Lilly Hetz (Musical Theatre, Musical Theatre Dance) is a St. Louis based movement artist and creative. She has loved taking her love for dance to the air throughout the past ten years. Using the stage name Lil-E-Lectric, Lilly has been hired to perform aerial arts, dance, and stilt walking at both corporate and public events in the St. Louis area and beyond. She loves to show grace, strength, and storytelling in the air. Lilly’s favorite aspect of performing is interacting with her audience to create magical and truly unique experiences. Lilly is an acrobatics, aerial. and dance instructor at various dance and performing arts studios across the St. Louis area. Watching her students improve and grow both as artists and as individuals is truly her greatest joy. It is important to Lilly that she cultivates a positive and uplifting environment for students to achieve their individual goals. She has a passion for motivating others through aerial arts and dance. Lilly graduated from Missouri Baptist University with honors in the fall of 2023 with a major in Business Marketing and a minor in both Business Administration and Dance. There, she competed on and led her collegiate dance team for four years as captain. She enjoys using what she has learned to connect with others through movement. Lilly is very grateful to have the opportunity to do what she loves everyday and to share her passions with those around her.
Stephanie Fox, originally from Oklahoma, graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Music: Music Theatre and continued her studies independently in New York at studios including Jen Waldman Studio, Kimberly Vaughn: Kimberly Vaughn Performance Studio, Broadway Dance Center, and Steps on Broadway. . As a proud member of Actors’ Equity (Stephanie Long) she has performed regionally, on National tour and in New York. 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). In St. Louis, Stephanie has taught at COCA, STAGES, and choreographed for 8 years at Chaminade College Prep along with numerous professional choreography credits. Wednesday nights - we're back!
Trinity Rain Madison, a St. Louis native, is an all-around creative with a passion for arts education. She received her BS from Abilene Christian University where she studied Theatre, Education, and English. Trinity has a growing portfolio including directorial work (Tapestry, IT’S A BIRD… IT’S A PLANE… IT’S SUPERMAN, In the Heights), sound engineering (The Little Mermaid, Godspell, The Coast Starlight), and writing (Grace for President: the presidential play, A Black Inheritance, The Shinnery Review). She is also an experienced stage management, jazz and musical theatre dance choreographer, and actress. One of Trinity’s biggest joys has been teaching at Gateway Center for Performing Arts since 2021! When she’s not working, she enjoys reading, learning Swahili, and cuddling with her dog, Tempo.
Elizabeth Egley was born and raised in St. Louis. She started dancing when she was 2, and before college, she performed with several different theatres/organizations in St. Louis, including Variety Children's Theatre, The Muny, and GCPA's Youth Theatre Company (The Music Man, Matilda, Spring Awakening, Cabaret). She graduated from Lindenwood this spring with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a Minor in Dance, where she had the opportunity to perform in several shows, including Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (Ella), Ordinary Days (Claire), and Urinetown (Ensemble/dance captain). In addition, she performed in three Lindenwood University Dance Department concerts. She is so excited to return to GCPA as a teaching artist this year!
Cassie Gant holds a BFA in musical theatre from Chicago College of Performing Arts. After living in Chicago for the last 7 years, she has relocated to St. Louis where she grew up doing local theatre productions, including at GCPA! In addition to her credits as an actor and vocalist, Cassie’s background includes stage management, props, and experience as a professional scenic painter in Chicago. She now teaches and serves on the creative teams for multiple production companies in St. Louis.
Jermaine Manor enjoys a versatile career as a Professor of Voice, conductor, collaborative pianist and Worship & Arts Pastor. He holds a Bachelors of Music in Vocal Pedagogy and a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting. He also has completed certifications in Commercial Music from Berklee College of Music and Church music from The Royal School of Church Music (Croydon, England). Jermaine has enjoyed teaching across many vocal genres at institutions including Carnegie Mellon University, Pointe Park University, Mckendree University and now Webster University. Jermaine has also worked with COCA, The Repertory and Opera Theatre of St. Louis. As an active composer, Jermaine's works appear in the catalogs of Gentry Publications, Hinshaw Music Company, GIA and Kjos Music Press. He is proud member of Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity, Inc, American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), National Association for Music Educators (NAfME) and National Association of Teachers Of Singing (NATS). Jermaine is a strong proponent for diverse musical representation and not being put in a box based on your race. Music has no color, only styles. Sing what you want to sing, no matter what color you are. Jermaine lives by the mantra “what I do is a get-to, not a have to.”
David Struckman holds a BA in Theatre and an MA in Education from Missouri State University, as well as an MA in Theatre from Regent University. He is a classroom teacher, theatre teacher, director and performer. Directing credits include Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, Wind in the Willows, and his first semi-professional production this past summer titled The Time of My Life. He has performed on stage and in independent films such as Mostellaria, The Bear, and Silence for Sixty Years (original play). Independent films include September (Five Star Pictures) and The Day the Sky Fell (Winner of the Top Shorts Film Festival). David can't wait to get to know his students and help spark a lifelong love for the arts.
