maker. In his role as Education Director, he oversees the Town Schools Theater partnership with local elementary schools.
His original play, Hell to Pay, examining feminism and gender identities through the lens of physical theatre has performed throughout the Western United States & Canada.
Chris Yerlig, an English native, began performing mime shows in France and Spain and moved to the US in 1987. He performs regularly at a multitude of public and private events around the country. He was an actor/teacher for ten years with Enchanted Circle Children's Theater of Holyoke MA, and performed with Circus America at the 1996 Olympic Games in Georgia. In Vermont, Chris's work has been seen at the Strolling of the Heifers, the Barre Heritage Festival, Addison County Field Days, at numerous libraries and Rec & Parks, and at Sandglass Theater's 'Puppets in Paradise'.
Darlene has 15 years experience directing camps and after-school programs. As a parent of a child with disabilities she brings the desire to help all children discover their unique abilities and talents. Darlene has worked for many years at the Farm & Wilderness Day Camp as assistant-director.
Deb has been working at NEYT since her daughter, Juliana was in her first play in 2003. Recognizing that something wonderful was happening, Deb quickly became involved, offering her extensive professional photography and graphic design expertise for the benefit of the theatre.
Doran Hamm is a born and raised Vermonter, and is an Alumni from the very first NEYT company. After graduating from MCLA studying Theater and Arts management, he spent several years, traveling, touring educational theater internationally, and teaching theater in The US Virgin islands. He has been on the faculty of NEYT for the past 5 years, and is so grateful to return and teach in the community that helped raised him.
Eric has worked in the theatre as a director, playwright, performer and mask and puppet maker. His first solo performance using puppets, Autumn Potraits, won the critics award at the International Puppetry Festival in Adelaide, Australia in 1983. In 1982, Eric founded Sandglass Theatre in Munich, Germany, with his wife Zeller Bass, and they moved Sandglass to Vermont, in 1986.
Hallie Flower joins NEYT with over 25-year’s experience in the arts - making and managing theatre in both the community & professional arenas. She is co-founding Artistic Director of The Apron Theater Company at Next Stage Arts and has directed, produced, performed, and taught throughout Southern Vermont, Kansas City, & New York City. Hallie is a graduate of Playwrights Horizons Theatre School, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, & The 42nd Street Collective.
At 15 I became involved with youth theater as a performer and student at the Upper Darby Summer Stage. Four years later I began teaching improvisation for that same theater. Youth theater opened the door to my future and provided me with friends who remain among the closest in my life.
Jason Clark is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, where he studied Acting/Theatre Arts. After graduation, he stayed on at UNCO for three years as the Props Master for the Theater Department. In that time, he also worked as an Actor and Technician for the Little Theater of the Rockies.
Jerry is a founding member of NEYT, and was part of NEYT's first board. He has been involved in just about every NEYT production since the premiere show, as either lighting designer or as a mentor to lighting design students. For 26 years he was the Lighting Director for the Fine Arts Center at the University of Massachusettes at Amherst and he has designed shows throughout the region.
Jonny Flood grew up in Northern Vermont, and came to the world of theater and education through Peter Gould's Get Thee To the Funnery camp in Craftsbury at the age of 12. The value of this program led Jonny to pursue his degree in English Education at Boston University, where he taught in the public schools of Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. After graduation, he left Boston to become one of the developers of NEYT's theater program at the Gifft Hill School on St. John, USVI. In his current role as NEYT's Education Director, Jonny oversees the Town Schools Theater partnership with local elementary schools, the growing collaboration with Oak Meadow and the general homeschool community, and the future educational ambitions of NEYT as an organization.
Julia Tadlock is a Vermont based director and performer. Julia has been working with teenagers for over a decade as an educator, mentor and director; largely through her work as the Artistic Director for the Theater Department at Vermont Academy where she taught and directed for five years.
Katrina graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a BA in Theater and promptly moved to Los Angeles where she completed the 2 year actor's training program with Sanford Meisner. She then enjoyed a brief but successful career acting and modeling in LA, after which she worked for Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Entertainment. She relocated to this area in 2009 after the birth of her two children and has been actively involved in local theater ever since, most recently at Next Stage Arts with the Apron Theater Company in such productions as "August Osage County" and "What Rhymes With America".
Keely Eastley is a Linklater Designated voice teacher who apprenticed with Master Teacher Kristin Linklater. She began teaching in 1987 and has been on the faculty of Yale School of Drama, NYU, Syracuse University, Emerson College, Circle-in-the-Square, Classic Stage Co., Trinity Rep. and Shakespeare and Company, where she is a senior faculty member. Internationally, she was head of Voice and Movement at Toi Whakaari – New Zealand Drama School. While in Aotearoa (New Zealand), she also worked with the students at Takitimu, the school for traditional Maori performing arts.
