Education Programs Faculty
Angela Rinaldi
Teaching Artist
Angela Rinaldi
Angela Rinaldi (she/her) has been a Teaching Artist at Seattle Children’s Theater since 2003, teaching Musical Theater, Actors Toolkit, Sketch Comedy and Drama Quest and directed Once on this Island for SCT’s summer season in 2009. She studied dance at Cornish College and has taught theater classes at Youth Theater Northwest, Kidstage Everett, Stone Soup Theater, The Evergreen School, Spectrum Dance Theater, Evergreen City Ballet, and Whitman College Summer Dance Programs. Angela has served as Resident Music Director and Choreographer for Chinook Middle School and Bellevue High School and is excited to return with the BHS students to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland this summer. She has written Dracula, A Gothic Musical for BHS and it has been an annual production since 2015. Angela has composed over 275 songs for Variety Plus Theater, which she cofounded with her husband in 1995, writing and producing original musical adaptations of classic children’s tales. www.varietyplus.org. Angela currently serves as Principal Musician at Spectrum Dance Theater, Dance Musician at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Cornish College, and STG’s Dance for Parkinson’s. As a proud member of the Musician Association Local- 76, she is promoting her Meditation and Ballet CD’s which can be found on Apple Music, iTunes, and Spotify. www.angelarinaldimusic.com.
Ann Marie Caldwell
Teaching Artist
Ann Marie Caldwell
Ann Marie Caldwell (she/her) finds joy in creating art in collaboration with young people. Ann Marie has taught with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Macha Theatre Works, Youth Theatre Northwest, Arts Corps, Book-It, Arts West, and various schools. Ann Marie holds a BA in theatre, graduated from the Washington State Teaching Artist Training Lab in 2012 and completed the SCT Teaching Artist Apprenticeship in 2004. Ann Marie strives to create a welcoming space for all students to express themselves, take risks, and succeed together
Beth Pollack
Teaching Artist
Beth Pollack
Beth Pollack (she/her) is a Seattle-based performer, dramaturg, teaching artist, and arts administrator. A longtime SCT collaborator, Beth is a graduate of SCT’s Apprenticeship Program, and was both a Drama School Intern (Summer 2014) and a Drama School student. As an educator, Beth has worked with Seattle’s Young Shakespeare Workshop, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Jet City Improv, ACT Theatre, and Dacha Theatre, where she is a proud company member. Beth holds a BA in Theatre Studies and the Historicization of Dramatic Literature from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study and would be happy to explain what that means. More at www.beth-pollack.com.
Brighid Leonard
Teaching Artist
Brighid Leonard
Brighid Leonard (they/them) is a theater-educator and playwright from Missoula Montana. Most recently, they have worked as a long term theater substitute at Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, and Aki Kurose Middle School in Seattle. As an educator Brighid is interested in the ways theater can create community, inspire action, and give students the opportunity to tell and interact with their own stories. Brighid likes to create plays independently [Slievenamon (2022)] as well as collaboratively [Untethered (2023), No Disrespect in the Ladybug Camper (2021)]. In 2022, Brighid worked with another playwright and two songwriters to create “Untethered”, a queer musical that went on to be a semi-finalist for the Eugene O'Neill National Music Theatre Conference, and win the KCACTF Region 7 Music Theatre Award. When not working, Brighid likes to cook, swim, and fabric paint.
Carly Squires Hutchison
Teaching Artist
Carly Squires Hutchison
Carly Squires Hutchison (she/her) grew up at SCT and is honored to be a part of the team! Carly is a passionate teaching artist, director, and choreographer. She has been teaching drama, dance, and musical theatre with SCT since 2013, and choreographed for Drama School in 2013 and 2015. Carly has also taught with The Evergreen School, Creative Dance Center, Village Theatre, DASSdance, Foundry10, Backstage Dance Studio, Spectrum Dance Theatre, and at Central Washington University where she earned her BFA in Musical Theatre and Minor in Dance Performance. Carly has directed and/or choreographed all throughout the greater Seattle area. Additionally, Carly has performed locally with SCT, Village Theatre, StoryBook Theater, Taproot Theatre, Seattle Musical Theatre, Wooden O (Seattle Shakespeare), and SecondStory Repertory. Carly brings a buoyant and positive attitude to her teaching and loves seeing her students grow in their technical abilities as well as their life skills learned through the arts. She says, “The arts are a way to connect communities and get to know people from all different walks of life. While exploring our theatrical selves we are learning to work together, take turns, speak kindly towards ourselves and others, and have fun while trying something new. Sometimes trying new things can be scary, but if you’re in a supportive environment it can be invigorating, and that’s my goal!”
