Artistic Director & Founder
Adrian Cohen
Adrian has been a professional actor and drama teacher for over 25 years. He was born and educated in England completing a BA (honors) at Leeds University and a Drama Diploma at the Arts Educational Schools, London.
Adrian has worked extensively in film and television with credits including Ocean’s 13, Entourage, General Hospital, The King of Queens, Frasier, Bruce Almighty, and recurring roles in 24 and iCarly (as Mr Devlin).
Adrian started Upstage in 1999 with a simple principle at its core — to create an environment that would produce fully rounded young performers:
“I wanted the students to take part in all three disciplines (i.e. acting, singing and dance) so that when they perform on stage, they have what we call ‘chops’ — that’s how actors are taught in England. And the skills learnt in the performing arts are so useful to young people whatever future career they choose.”
Managing Director
Julie Bank
Julie has been part of the Upstage family for over a decade, starting in 2004 as a volunteer at Westwood Charter before joining the Upstage Production Team in 2014. She has a Masters of Social Service Administration Degree from the University of Chicago and has been working with children and families for over to 25 years, first in foster care and more recently as an international adoption social worker. Originally from Texas, her love of Musical Theatre started with a High School production of “Grease” and was revived when the oldest of her four children joined the Upstage Program.
Julie loves being a part of the Upstage Theatre Schools family and loves working with the amazing Upstage staff and students!
Email:julie@upstageschools.com
Creative Director
Taylor Sherry
Taylor Marie Sherry grew up in Chicago in a family deeply entrenched in the theatre world. She is a graduate of Florida State University with her BFA in Musical Theatre, training with Broadway’s Michael Hayden and Fred Chappell. Taylor spent two summers in college performing at the Highlands Playhouse in North Carolina, and also choreographing and assisting musicals at Elgin Academy’s theatre camp. After graduation, Taylor spent her summer as a resident company performer at Music Theatre Wichita, working with fantastic leaders such as Peggy Hickey, Wayne Bryan, and Nicholas Palmquist. There, she also had the opportunity to play Amber in Hairspray, choreographed by Al Blackstone. Taylor lives in LA pursuing her acting career, and to grow her directing and choreographing experiences.
Program Director
Tara Kawakami
Born and raised right here in SoCal Tara and her husband have lived in South Pasadena for the past 25 years where they are raising their 4 children. Tara’s work with children began with preschool age and then teens. After several years as coordinator for a local foreign exchange student program, Tara moved to Youth and Teen Programs at the YMCA where she also teaches group fitness. Tara’s first experience with Upstage was several years ago as a parent helping sew costumes and working backstage for the 5th grade musical. Tara is thrilled to continue working in a community she’s been a part of for so many years and is enjoying combining her experience working with children with her love for the theatre.
Email: tara@upstageschools.com
Financial and Payroll Coordinator
Mary Cavaliere
Mary began acting at the age of 16 in Windsor, Connecticut and performed in community theater for the next 15 years. At the age of 30 she decided to study her craft further in New York City with legendary teacher and director Gene Frankel which led to her off-Broadway debut in 1992. Life took an unexpected turn which forced her to give up her career until 2004 when she relocated to San Francisco. There she worked part time as a professional actor while holding down a full time job. In 2012 she relocated to Los Angeles and continued to work in the industry part-time. In 2020 she made the decision to retire from Corporate America so she could focus on a full-time career in acting. Mary has performed in several short and feature films, a television movie, several television shows, three theatrical productions, and several commercials. The highlight of her career to date was working directly with Doris Roberts, Bill Hader, and Ted Danson. Mary has an undergraduate degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. As an Ordained Minister she has officiated weddings in both Northern and Southern California. She is the proud parent of two grown children Justin and Sammy Jo. Mary is excited to work with Upstage and promote the creative talents of children interested in this art form.
Email: mary@upstageschools.com
Program Manager
Kaela Murphy
Kaela is originally from the No-Cal area (San Francisco area) and has lived in three different states within three years. The highlight for Kaela is theatre and film were something that was constant in her life. Kaela has been involved in theatre since she was in middle school. She then went on to go to college in New York City at St. John’s University and received a BS in Television and Film Productions. Although her focus was in film, she was heavily involved with the theatre program helping out in all departments and even acted in a few! Kaela spends her weekends doing cosplay/princess parties and becoming different characters, which grew with her love for theatre and film. Acting is something she hasn’t completely pursued but it is on the horizon. For now Kaela stays busy doing what she loves, which is helping create art and working with these spectacular kids!
