Education Programs Faculty

Kyleigh Archer is a director, designer, and theater teaching artist. Graduated from Cornish with B.F.A in Theatre, in both the acting and technical realms; they have spent the last 7 years working with school districts and non-profits to bring the joys of theater, story telling, and improv to students. They are currently the Artistic Associate at Broadway Bound and a teaching artist at Seattle Children's Theatre. 

Meredith Berlin (she/her) has been teaching and mentoring youth in Washington State for over 25 years.  She is the Arts Based Learning Curriculum Specialist at Seattle Children's Theatre, facilitating a variety of workshops, including the RISEup professional development workshop.  She has taught and served as artist-in residence in k-12 classrooms, detention centers, senior care facilities, community centers, shelters and with homeschool and online learning communities.  Her prime objective is to utilize the power of arts experiences to explore topics of import to educators, students and families.   She has received individual grants for this work from both the King County and Seattle Arts Commissions. Meredith is a director and playwright as well as an actor and dancer who has performed in productions in New York, Washington DC and throughout Western Washington. She received her BA from Yale College. 

Mati Rafael Cardinale (she/her, they/them, he/him) is an emerging teaching artist who feels incredibly blessed to be a part of the SCT family. A queer immigrant from Venezuela, they use their life experience to work with immigrants and members of the LGBT community, striving to use theatre to bolster and comfort these groups in a society that marginalizes them. 

Rachel Carlson (she/her/hers) has been a dedicated teaching artist since 2016. Originally from Seattle, Rachel moved to Los Angeles to persue a performing career and attended AMDA: College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts, graduating with a BFA in Acting in 2012. She enjoys teaching Shakespeare, Improvisation, Story Drama, and Acting Foundations to grades PreK-12th. She is currently teaching with Seattle Children's Theatre, and Youth Theatre Northwest, and has directed several plays at Bellevue High School. In her spare time she is usually painting, playing board games, or spending quality time with her fiancé, family, and friends

Elizabeth (Liz) Coen manages the Arts-Based Learning Program at SCT and serves as a teaching artist for grades 6-12. Prior to her arrival at SCT, she worked in higher education as a theatre instructor and teaching specialist for nontraditional students. As a dramaturg and arts administrator, Elizabeth has supported the development of playwrights and theatre artists at SCT, Samuel French Publishing, Premiere Stages, New York Theatre Workshop, and the playwriting collective America-in-Play. She serves on the Executive Committee of Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA) and edits the organization’s journal Review. Elizabeth holds an MFA in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism from Brooklyn College and a PhD in Theatre History and Theory from the University of Washington.

Mari DeOleo (she/they) is an Afro-Latix play activation artist, writer, visual artist, educator and director based on the Southwest side of Chicago from Dominican Republic by way of rural Pennsylvania. Mari’s creative practice focuses on empowerment, connection and building community through comedy, participation and play. Her work is informed by spectacle theater, storytelling, clown, buffoon, improv, comedy and performance practices from the Caribbean, Latin America and West Africa. Mari is the founder and lead artist of DeOleo Creative LLC and PlayLab Productions.

Marquicia Dominguez (They/Them), known as QuiQui to most, is a Teaching Artist, and Behavioral Therapist in the Seattle area. In 2012 they received a B.F.A in theatre from Cornish College of the Arts and in 2018 received a Master’s in Education: Applied Behavior Analysis Programing and Instruction from Arizona State University. They are a Board Certified Behavior Analyst using imagination and creativity to teach life skills and behavioral skills to individuals with autism. Their desire is to create inclusive arts programs for all types of learners, no matter that individual’s abilities. QuiQui has worked with such companies as: ACT, Book-It, Greenstage, Seattle Repertory, and Seattle Shakespeare Company. They are co-host of The MirrorStage Podcast: A podcast that showcases Seattle artists and activists doing their part to make waves in the pacific northwest.

Chanel Gomaa holds a BA in Theatre Studies from the University of Central Florida, and has worked in multiple capacities with companies such as the Wekiva River Players, the Athens Theatre of Deland, the Flagler Playhouse, the Orlando Repertory Theatre, and more.  Chanel has also competed with her poetry on multiple national stages, representing the cities of Deland and Orlando Florida, as well as her alma mater.  Her book of poems entitled "On Being the Muslim in the Room" was a semi-finalist for the 2019 Button Poetry Chapbook contest, and her original play "Sabine and Scotty" was a 2020 semi-finalist for the Live & In Color theatre.  You can view Chanel's poetry published on the online platforms Slamfind and Write About Now. 