Danny Kam
Teaching Artist
Danny Kam
Danny Kam (he/they) is delighted to be back at SCT this summer. In addition to working as a musical director and voice coach, he has been seen on stages throughout the greater Seattle area. Recent credits include: Beauty & the Beast, West Side Story and Afterwords (The 5th Avenue Theatre), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Passage, ZM, String (Village Theatre) Chilifinger! and The Optimist (ACT) and a developmental workshop of Bruce (Seattle Rep).
Darby Sherwood
Teaching Artist
Darby Sherwood
Darby Sherwood (she/her) is a playwright, dramaturg, director, and teaching artist from Aurora, Illinois. Her writing has been developed and produced at Seattle Opera, University of Washington School of Drama, Horizon Theatre, and others. Her work has been published in print anthologies and online literary magazines. As a teacher, one of her favorite things to do is write new plays tailored specifically to her students' interests and learning goals. Darby is participating as a librettist in Seattle Opera's Creation Lab for the second time this year. She is a recent graduate of the University of Washington School of Drama and has previously taught at Taproot Theatre, School of Performing Arts, Kidz Kabaret, and BAM Theatre. Her teaching style focuses on learning and practicing effective communication and dynamic storytelling.
Dave Quicksall
Teaching Artist
Dave Quicksall
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 the 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, the Seattle Shakespeare Company, and for Seattle Children’s Theatre. In 2020, David worked in partnership with Arts Impact and Creative Start to develop state-wide curricula for arts-infused lessons in theater and Social Emotional Learning. David has been a Teaching Artist and Actor at SCT since moving to Seattle in 1998. As an actor at SCT, his most memorable performance was in the 2011 and 2015 productions of “Robin Hood,” with the 2015 production performing on Broadway at the New Victory Theater in New York City.
Delvin (DJ) James
Teaching Artist
Delvin (DJ) James
Delvin (DJ) James (he/him) is a San Antonio native and has had the opportunity to refine his performing craft and study via a successful career performing, touring, and teaching over the past decade. He is an award winning performer in theater for young audiences and also former Glee Club Director at a private music school for excellent youth. With a love of art and interest in the avenues of its expressions, DJ “wears many hats” and holds close to his heart the opportunities he has also been able to be behind the table (stage management, choreography, sound design). ‘Everyone wants to be understood, and sometimes, when words fail, art is there to speak for us’.
Ellen Dessler Smith
Teaching Artist
Ellen Dessler Smith
Ellen Dessler Smith (she/her) is a local actor/ director who has worked on many stages around town including (but not limited to): Village Theatre, Reboot, Seattle Musical Theatre, ArtsWest, Bainbridge Island Performing Arts, and is on the board of ReAct Theatre. She has toured schools around the country with Living Voices and Small Change Original Theatre. Is a teaching artists for Stone Soup Theatre and works with The Criminal Justice Training Center, UW Medical Center, Effective Arts, and Life Center NorthWest as a scenario actor. She rounds out her theatre work with being a voice over artist and emcee.
Emily Stone
Teaching Artist
Emily Stone
Emily Stone (she/her) is a performer and teacher who grew up in Miwok Territory by the Cosumnes River (Sloughhouse, California). Coming to SCT this summer straight out of the MFA in Acting program at the University of Washington School of Drama, Emily has found some of her greatest fulfillment in teaching and working with students at UW. She thrives on helping students discover confidence and joy in performance, and to learn to access and trust their own innate creativity and intelligence. She is delighted to be able to work with young artists at SCT. Outside of performing on UW’s stages, in Seattle Emily has performed at On The Boards, Macha Theatre Works, and workshopped an original show with The Shattered Glass Project. She also holds a B.S. in Molecular and Environmental Biology from UC Berkeley. Her other passions include building supportive community ties with unhoused neighbors, community organizing in general, book clubs, local history, house plants, whales, and visiting the gorgeous waters and forests of this land.