Program Manager, Music Director
Cheryl Scaccio
Cheryl’s first love is performing. She’s appeared Off and Off-Off Broadway, national tours, summer stock, comedy improv groups, more than 20 short films, and was a long time member of Santa Monica’s City Garage Theatre. Starting as a dancer and musician, she put it all together and earned a degree in Musical Theatre from SUNY New Paltz. She’s also a graduate of two year programs at William Esper Acting Studio and Actor’s Movement Studio, both in NYC, and the Groundlings School in LA. Along the way, she immersed herself in theatre crafts such as costuming and stage management. Her journey through motherhood had her spending a lot of time volunteering in schools and with Westside Ballet. She taught yoga to kids, worked as a teaching fellow in public schools, worked in youth theatre companies, and was part of a program through UCSB introducing storytelling through classical literature to incarcerated youth. All of this has led her to Upstage, where she is thrilled to be working with so many passionate and talented kids and co-workers.
West LA Regional Program Manager
Jen Kersey
Jen is thrilled to share her love of the performing arts and her love of working with children with the Upstage Community! She has Bachelor degrees in Acting and Public Relations, has a recent AA degree in Opera Vocals, and – because why stop there – is also a certified PADI scuba diver, a certified USAG gymnastics instructor, and a Certified Lactation Educator. She also holds a Child Performer Services permit for her work with child actors in LA.
As a stage performer, she has performed at a number of theme parks, including Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knotts Berry Farm, Legoland California, (Paramount’s) Kings Dominion, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Six Flags America in DC. She also performed on the Disney Wonder cruise ship as Andy in Toy Story the Musical and as Anne Marie in the multi-award winning show, Disney Dreams. Additional credits include the international tour of The Sound of Music, a US TYA tour of Laura Ingalls Wilder (as Laura), a SoCal TYA tour of The Biggest Little House in the Forest, as well as a number of NYC/Off Broadway and LA/SoCal productions and celebrity concerts. She recently made her opera debut, playing Cendrillon (Cinderella) in Pauline Viardot’s French opera, Cendrillon, and Adele in Die Fledermaus. She has performed at hundreds of birthday parties and community events as various fairytale, storybook, and holiday characters. She also works in film, tv, and commercials, is a SAG, AEA, and AGVA member, and is mama to her amazing little kiddo, who is also a very successful film, tv and commercial actor himself.
Jen also comes from about 20 years in the event industry, working large scale, corporate events, as well as small scale home parties, and everything in between, as an event manager and Day of Coordinator. She is thrilled to bridge all of her experiences together in this role that will bring the arts to our community, and to work with her team to inspire creativity and a passion for the arts in the next generation of artists and creators.
Program Manager
Jasmine Alcala
Jasmine Alcala grew up in Alhambra, California. Her love for cinema began at the age of 3 thanks to the influences of her family members. Whether it was comedy or drama, her interest in movies and make-believe was always alive. But nothing sparked her fascination more than Classical Hollywood cinema. She quickly became enamored by the comedic performances of Charlie Chaplin, Lucille Ball, and the Three Stooges, along with the dramatic genius of Hitchcock, Bette Davis, Laurence Olivier, and so many others. Using this passion for storytelling, Jasmine began taking theater courses at East Los Angeles College before transfering to Cal State University of Long Beach where she is expected to graduate with a BA in Performance Arts in Spring of 2023! She has spent the past four years at school acting in main stage shows that include Electricidad, Gloria, and The Crucible. Jasmine continues to live in the South Pasadena area where she is currently pursuing a career in acting while also working to expand her writing and directorial abilities.