Carly Squires Hutchison was born and raised in Seattle and grew up seeing shows, taking classes, and even performing at SCT! Carly has been teaching at SCT since 2013 after going through their Summer Choreography Internship. You may have seen her choreography that summer in Little Mermaid Jr. or Spamalot or perhaps in Urinetown after that. Outside of SCT, Carly has taught dance and musical theatre with Village Theatre, Backstage Dance Studio, Central Washington University (CWU), and DASSDance, and has directed/choreographed throughout the greater Seattle area. A graduate of CWU, she holds a BFA in Musical Theatre and Minor in Dance Performance. Working with students is one of Carly's favorite things and she loves being able to share her with them her love of theatre and the skills it teaches, hoping they will love it just like she did.

Tiffany Maltos (she/her) is the Associate Director of Education at Seattle Children’s Theatre and a Staff Writer for TYA Today, a publication of TYA/USA. Tiffany is an arts administrator, teaching artist, and Trustee of Theatre Puget Sound. She graduated from Bowdoin College in 2011 with a degree in Interdisciplinary English/Theatre and focus on Theatre for Young Audiences. She received her Teaching Certificate in 2012. A native of San Antonio, TX, Tiffany was the Education Manager at The Magik Theatre and a teaching artist for The Classic Theatre before joining the team at SCT.

Johamy Morales holds an MFA in acting from The Ohio State University, with a specialization in outreach and devising new work, and a BA in Theatre from San Diego State University. Johamy currently serves as the Director of Education at Seattle Children’s Theatre (SCT) and as a Trustee for Theatre Communication Group (TCG). Johamy has served on the theatre panel for Colorado Creative Industries, TCG’s Rising Leaders of Color, Creede Pride Committee and Theatre for Young Audiences/USA webinar series. Prior to working with SCT, Johamy served as the Education Director for Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colorado and directed the Comparative Arts Department and the Junior Musical Theatre Program at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan. Johamy has worked with Arena Stage in Washington D.C. and the La Jolla Playhouse through their education programs as a teaching artist. Johamy is an alumnus of the Allen Lee Hughes Fellowship at Arena Stage and the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England, where she studied Contemporary & Classical works with Deborah Warner and Fiona Shaw. Johamy toured with the cast of New World Jukebox where she performed in the 2006 Grahamstown National Arts Festival, in Grahamstown, South Africa and with San Diego State University in, Carnaval de Calaveras, with performances in Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Mexico D.F. in 2004. In February of 2017, Johamy collaborated with the US State Department, the US Embassy & Consulate and several NGO’s to promote awareness of domestic and gender violence in Kolkata and Ranchi, India. As an educator, artist, and director Johamy has worked with various schools and nonprofit organizations both nationally and internationally including Hope College, Fort Lewis College, University of San Diego, Esperanza Charter School, Wexner Center, Dennos Museum, Students in Transition Empowerment Program, Traverse City Continuation School, Blackbird Arts and Columbus Refugee & Immigration Services.    

Josh Padilla (he/him/his) is a teaching artist and performer based in Seattle. He graduated from New Mexico State University in 2010 with a BA in theater arts. He started his journey with SCT as a part of their 2018-2019 apprenticeship program and hasn’t looked back since. When not expanding student’s minds through imaginative play or creative skill building, you can find him in the local theater and improv scenes. 

Teague M. Parker (He/Him) is an Actor, Playwright, Improviser, Producer, and Teaching Artist. After graduating from Western Washington University, he founded Come Up Productions which highlights up-and-coming artist, while bringing Free Theatre & Live Events to the Washington community. Through Come Ups, Teague shares his Improv for Wellness workshops & classes: using Improvisation as a foundation to help people uncover their creativity, grow awareness of themselves and others, and learn to love everything about themselves. Working with Universities, Entrepreneur groups, Professional Theaters, and graduate programs; he believes creativity is everyone’s birthright, and that we all deserve to reclaim our self-worth. He’s got nothing but love for everyone on their journey. 

David Quicksall (he/him) has been a Teaching Artist in Theater for 30 years.  He received his MFA in Acting from UCLA and has worked professionally in Theater as an actor, writer, and director across the country.  As a Teaching Artist, David trained with The Bernstein Center and its affiliate, the Nashville Institute for the Arts.  David also taught for five years as a Wolf Trap Artist, working in Head Start Centers in both Nashville and at the Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC.  In Washington state, David has been a Teaching Artist for Arts Impact and for Seattle Children’s Theater.  Most recently, David has been working in partnership with Arts Impact and Creative Start to develop state-wide curricula for arts-infused lessons in theater and Social Emotional Learning. 