Kevin has traveled the world to both teach and study circus, theatre and yoga. As the artistic director of Circus Minimus he has directed residencies and performances that have touched the lives of over 100,000 children and their families. In 2001 he was awarded an Excellence in Education award from the UA.
Laura came to NEYT with her two home-schooled daughters, Allie and Emma. Having spent their childhood dressing up and play-acting, the girls were ready for real theater. They quickly became very involved at NEYT and Laura found herself taking photos and acting as the Front of House manager first in the old theater and then in the new.
Laura received her Masters Degree in Education from Antioch/New England. She also studied in the Dance/Movement Therapy program. Since the late 1970s Laura has been a creative drama and movement artist in the classroom with elementary students, taught photography, and directed many drama productions.
Raised in the little town of Elmore, VT, Marcel Freda is an actor, director, writer, comedian and educator who has been performing for over 20 years, ever since a dedicated teacher of his convinced him to get on stage in the 8th grade. Forever grateful for the encouragement of his teacher, Marcel has tried to provide young people with similar opportunity and support as an educator of the performing arts and artist in residence at many schools.
Mary Sugar is a musical director, pianist, and teacher based in Syracuse, NY. She spent 11 years on and off-Broadway. She has toured & worked internationally with many Broadway artists such as: James Naughton, Charles Strouse, John Kander & Fred Ebb, Sheldon Harnick, Marni Nixon, Barbara Cook, Lonny Price and many, many more.
Recently arrived from Sweden, Michelle appeared as a quiet, efficient volunteer, helping at the theatre where her daughter Kristina was enthusiastically plunging into productions and courses. She's now the Managing Director, juggling everything from scheduling to course admin to ticket reservations.
Naomi was in the audience of NEYT’s first-ever show. From there, she took classes and performed in the early days, at the original main street theater. Naomi graduated from Middlebury College with a B.A. in Sociology and Playwriting. She is an Alumna of Double Edge Theatre’s Emerging Artist Program (2008-2010).
Patty Meyer is an area musician specializing in choral and piano performance. She lives with her husband and three children in Guilford, VT. When not playing the piano or singing with groups in the Greater Brattleboro Area, Patty can be found in the Guilford Community Church where she is the Secretary.
Peter received his BA and doctorate from Brandeis University and studied mime and clown in Mexico with Sigfrido Aguilar and with Tony Montanaro at the Celebration Mime-Theatre School. Peter has directed numerous productions for NEYT, including The Crucible, Playboy of the Western World and many of Shakespeare's plays.
Rebecca is a director and educator with an extensive background in theater, film, and television. She is a graduate of Vassar College and the American Repertory Theater Institute at Harvard who has spent many years acting professionally in NYC, LA and in regional theaters across the country.
After a series of less than distinguished appearances in Summer stock in 1965 with the likes of Dorothy Lamour, Jayne Mansfield, and Constance Bennett ( yes, that Constance Bennett!), Rick decided to go technical. Two years of poverty and joy ensued, building and lighting sets in Canada, and traveling such shows as “Murder in the Cathedral” and “Playboy of the Western World” in the provinces.
Rosa Palmeri is a classically trained actor who sometimes gets antsy and will then direct, teach, write, paint scenery, and make puppets. She is currently assisting André Gregory on The Designated Mourner, written by and starring Wallace Shawn, and then, on weekends, hopping a train back to Vermont—where she grew up—to direct a commedia version of The Emperor’s New Clothes.
Creative Director
"Sandy plays a role in just about every sort of decision and project at the NEYT, large and small, from programming and general management to the intricate details of stage and set. When it all becomes too much, she retreats to her remote hideway far above the Green Room, where she creates extraordinary costumes for all the casts.
Shoshi's involvement with NEYT began with its inaugural production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. She has danced leading roles in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Tiny Tim's Christmas at NEYT, among others, choreographed NEYT's The Music Man, and co-directed its summer Music Theatre Camp.
Founder of the New England Youth Theatre
Stephen Stearns has been teaching, directing and performing as a professional clown, mime and actor for 38 years. He has a post doctorate degree in acting from England's famed London Academy (LAMDA). He received his MA in directing ('Best Director Award' 1968) and PhD in Elizabethan and Scandinavian Drama, both from the University of Washington, Seattle.
Susan Haefner is a professional actor, director, teacher, Broadway veteran, and proud Vermont resident. As an actor she most recently appeared in A Christmas Carol at Northern Stage as Spirit of Christmas Past, and as Donna in Mamma Mia at Weston Playhouse. Her Broadway credits include State Fair, Thoroughly Modern Millie and 42nd Street.