Program Manager, Music Director
Elba Soto-Quinones
A well-rounded performer since childhood, Elba Soto-Quinones has a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Loyola Marymount University with a minor in Psychology. Elba has been blessed to perform in Madrid, Spain, as well as on both English and Spanish TV networks, including Freeform and Telemundo. She has also been involved with several films that were recognized at film festivals. Elba also represented her hometown in the Miss California Latina Pageant. “Ghost Town Alive!”, the annual immersive theatrical production of which she is a founding cast member, was recognized by the Themed Entertainment Association with their THEA Award for Outstanding Achievement. Elba is so glad to have joined the Upstage team!”
Program Manager, Director
Joshua Warner
Joshua Warner lives in Pasadena with his partner and their tabby cat Molly. He graduated from Carthage College with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre General and Business Administration. After college he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked with the YMCA to reignite their youth fine arts programing. During his work with the Y, he managed all youth fine art classes as well as teaching acting and directing. After completing his Masters in Business Design and Innovation, Joshua now takes his love of the arts and youth theater into his role as consultant. Joshua is excited to join Upstage Theater School and help students act with confidence!
Director
Miranda Wynne
Miranda Wynne graduated from UC, San Diego with a Bachelors in Theatre and a minor in communications. She performs in theatres all around Los Angeles and recently received a nomination for Best Lead Performance by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle. Previously, Miranda has had the pleasure of being a teaching artist for La Jolla Playhouse’s Young Performers Workshop and as the Performing Arts Specialist at Fun Under the Sun Day Camp for a number of years. Miranda is also a substitute teacher for LAUSD during the year!
Director, Choreographer
Meghann Lucas
A Boston native who’s been dancing since she was three, Meghann studied Dance and Theatre at both Hofstra and Jacksonville Universities. She has been teaching dance for the past 9 years in both the New England and Los Angeles areas. She has performed with local dance and theatre companies and most notably in the hybrid dance-theater company, Thrance.
Currently, she is a preschool dance teacher at Temple Isaiah Preschool in addition to owning her own dance company for the past six years, Kickstart Dance, located in West LA. She had her choreography debut with the Upstage Production of Peter Pan this summer! She couldn’t be happier teaching kids… and dancing!
Director, Choreographer
Mario Mosley
Mario Mosley attended the UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television. Some of his credits include World Music Awards, Dreamgirls, Walk Hard, Castle, MadTV, RuPaul’s Drag U, Dance Your A** Off, Nickelodeon, Heineken, Kia, Sprite, Miss Universe Pageant, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, iCarly, Popeyes, It Gets Better Tour, Michael Jackson’s Sisterella, Notre Dame de Paris, Joe’s Garage, and many more.
Mario is a longtime Lythgoe Family Panto Choreographer, having worked on such shows as Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Aladdin, to name a few. This summer, he went to Sydney, Australia to choreograph a brand new 3D production of Jack & the Beanstalk at the world famous State Theatre. His love and talents in some many fields of the arts have presented him with the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting names in the entertainment industry, including Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, Prince, Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, The Pussycat Dolls, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, Zac Efrom, Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson, Olivia Holt, and the new Disney sensation Ruby Rose Turner.
Director
Christine Negherbon-Abraham
Christine Negherbon-Abraham recently appeared in The Little Mermaid, Oliver, Yankee Doodle Dandy & Mary Poppins (Associate Choreographer) at MTW! She also choreographed their production of Holiday Inn. Christine toured Nationally/Internationally with My Fair Lady (Eliza u/s), Best Little Whorehouse . . . (Starring Ann-Margret), 42nd Street (Peggy Sawyer), Chicago & The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Favorite regional credits include: Elizabeth (Young Frankenstein), Jennyanydots (Cats at The Muny/Sacramento Music), Mrs. Wilkinson (Billy Elliot). TV credits: Hart of Dixie, Haunting Evidence. Christine has directed and choreographed all over the United States. Select credits include: 42nd Street (Norris Theatre), Hairspray & White Christmas (Mac-Haydn Theatre), Billy Elliot (Anchorage Center for Performing Arts) and Crazy for You, West Side Story, Cabaret (DeSales University). Christine is a Master Teacher Artist with both the Segerstrom Center and Center Theatre Group. She is on faculty at Hussian College In Studio, Palos Verdes Performing Arts and Fluid Dance. She is Co-Founder/Author of www.TheThrivingArtists.com with husband and actor, Joe Abraham. They are passionate about teaching financial education and empowerment to artists everywhere. They have 2 children and live in LA.
