Staff
Paul Pagano
Executive Director, Co-Founder
actorpagano@gmail.com
Paul Pagano, a native of St. Louis, received his BA in Drama from Washington University and Masters in Theatre Education from Fontbonne University. As an actor, Paul has had the opportunity to work with the Guthrie Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Children’s Theatre Company, Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, Hey City Theatre, Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, the MUNY, STAGES St. Louis, HotCity Theatre, and many others. He has worked with Hunter Foster, Kathy Fitzgerald, Peter Michael Goetz, Anne Bogart, and Dan Goggin. Proud member of Actors’ Equity Association since 2001.
As an instructor, Paul has taught at COCA, the Utah Shakespeare Festival Teen Acting Intensive, St. Louis University High School, and STAGES Performing Arts Academy.
When not on stage or in the classroom, Paul’s favorite roles are being a husband to wife, Lori, and father to budding stars, Xavier & Kalia.
Stephanie Fox
Artistic Director, Co-Founder
sfox@gcpastl.org
Originally from Oklahoma, Stephanie graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Music: Music Theatre. After moving to New York, she continued her education privately at studios including Jen Waldman Studio, Kimberly Vaughn: Kimberly Vaughn Performance Studio, Broadway Dance Center, and Steps on Broadway.
Stephanie has choreographed many shows across the country and, as an educator, she has taught dance, musical theatre, song interpretation and audition technique in St. Louis, Oklahoma, and Indiana at studios including COCA, STAGES Performing Arts Academy, ArtWorks Academy, Range of Motion Dance Studio, Round Barn Theatre, On Broadway Productions, Poteet Little Theatre and Oklahoma Children's Theatre. Currently, she is the choreographer for Chaminade College Preparatory School.
A proud member of Actors' Equity (Stephanie Long), Stephanie has performed across the country at theatres including: Insight Theatre Company, The Round Barn Theatre, Mt. Washington Valley Theatre, Shawnee Playhouse, KJK Productions, Cortland Repertory, College Light Opera and Group Theatre Too. Some favorite credits include: National Tour: Junie B. Jones (May); Regional: Company (Amy), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie), A Chorus Line (Diana and Maggie), Nunsense (Sr. Robert Anne), Godspell (Robin), Grease (Jan), Titanic (Alice Beane), Pump Boys and Dinettes (Rhetta), and White Christmas (Judy).
Lori Barrett-Pagano
Managing Director, Co-Founder
lpagano@gcpastl.org
Lori Barrett-Pagano earned her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Washington University in St. Louis. She has been teaching voice for over 25 years – currently as an adjunct voice faculty at St. Louis University, privately out of her home, as well as voice and musical theatre classes at GCPA.
Lori enjoys singing numerous styles of music and has performed with musical theatre, operetta, and opera companies. Locally, she has performed with The MUNY, STAGES St. Louis, Union Avenue Opera, Echo Theatre, Spotlight Theatre, MainStage Musicals and SIUE Summer Showbiz. Regional credits include The Minnesota Opera, North Star Opera, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Theatre in the Round, and The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company.
Her most enjoyable performing is to sing and dance around the house with her actor/singer husband, Paul, and her most precious stars, son, Xavier, and daughter, Kalia.
Kristianna Pirrie Dilworth
Education Director, Founder Understudy
kpirrie@gcpastl.org
Kristianna holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Missouri Baptist University and a Master's in Contemporary Commercial Voice Pedagogy from Shenandoah Conservatory. She has been a performer for 20 years, beginning primarily with dramatic and comedic acting. She has performed in St. Louis, Chicago, New York City, Palm Beach, Des Moines, Sioux Falls, Nashville, Lorton, and even Palembang, Indonesia. Kristianna also greatly enjoys music directing and choreographing for GCPA over the summer. During the year, she maintains a thriving private voice studio, specializing in Contemporary Commercial Music. Among other awards, Kristianna was blessed to receive acceptance to the OpenJar Institute in New York City and an Irene Ryan Nomination (KCACTF Region V). She has performed at multiple conferences for the Kennedy Center for the Arts College Theatre Festival, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, and the Southwest Choral Directors Association. An investigator at heart, Kristianna has recently begun participating in research in the field of Voice Pedagogy. Specifically, she has just completed a pilot study "CHERISH THE ROOTS: A Case Study Investigating the Pedagogy of Black Music Styles" and plans to begin the full scale study in Fall of 2023. She will also be presenting research at the The Voice Foundation's 52nd Annual Voice Symposium in collaboration with DMA candidate Marita Stryker on "The Effect of Humming Tasks on Psychophysiological Markers of Anxiety Within the Applied Voice Lesson". She also plans to continue publishing academic writing for the Journal of Voice and Speech. In her spare time, Kristianna enjoys studying modern and musical theatre dance and flow pilates. She is blessed to be a part of the GCPA team and excited to give back to the arts community of St. Louis by working with young performers of the future!
Christy Timberlake
Education Manager
ctimberlake@gcpastl.org
A Kansas City native, Christy moved to St. Louis to study biology at Saint Louis University. After accidentally landing an after-school job as a youth theatre coordinator, she discovered a passion for teaching performing arts. She finished her degree at SLU and went right back to school to earn a degree in Music Education at Webster University. While at Webster, she worked as a youth music and costume director, first at Stray Pups Youth Theatre, and then Ignite Theatre two years later. She also co-directed The Lion King Jr. as a five week intensive the summer before her final year at Webster. After graduation, Christy tried her hand at classroom teaching, first elementary music and then early childhood a year later. She is so honored and excited to be rejoining the St. Louis performing arts community as a member of the GCPA team.
In her spare time, Christy moonlights as a character look-alike (mostly Princess Tiana from Princess and the Frog), sews fairy costumes, and enjoys having tea parties with her cat, Clawdia.
Tamara Thomas
Administrative Assistant
info@gcpastl.og
Tamara Thomas is a native of Hempstead, Long Island in New York. She attended Fisk University in Nashville, TN, where she received a dual degree in Dramatics and Speech and Psychology. After marriage, Tamara relocated to St. Louis with her husband. She has worked at The New York Times in Manhattan, at Child Center of Our Lady in Normandy, MO as a Residential Therapist, and for the Department of Mental Health as an Habilitation Specialist to intellectually and developmentally disabled men and women. Tamara is now honored to be a part of the GCPA family! Besides her favorite job of being a wife and mom of three, Tamara is the founder of the faith based drama ministry, Shabach Artistic Expressions Ministry.