Leslie Stupple

Artistic Director

“Theater is a wonderful teaching tool. We learn a great deal about life, others and ourselves through participation in a cooperative venture. There’s no better way to develop communication, appropriate expression and respect than coming together to work on a project with a common goal.”

She studied for her bachelor’s of arts degree at Suny New Paltz under the tutelage of Dr. Beverly Brumm.

Jad Bernardo

Musical Director/Conductor

Favorite music directing engagements include Evita, Songs for a New World, Fugitive Songs, Carousel, Guys and Dolls, Les Miserables, Hair, Spring Awakening, The Fantasticks, Footloose, Ragtime, Five Guys Named Moe, featuring Grammy Winner Nathan Best, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Sweeny Todd, The Johnny, Extraordinary, and the off-Broadway hit, Pinkalicious!

Jad served as coach/pianist for Knoxville Opera Studio’s productions of Suor Angelica, Lucia de Lammermoor, and The Telephone, Anchorage Opera’s Suor Angelica/I Pagliacci and Eugene Oneign. He conducted the premire of Kristin Hevner’s electronica opera Wednesday Before Last at New York City’s Music Concert Series. Orpheus and Eurdice by Ricky Ian Gordon.

Jimmy Ashmore

Choreographer/Tap Instructor

Raul Avina

Choreographer, Film and Stage Performer, Dance Instructor

Raul graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Dance Theatre. He earned a Masters in Fine Arts Dance and Pedagogy from Mills College in Oakland, CA. Raul was raised in South East Los Angeles giving him a unique vantage point to the arts, community, and low income areas. Supported and empowered by his sister, Raul began his journey into dance, theatre and teaching. Raul’s passion and love have lead him to many great opportunities: commercials (Geico, and General), music videos (Noah & the Megafauna), movies (Sudden Death, Open) and performing as a singer/dancer/actor with Disney. Having danced with companies like ODC and Oakland Ballet have given him a unique blend of classic technique and quirkiness. Raul is trained in Horton, Alexander technique, Merce Cunningham, ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, musical theatre and Mexican Folklorico dance. Credits include; Choreography for Open the movie (winner of 12 awards), How Sweet It Is the movie musical, Annie the musical (SSPA), choreographing at the Alcove theatre in San Francisco, Choreographer for SFSU “New Moves Concert”, Choreographer for Mid Summers Nights Dream (Biola University) Sudden Death (the Musical Movie 30-Awards Winner), Legally Blonde (SDMT), Rocky Horror (Fullerton), Fiddler on the Roof (Candlelight P.), Hair (Fullerton), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat (SDMT), A Chorus Line (SDMT), Rent (Fullerton), Taming of the Shrew (Hermosa B. Playhouse), High School Musical Medley (Universal Studios Globe Theatre Red Carpet Award Show).

Lyndsee Bell

Vocal Instructor

Lyndsee received her BA in Theatre from San Francisco State University. There she was involved in several productions including Urinetown the Musical, and  Sondheim’s Into the Woods. She was a part of the University’s Brown Bag Theatre Company where she acted in Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, a Shakespeare Variety Show, and musical directed Across the Universe. Most recently she taught as a guest artist at the CSU Summer Arts program for the Broadway Vocal Class.
Earlier credits include River City Theatre Company where she performed in 42nd Street, Bye Bye Birdie, Children of Eden.
She attended Natomas Charter Performing and Fine Arts Academy, where she was in the vocal jazz choir. Her acting, writing and teaching abilities were deepened at this time where she assisted teaching acting to middle school children.
Lyndsee prides herself on her ability to use theatre and music to connect with people, especially those with special needs. She has has worked with autistic children and is constantly seeking opportunities to spread theatre to different communities. Lyndsee loves using her knowledge of American Sign Language to work on theatrical pieces for the deaf. Lyndsee enjoys sharing her love of theatre and experience with younger generations.

Virginia Musante

Theater Professional and Theater Educator Extraordinaire

Virginia has been directing children, teens, and adults throughout the Bay Area for over 30 years. She is probably best known as the Drama Teacher at Bowditch Middle School in Foster City, where she directed large school musicals annually. Some of her more recent and noteworthy projects include the Hillbarn Theatre’s summer program for kids with “special needs” and a Reader’s Theatre project by and for adolescent girls dealing with the topic of bullying. Virginia also teaches Children’s Theatre at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont. She is an avid improvisational actor and has spent many years doing improv in San Francisco.

Andrew Tinman

Theater Instructor

Alicia Urizar

Musical Theater Instructor