Choreographer
Gary Roberts
Los Angeles native, Gary Roberts, is a dancer, performer, and choreographer who has been praised for his work and even extolled as a “terrific tap dancer” by the LA times.
After graduating with a degree in Theater from CSU Fullerton, Gary soon made a name for himself performing alongside LA’s finest tap dancers as a member of Tap Overload. He regularly performs with the Central Avenue Dance Ensemble and has had the honor of performing as a guest artist at Santa Monica College and Irvine Valley College. Gary has performed quite a few roles in musicals with some of his favorites being Tommy Djilas in The Music Man, Diesel in West Side Story, and Neleus in Mary Poppins. He is also the founder and director of Tap TRIBE, a professional Tap dance company based in Los Angeles.
Gary has taught at Orange County School of the Arts, Millennium Dance Complex, Mt. San Antonio College, and has choreographed for the San Juan Hills High School dance department. His favorite choreography credits include pop artist Aliyah Moulden, the vintage nightclub floorshow “A Night at Club Alabam”, and Annie Jr. for Upstage Theater Schools. Gary tours nationally as a judge for the Star Dance Alliance and is currently continuing to bring his love of dance to the world. He is grateful to work with the talented artists of Upstage!
Musical Director
Gabriel Oliva
Not the average Spaniard, Gabriel grew up half in San Diego, and half in Seville, Spain. His first words were a “me gusta” followed shortly by “juice.” He still speaks Spanish regularly to his family across the sea who have a hard time believing “El Pollo Loco” is a restaurant.
Gabriel attended the USC School of Theatre and quickly transitioned into professional acting and singing after graduating with honors. Growing up with two opera-singing parents, he has an in-depth knowledge of singing technique. Gabriel’s music education continued and expanded through 10 years of performing in the barbershop group The Dapper Dans at Disneyland Resort. His musical experience aided his transition into the world of voice-over. You can hear Gabriel’s voice in Star Wars: Rogue One, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and several episodes of Disney Channel’s Elena of Avalor.
Choreographer
Piper Gillin
After transplanting from the Pacific Northwest, Piper graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Theatre. She has a background in musical theatre and competitive dance, and has studied improv with The Second City and Groundlings. Primarily a voiceover artist, Piper’s pipes can be heard on variety of platforms within the performance industry. She’s worked with kids for many years teaching improv, musical theatre, voiceover, and audition prep. In her free time she enjoys being outdoors and visiting friends and family.
Musical Director
Katie Bottomley
Katie Bottomley is a singer-songwriter living in Los Angeles with her husband and two little black dogs. With a degree in musical theatre, she is also pursuing a second degree in biological sciences. She has performed in several regional theatre productions, as well TV and commercials.
Katie has been teaching voice, piano, and songwriting for over five years. Working on her third album, she is a well established artist with a top-notch band that plays locally around California. Through her music, she hopes to help spread feminism and fight for women’s rights around the world. She also aspires to one day work alongside conservationists and biologists to help keep our ocean ecosystems alive.
Director, Music Director
Bobby Kiner
Bobby (He/Him) is a California native actor and musician from San Luis Obispo. After graduating PCPA’s two year acting conservatory with credits in shows such as Shakespeare in Love, Romeo & Juliet, The Addams Family, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Bobby went on to tour with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. The tour brought an educational outreach production of Macbeth to nearly 100 public schools and libraries across California. After perusing professional theatre in the Bay Area, Bobby has transitioned to working in film and television in Los Angeles making appearances in projects such as The Offer and Babylon. The greatest pride of acting for Bobby is collaboration, team building, and exploration, especially with others who share a curiosity and passion for the artistic side of living.