Eric Bradler
Teaching Artist
Eric Bradler
Eric Bradler (he/him) is excited to be back at SCT this fall where a musician with a speciality in accordion can feel at home. He received his MM from the University of Denver and has been a classroom educator for over twenty years, teaching students from preschool age through college. In addition to his work in the SCT studios, Eric has been seen on the mainstage in productions including Into the West, Mario and the Comet, The Little Prince, 101 Dalmatians, and Aristocats.
Hana Oh
Teaching Artist
Hana Oh
Hana Oh (she/her) is a recent graduate from SUNY Brockport in Brockport, New York, where she majored in Interdisciplinary Arts for Children and minored in Theatre. A couple of her theatre credits include Quiara Algería Hudes’s Water by the Spoonful and David Dudley’s 24 minutes. She is also a one-act play playwriting contest winner. As a firm believer in the power of storytelling, and a storyteller herself, Hana hopes to empower students to explore their imaginative worlds and create their own narratives. It is one of her joys in life to witness their ideas spark and accompany their creative journey. Besides reading and writing, she enjoys embroidering, taking walks, and shaking off her stress to disco music such as Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”
James Schilling
Teaching Artist
James Schilling
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 and share his passion for collaborative storytelling and for education surrounding mental health and social emotional wellness through theatre. James earned his B.F.A in Theatre - Original Works from Cornish College of the Arts in 2018 and is an avid tabletop roleplayer.
Jay Chavez
Teaching Artist
Jay Chavez
Jay Chavez (they/them) is a Seattle based playwright, educator, and all around theatre maker. Through the power of Red Bulls they earned a BA in Theatre from Western Washington University, concentrating in Directing, Dramatic Writing, and Education. They are the founder and artistic director of Haus of Hazard Theatre Productions which does free theatre in the PNW. They were crowned the unofficial title of Lil’ Miss Kennedy Center for their play “how to clean your room (and remember all your trauma)” which was awarded The KCACTF National Undergraduate Playwriting Award 2020 and the David Mark Cohen National Award in 2021. “how to clean” is featured in the Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays, a first of it’s kind anthology of Trans plays written by Trans playwrights for Trans people. It’s been over two decades and Jay is still chasing the knowledge of how wind works. As a freelance teaching artist they have taught with ACT’s Young Playwright Program in 2019, Fairhaven Middle School’s after school program in 2018-2019, and as a Teaching Assistant in Western Washington University’s Playwriting Program in 2018-2021. When they aren’t working, they love to drink coffee, write bad adaptations of classic plays, and cooking delicious meals their mother describes as “too spicy”. They are super excited to work at Seattle Children’s Theatre and bring joy and compassion to theatre.
Jayne Hubbard
Teaching Artist
Jayne Hubbard
Jayne Hubbard (she/they) is a theatre educator, director, playwright, and actor in the Seattle area. In 2019, they graduated from Seattle Pacific University, concentrating in Theatre Performance and Music. They specialize in teaching acting 101, text work, audition technique, viewpoints, and physical theatre. Jayne believes that every classroom is a place for embracing risk and vulnerability while maintaining physical and emotional safety. Outside of their work with SCT, Jayne teaches for Seattle Shakespeare Company and Taproot Theatre Company. When not doing theatre-y things, you can find Jayne playing pinball or playing with their cat, Boop. jaynehubbard.com
Jillian Faulk
Teaching Artist
Jillian Faulk
Jillian Faulk (she/her) is Seattle based actor and teaching artist originally from Richland Washington. She attended Central Washington University where she majored in Theatre Performance, and specialized in neuro-diverse theatre education. She has been on several stages in the area and is passionate about all things related to the arts. She currently lives in Kirkland with her partner and beloved cat.