Brodrick Santeze Ryans (He, Him) is currently serving as the Education Coordinator at Seattle Children’s Theatre, supporting the Drama School, Community Engagement and Arts Based Learning Programs. Brodrick is a current 2020 TYA/USA Emerging Leader in TYA Fellowship. He is an arts leader, actor, teaching artists and podcast founder and host. His podcasts TIMEOUT w/ Brodrick is dedicated to bridging the gap between BIPOC culture, creative art forms and educational theatre. Brodrick strongly believes in the work of arts education. “It is through arts education that we can inspire, direct and implement creative change in young people and how they move through society. It is our job as artists and educators to help young people tell their stories.” Brodrick’s background as a performer helped him to morph into the position of teaching artists and coordinator. He has worked as the Operations Coordinator for the School of Social Work at The University of Alabama, a tour director and actor for Missoula Children’s Theatre, and as a professional freelance actor and artist.

Jonathan M. Rizzardi is an actor, director, vocalist, and teaching artist originally from the Washington, D.C. area. He moved to Seattle in 2018 to start his PhD in Theatre History and Theory at the University of Washington. Prior to moving to the West Coast, Jonathan earned his BA and Master of Arts in Teaching at St. Mary's College of Maryland where he was winner of the Margaret Eagle Dixon Award in Literature and Maryland’s Teachers of Promise distinction. Since, his artistic and professional focus has been on developing innovative arts education programs for at-risk and underserved students. Jonathan previously taught for four years as a high school Theatre Arts and English Literature teacher in Maryland, and has taught with Round House Theatre, Imagination Stage, Everyman Theatre, Young Playwrights’ Theater. On stage, he has worked with Dacha Theatre, Monumental Theatre Company, Imagination Stage, Theatre Prometheus, Source, and numerous other Washington, D.C. metro area theatres. 

James Schilling (he/him) is an actor, playwright, and educator based in Seattle, WA. He has taught with Village Theatre KIDSTAGE in Everett and with Seattle Children’s Theatre, and has participated for several years in Freehold’s Engaged Theatre Tour to bring shows and workshops to incarcerated people throughout Washington. He is honored to return to SCT in delivering education surrounding mental health and social/emotional wellness through theatre to young people. James earned his B.F.A in Theatre - Original Works from Cornish College of the Arts in 2018. 

Abby Sledge is a recent graduate from Rice University in Houston, Texas, with majors in Theatre and the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality. She loves all aspects of theatre, having performed, stage managed, choreographed, costume designed, and more during her college years. Her greatest passion, though, since she performed in her first musical in the fifth grade, has been theatre for youth. That’s why she’s spent the past seven summers working with children in theatre, came to SCT as an Education Fellow and is and is delighted to be a part of the SCT team as the Education Registrar!

Martha Kathryn Smith (she/they) is so excited to return to the SCT team! Previously she has worked as both an actor and teaching artist with SCT, on the Mainstage in The Little Prince, teaching workshops for the tour of Above Between Below, and playing Syd in the Washington tours of Ghosted, a show geared toward high school students that addresses common mental health concerns. Marty cares deeply about using theatre as a gateway to create space that empowers, uplifts, and enlightens everyone who needs it. They hold a BFA in Musical Theater from Cornish College of the Arts. 

Deepmala Tiwari is from New Delhi, India. She graduated in Theatre for Youth at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her work allowed the broader community to elevate the conversation, creating a safe space for divergent voices and encouraging collaboration. Working with international artists from various fields (including music, visual art, educators, and theatre artists), Deepmala crafted her own company “The Color Bakery” in India. She has worked in hospitals engaging in clowning with young cancer patients, in the Red-Light district with sex workers and their children, in street theatre performances advocating for the rights of women, on professional stages in India as an actor, in public schools integrating arts into the curriculum, and much more. Deepmala was selected as one of three Emerging Leaders in the field by TYA/USA in 2019. Her ability to access all aspects of the field in her work is simply astounding. She is a true theatre artist and educator – embracing every aspect of the craft whole-heartedly. 

Andrew Wilkes (he/him) is an Iowa native now based in Seattle.  He received his BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Iowa in 2014 before moving to the PNW. As an actor Andrew has performed with Azeotrope Theatre, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Triangle Associates, Theatre for Young Children, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and regularly for the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.  Being a teaching artist has brought Andrew into hundreds of classrooms.  He has taught theatre in Iowa, Washington, Colorado, and China.