Director, Musical Director
Mason Smajstrla
Mason Smajstrla is from Austin, TX and has been performing in theatre productions and community theaters since the age of 6. At 16 yrs old, she originated the role of Angelica in “VOTE! The Musical” at Theatre Under the Stars in Houston, TX and can be heard on Spotify in the original cast recording. Mason came in third place at the Speak the Speech Shakespeare competition, and was nominated for a Tommy Tune Award for her role as “the Witch” in Into the Woods. After graduating with her BFA in Acting from Otterbein University, she moved to NYC in 2016 where she worked for Carnahan Casting/Roundabout Theatre Company, and took improv classes at UCB and the Magnet. Since then, Mason has continued to perform in regional productions as well as pursuing her passion for stand-up comedy, even performing on a show with Janeane Garofalo in Brooklyn, NY. In 2021, following the pandemic, she moved out to Los Angeles to follow her dreams of being a stand-up comic and actor. Mason can be seen regularly at Flappers, Broadway Comedy Club, and The Comedy Chateau as well as taking improv classes at the prestigious Groundlings in West Hollywood.
Musical Director
Debra Lee
Debra has loved being a Musical Director at Upstage Schools for the last 14 years. Her background is as a professional singer, actress and trained musician. She has performed on stage and in television and films. As a teacher, she has gained fulfillment from putting on hundreds of high quality shows and watching students blossom as performers and people. Her classes are fun and structured. Students learn the value of teamwork, discipline and hard work. When the final curtain falls, they feel proud, they have made new friends and they have developed skills for life.
Music Director
Rachel Sorsa
Rachel Sorsa received her B.A. in theatre and drama from The University of Michigan; M.A. in theatre from Michigan State University; and is a doctoral candidate in theatre history and criticism at The University of Texas-Austin. She is a three-time Ovation nominee for best featured actress and BroadwayWorld nominee for lead actress in a musical for her portrayal of Rosemary Clooney in TENDERLY across the nation. She is the bandleader/vocalist and songwriter for Rachel Sorsa Band and released their debut album, SISU, to critical acclaim. She has performed in a multitude of theatrical productions across the country and in Beijing, China. Rachel has been a teaching artist and company member of Rogue Machine Theatre company since 2013 and has been acting and playwriting for numerous elementary, middle and high schools and the Boys and Girls Club in Atlanta and Los Angeles since 2002. Rachel is passionate about bringing the magic, healing and empowerment of theatre arts to young people!
Musical Director
Erica Hanrahan
Erica is a long time veteran of TV, Theatre, and Film. Her recent TV and Film credits include Call Me Kat, The United States of Al, Lotte, Dream Job, Alexa & Katie, The Office, Rules of Engagement, How I Met Your Mother, Body of Proof, and ‘TilDeath. Her theatre credits are extensive and include Sweat with MRE starring Tony winner Jennifer Holliday, LaMirada Theatre’s production of Matilda as Mrs. Woormwood and Cabaret as Fraulein Kost (Ovation Nomination). Other recent credits include The Beggar Woman in South Coast Rep’s production of Sweeney Todd, Aldonza opposite Richard White in Man of La Mancha, Tanya in Mamma Mia, Desiree in A Little Night Music, Pam in Baby, (Desert Theatre League Award), and Heather in I’m Still Getting My Act Together and Taking It On The Road… (Directed by and starring Gretchen Cryer). Erica is a proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.
Tiffany Phillips
A graduate of New York’s American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Tiffany is a highly accomplished, multi-talented actress, singer, and dancer who began her career in the New York Theatre and has since gone on to appear in numerous television shows and films. From recurring as BNC News Anchor “Angela Raines” on “Scandal to playing a sinister warrior Skinwalker named “Dark Spirit” on MTV’s Teen Wolf or the fictional 1950s film star Cynthia Beckley in the award-winning dramatic film “Daughter Of Fortune,” Tiffany has an exceptional range and chameleon-like ability to morph into a multitude of different characters. Aside from her TV/Film credits, Tiffany was the lead background vocalist for Michael Bolton’s world tour and she also wrote and starred in her smash hit, critically acclaimed one-woman show “I Never Met a Jerk I Didn’t Like” where she played 10 different characters (both men and women) which sold out theatre venues in both Los Angeles and Off-Broadway in New York. Currently; her multi-award-winning comedy web series “Ethnically Ambiguous” which Tiffany created, wrote, and starred in can be seen on Youtube.