Mary Mather
Sarah Vlodek has had a passion for performing from a very young age, beginning dance lessons at the age of 2, and being in her first musical at the age of 7. Sarah recently graduated from Waldorf University where she earned both a B.A in Musical Theatre and a B.A in Vocal Performance. Sarah discovered her love for directing and teaching when she directed her first one act play in high school, and since then she has taught private voice lessons, worked as an ensemble assistant for the St. Louis Children’s Choirs, and co-directed the Musical Theatre Showcase at her university. Sarah has attended several summer vocal intensives where she has performed in many scenes and full length operas including Don Giovanni, Little Women, and Susannah. Sarah has also performed in many musicals, with a few of her favorite roles being Mother in Ragtime, Pennywise in Urinetown, and Cathy in The Last Five Years.
Mattie White is currently a student at Missouri Baptist University pursuing her BFA in Musical Theatre with a Minor in Dance. Mattie has worked as a choreographer for The Actor's Attic in Columbia, IL since 2022, as well as being a teacher's aid for elementary and middle school music classes at her former high school since 2021. Her love of teaching propelled Mattie into performance, where she has been seen on stage as Katherine Plumber in MBU's recent production of Newsies. Some of her other favorite roles include Juror #6 (12 Angry Jurors), Ensemble (Fiddler on the Roof), and Sandra Bloom (Big Fish).
Hannah Moorhead (She/Her) is an accomplished actor and St. Louis native with a deep-rooted connection to the city's artistic landscape and theatrical legacy. Holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from the esteemed Webster Conservatory of Theatre Arts, she is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of performers and instilling a lifelong love for the arts. She firmly believes that storytelling possesses the power to transform lives and shape our collective consciousness, and she is committed to being an integral part of that change.
Lois Enders received her B.A. in Dance from Webster University. After graduating, she danced aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines and toured 5 seasons as a Radio City Rockette in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Lois appeared in the 1st National Tour of Irving Berlin's White Christmas (Assistant Dance Captain/ Swing), and has performed in numerous productions at The Muny, STAGES St. Louis, and Riverside Theatre. She is a member of Actors' Equity and the American Guild of Variety Artists. Lois teaches ballet, pointe, jazz, tap and musical theatre at various dance studios and performing arts academies in the St. Louis area.
Kristianna Dilworth 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!
Annalise McCann is a current sophomore in the musical theatre program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She also works on NYU film sets and works as a director with various student-run theatre companies. This past semester, she was the assistant director of the Tisch Mainstage musical, under Ashley Tata. Annalise has previously worked as a teaching assistant at GCPA for the past two summers, and is so excited to be a teaching artist this year! She was also a student at GCPA, and her favorite shows she did were Urinetown, Titanic, and Amelie.
Lawrence J. Haliburton (he/she/they) is a 25-year-old St. Louis native and is elated to be finishing another epic season with GCPA In Its 10th season! Some might say a quadruple threat Is found with Lawrence. With singing, dancing and acting all being a part of every day life, sitting back into “Stage Manager mode” while being Co-Choreographer has been an exciting challenge. You can catch Lawrence teaching dance fitness at Yes Honey Studio almost every Monday. Lawrence is also the founder of Lawrence Jacquan LLC, a company devoted to the cultivation of art and the growing of the theatre community.
Mike DePope, originally from the east coast, is happy to now call St. Louis home. He has appeared in numerous commercials and industrials for Budweiser, Edward Jones, Buffalo Wild Wings, Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr, Dobb’s Tire & Auto and Jim Butler Chevrolet among others. He can also be seen in the films “Chasing Amy”, “The Layover” and “The Empty Man”. As a voice-over artist, Mike’s credits include Sea World San Diego, the Saint Louis Zoo, and a children’s podcast serial. Recent St. Louis theatre credits include The Gingerbread Lady and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. This summer Mike can be seen in the world premiere of the new play Bandera, Texas, and later this fall as Ed Boone in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time with Hawthorne Players.
Brea Rollston (she/her) is an alumnus of the University of Kentucky where she received her degrees in dance and theatre, with a musical theatre certificate. Brea has been teaching tap, ballet, jazz, and musical theatre dance at Cunningham School of Dance in Symsonia, KY, and has previously taught acting, dance, and playwriting with TheRep St. Louis, Mo, COCA InnOvation Art's Academy in Lexington, KY, Woodford Theatre in Versailles, KY, and Purchase Players CPAC in Mayfield, KY. As a teacher, Brea is focused on creating a healthy environment for every young artist to feel secure while they explore their own creative progression while hoping to add even more emotionally intelligent, and predominately kind, artists to the next generation of performers.
Isa Venere is from Jacksonville, Beach Florida where at a young age she was enrolled into a hip hop class at a local dance studio. She has been dancing for over 13 years ever since. Isa graduated from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts as a Musical Theater major in 2021. She is now a junior Acting major at the Sargent Conservatory of Theater Arts at Webster University where she still continues her dance training. Isa is so excited to be joining the GCPA Family!