Christopher Kerrigan
Chris Kerrigan is a musical theatre actor, singer/songwriter, and playwright living and working in Los Angeles. He has written multiple original children’s musicals (“Screen Time: The Musical,” “Toothical:The Musical,” and “Reading is Rad,” to name a few) that were performed in 30-40 elementary schools throughout the greater Los Angeles area through STAR Education’s wide-reaching theatre program. His 10-minute musicals The Facebook Fighter and The Only Thing That Matters were both finalists in Theatre Now New York’s annual festival of short musicals (Sound Bites). In 2017, The Facebook Fighter who five awards in the festival (Best Musical, Best Music, Best Lyrics, Best Director, Best Actor) and a short film version of a Spanish translation recently won first prize in the prestigious Telo Presenta film festival in Mexico City. Both of his one-act musicals are available for licensing through Music Theatre International.
Choreographer
Katee Shean
Katee Shean was born and raised in San Jose California. At a very young age she developed a passion for dancing, and started her training. She was the top female on Season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance, and was the dance captain on Taylors Swift’s World Tour. She was fortunate to dance with other amazing artists like JLo, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and perform on multiple television shows including the Emmys, Oscars, Glee, and more. She was able to fulfill her dream of dance and perform all over the world. She then took her understanding of emoting and storytelling with her as she discovered a love for another creative field; acting. She has trained with leading coaches such as Lesly Kahn and Co., Michael Woolson, Howard Fine Studios, Groundlings, and more. Katee has worked on many television shows and films, and continues to hone her craft daily. She has also been fortunate to help in casting offices and really get a behind the scenes look on how to approach self tapes and auditions. Katee also earned her Bachelors Degree in Education from Chapman University. She loves working with the younger generation, and being able to help them on their creative journey. She finds great joy in helping kids and is looking forward to being a part of Upstage!
Choreographer
Chris Payne Dupré
Chris Payne Dupré is an accomplished choreographer, dancer, educator, on-camera talent, singer and filmmaker from Los Angeles. He has choreographed for such iconic artists as Prince, Katy Perry, Jason Derulo and Backstreet Boys. As a performer, Chris made his Broadway musical debut in the Tony and Grammy Award winning original cast of AIDA. As a dance educator, he is a teacher’s teacher, well-versed in disciplines including jazz, ballet, hip hop and salsa. From dance conventions to workshops, Chris’ 30+ years of teaching experience spans the globe.
Choreographer
Rae Cofsky
Rae Cofsky learned her love for choreography through performance. Starting in show choir in middle school, she’s always been interested in being part of the theatre community and specifically in ensemble work. Rae earned her BA in Theatre Arts as well as a BA in Communication from Westfield State University in Massachusetts, her home state, before moving to San Francisco for graduate school. There she received her MFA in Acting before moving down to Los Angeles. Now, Rae works as an acting coach, choreographer, film director, and actor for commercials, TV & Film. Her love for performance started on the stage, and she is so excited to be making magic with the incredible team of creatives and students in Upstage! For more of her work, you can check out her website: www.raecofsky.com
Musical Director
Sarah Kline
Sarah graduated from Cal State University Northridge where she earned a Bachelors in Theatre Arts with a minor in Musical Theatre. While studying at CSUN, she received an Irene Ryan Acting Award Nomination from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. She also is an alumna of Stella Adler’s Art of Acting Studio in Los Angeles.
Now, Sarah performs, directs, and teaches theatre across Southern California. Most notably, Sarah sings annually with Disneyland’s Candlelight Processional Choir, and was a member of the inaugural SoCal cast of The Polar Express Train Ride. In the summertime, Sarah has a home with the Teenage Drama Workshop at Cal State University Northridge. Most recently at TADW, Sarah was the Assistant Director for Frozen Jr. She has also been found teaching acting, directing student written works, and even sewing a costume or two.
Music Director
Amazing Oakes
Amazing Oakes (she/her) is new to Upstage, but can’t wait to start working on different productions! She enjoys singing, writing, reading, acting, and just about anything creative. Currently, Amazing is pursuing her BA in English and Honors Humanities at Azusa Pacific University, where she was also a part of the BFA Acting for the Stage and Screen program for about two years. She has lived in the Southern California area for about ten years, and has been acting, singing, and imagining since she was born. Some of her favorite roles she has played include “Mary Poppins” in Mary Poppins, “Belle” in Beauty and the Beast, and “Mary Roberts” in Sister Act. Above all, she values curiosity, authenticity, and diversity!
Corinne DeCost
Corinne DeCost grew up in New England and has been performing since age three. Before graduating high school she had been involved with over 50 theatrical productions, onstage and off. She attended Suffolk University, and founded their sketch comedy troupe that has now been running 10+ years. After graduating, she directed shows at Improv Boston, taught theatre at Yamaha Music School of Boston, and made a few television appearances. Corinne also works remotely with Multiverse Concert Series, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that creates immersive educational experiences focusing on combining science and art. She recently moved to Los Angeles from San Francisco with Netflix’s production of The Stranger Things Experience. Corinne is excited to work for Upstage and inspire the next generation of performers and theatre enthusiasts.
Choreographer
Amanda Charney
Amanda Charney (she/her) is an actor, singer, and educator born and raised in the Los Angeles area. At the age of 5 she played a sheep in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and it’s been downhill ever since. In spite of such an early career peak, Amanda went on to graduate from the USC School of Dramatic Arts, where she studied theatre, on-camera performance, voice over acting, music, cinema, and more.
Since graduating, Amanda has performed in LA’s theatre and indie film scene, starring in local musicals, plays, shorts, and feature films. She currently sings and dances around the country with Andrews Sisters group “The Harmony Dolls” (including a memorable performance at First Lady Jill Biden’s Luncheon in Washington, DC!). During the holidays, she has a blast caroling with Jingle 5 and the Tinseltones. In addition to performing, Amanda teaches private singing lessons, leads youth hikes with HAWKS, and teaches gardening at local elementary schools with EnrichLA. She is a proponent of “serious fun” — creative activities for youth that build life skills and artistic discipline, without sacrificing the curiosity and joy of learning! Her minimal free time is spent hiking, camping, baking, crafting, gardening, and babying her cat, Jiji. Learn more at www.amandacharney.com
Choreographer
Caleb Green
Caleb Green is excited and humbled to have the opportunity to teach with Upstage! After high school, Caleb joined the illustrious show choir the Young Americans and was able to perform and teach children from all walks of life in over 12 countries, promoting music education in underserved areas, including Sweden and the Czech Republic. An avid lover of the arts and teaching, Previous credits include, Beadle Bamford in “Sweeney Todd” Lumiere in “Beauty and the Beast”, Eddie in “Sister Act”, Laurie in “Little Women”, Mitch Mahoney in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”, Bobby Pepper in “Curtains”, Mr. Potter in “Its a Wonderful Life”, Brindsley Miller in “Black Comedy” and George in “The Wedding Singer“. Caleb is also currently studying with the Groundlings, as well and sings with The Gay Men’s Chorus.
Choreographer
Miranda Newman
Miranda is an avid lover of all things theater and performance! She began teaching acting classes in 2018 and received her B.F.A in Theatre with a Concentration in Performance for Stage and Screen and a Minor in Dance Appreciation in 2019 from George Mason University (whew, what a mouthful). She moved to from Virginia to LA in 2021 and has since worked on a variety of projects including some small commercials, a music video, a short film, and a feature film. But she is very excited to get back to her theatrical roots and working with students through Upstage’s summer program!
Choreographer
Fredericka Meek
Hailing from the Windy City, Fredericka performed in the pre-Broadway workshop of Car Wash the Musical: The Norman Whitfield Story where she played Bunny, Norman’s niece and a hopeless romantic. She also toured the USA and Canada as one of two “Coquettes” performing with Conan O’Brien in his “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television” Tour. Recipient of an NAACP Theatre Award for Best Supporting Blactress, this rising star is one of the founders of the uniquely funny all female sketch comedy group, “Illuminaughty By Nature.” No stranger to the comedy scene, Fredericka has headlined Comedy Festivals, and through her production company HeyGurrrrrrl Productions, won Best Ensemble Cast and Best Comedy Series at LAWeb Fest for her first webseries, and was nominated for Best Comedy Short at the Trail Dance Film Festival. She also completed 2 seasons of “Paradise Drive.” a semi-scripted webseries developed for Comedy Central. Additional TV/film credits include guest spots on ABC’s Work It, TBS’s Conan, TNT’s Franklin & Bash, NBC’s Tonight Show, Fox TV’s Head Cases, NBC’s Passions and ABC’s General Hospital. Performing in such exotic locales as India, Chile, Hawaii and Japan, she has shared the stage vocally with such music legends as Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow, Cheryl Lynn, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Ollie Woodson (former Temptation), rock/metal sensation Marilyn Manson, European pop star Bosson, and R&B great Dave Hollister.
Production Coordinator
Christopher Berrios
Born and raised here in SoCal, Chris has lived his whole life in the Los Angeles area. With love in all things media, Chris has a special love for movies, video games, and storytelling as a whole. From writing, to acting, to producing, Chris has been enamored with the process of storytelling ever since he was a kid. From the wacky belly laughs of a good farce to thought provoking qualms elicited by short films, Chris believes in the beauty and importance of storytelling.
He fell in love with live theatre at the age of eighteen in his freshman year of college. Ever since that first show business bug bit him in his first acting class, Chris has had experience from Improv, fight choreography, and of course Shakespeare. For many years, during the summer, Chris would work as a Student aide for summer programs at Polytechnic School, where he would teach fun electives such as Acting 101 and Improv for Dummies! In doing so he learned to understand that theatre can teach children many important aspects of life such as creativity, diversity, teamwork and of course, self confidence. Chris is incredibly excited to be part of a team of outstanding teachers and staff that aim to help children unlock their full potential in the journey of theatre.
Costume Designer
Faith Kawakami
Faith has been involved with theater since a young age and has always had an interest in costuming. She attended Pasadena City College for Fashion Design. While at Pasadena City College she designed numerous shows including Cabaret, Fight Night, and Dog Sees God. She has also worked on shows outside of college such as Somewhere in Nevada, with the Young Actors Studio, and We Look to the Stars, at the Huntington Gardens with the LA Opera. As a teen, Faith worked on several Upstage shows as an Assistant Costume Designer. Faith join Upstage officially as a Costume Designer in the Spring of 2021 and has had an amazing experience working on the summer Upstage camps.
Set Designer
Annie Terrazzo
Born in Colorado, Annie Terrazzo surrounded herself with dreams and a large family who, through silversmithing and plein air painting who taught her the value of and method to making beauty in the world. She spent large portions of her childhood writing plays on an old typewriter, watching movies, and dreaming of Paris, activities that would influence her later paintings.
After graduating from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, CA, Terrazzo began her career in fine art portraiture, focusing on using found objects, newspapers, and magazines. She has exhibited in galleries and her work is in permanent collections and museums around the world. In addition to her artworks she won the LA Weekly Theatre Award for best set artist for “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” and nominated for an Ovation award in 2014. She is looking forward to bringing her artist sensibilities and love of theatre to Upstage.
Sound and Lighting Technician
Erik MacPherson
A New England native and graduate of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Erik has been working in music for over 30 years with extensive experience in live performance, theater, music education, and multiple national tours.
Sound and Lighting Technician
Maya George
Maya George, a producer and director originally from Cincinnati, Ohio but living and loving in Los Angeles now. Since a teenager she knew she wanted to pursue film production. She started her career at a young age and won the 2013 Golden Lion Film Festival for her film titled Beyond What the Eyes Can See. The joy she received from that moment solidified she was on the right path. From there she continued to perfect her craft. She graduated from Miami University with her BA in Film and moved to LA. She’s held various positions across the industry, including sound operator, production coordinator/ manager, assistant director, and currently associate producer. Today some of her clients include Amazon Studios and Warner Brothers Media. Now she spends her time plotting to take on (and master) music video directing, working with local after school programs, or elegantly skating down a smooth boardwalk.
Sound and Lighting Technician
Pat Shafer
Pat is a filmmaker and composer based in Los Angeles. As a director and producer, Pat focuses on narratives that center queer and transgender people, especially within the sci-fi and coming-of-age genres. His musical style is versatile, but primarily involves a blend of synth and soulful oldies vocals. He holds an MFA in Film Production from Florida State University.
Sound and Lighting Technician
Shahbaz Khan
Shahbaz Khan is a graduate of the Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts and a veteran of the local Seattle theatre scene. He lives and works in Los Angeles to provide a good life for his beloved cat Nestor. When he grows up, Shahbaz wants to be Superman.