Jo Ben-Shmuel
Teaching Artist
Jo Ben-Shmuel
Jo Ben-Shmuel (she/her) is a Seattle-based actor and teaching artist who centers queer joy, accessibility, and compassion in her work. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Cornish College of the Arts, and has been involved in theatre since early childhood. She is dedicated to honoring the queer experience as that of joy and educating students of all ages on the importance of generosity in theatremaking.
Kai Winchester
Teaching Artist
Kai Winchester
Kai Winchester (he/him) is a Pacific Northwest native currently living in the Tacoma area with his service dog. Thanks to an early start in Deaf theater through a previous educational program at SCT, Kai has worn many hats in a variety of stage productions – actor, writer, ASL coach, workshop facilitator, and backstage jack-of-all-trades. He holds a BA in K-12 education from Western Governors University and a Masters in Deaf Education from University of Arizona, and maintains a current WA state teaching certificate. When not meddling in theater affairs or teaching, he enjoys reading, trying to write the next great American novel (and failing), and tabletop puzzles and games.
Pala Winchester (Kai's Service Dog)
Teaching Artist
Pala Winchester (Kai's Service Dog)
Pala Winchester (she/her) is a service dog trained by Dogs for Better Lives in Oregon and has been partnered with Kai Winchester since Christmas of 2016. She is an old hand at the theater and teaching business, and enjoys laying on her blanket and watching people be creative! When not working, she loves tummy rubs, treats, and destroying squeaky toys.
Kaley Hinrichs
Teaching Artist
Kaley Hinrichs
Kaley Hinrichs (she/they) is a teaching artist originally from Lincoln, Nebraska. She began her journey with SCT as a teaching artist intern and has loved living in Seattle since. They studied theatre education and entrepreneurial management at Ball State University. She enjoys igniting spaces that are playful, innovative, and student-centered. They are passionate about social/emotional wellness and mental health awareness through theatre education. She also has a background in theatre administration, community engagement, modeling, directing and performing.
Katie Beddoe
Teaching Artist
Katie Beddoe
Kenyon Meleney
Teaching Artist
Kenyon Meleney
Kenyon Meleney (he/him) is an performer, writer, teacher, and all-around creative born and raised in Seattle. Having come up through SCT’s Drama School and various other theaters in the area, he went on to earn his BA in Theater from Occidental College in Los Angeles. Before and after graduating, he taught acting and Shakespeare around both Seattle and LA, including Taproot, Harlequin, and A Noise Within, until deciding to pursue an MFA. In a complete about-face, Kenyon was thrust into the world of devised performance and education with The Pig Iron School in Philadelphia, and hasn’t looked back. Combining a plot- and objective-driven theater background with a formal education in more abstract ways of creating has manifested in a deep passion for original storytelling, world-building, and character-creation. When he’s not teaching or performing, Kenyon is working on a sci-fi radio drama, playing D&D with his friends, or hiking amongst giant trees. Coming up, his MFA capstone project, “The Tri-State Coalition for Symmetrical Intelligence presents the Very Large Magnet Quenching Particle Collider Grand Opening Ceremony” will see a return with performances in fringe festivals around the country next year. Coming back to SCT is a wild blast from the past and he’s thrilled to be returning as a teaching artist!
Kyleigh Archer
Teaching Artist
Kyleigh Archer
Kyleigh Archer (she/they) is a director, designer, puppeteer, 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 8 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.
Maia Nowack
Teaching Artist
Maia Nowack
Maia Nowack (they/them) grew up in Seattle, where SCT was a big part of developing their love for theatre. They graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in Theatre, where they discovered their love for teaching. Maia is returning to SCT after some time away and completing an MA in Dance Pedagogy at the University of the Arts in Helsinki, Finland. Maia was also a drama school intern in 2015 and a teaching artist apprentice at SCT, and has experience teaching dance, movement, and drama to students of all ages. Maia is passionate about creating welcoming, inclusive spaces where students can expand their creativity. When not working, Maia can be found knitting, crocheting, and enjoying the beautiful PNW nature.
Marty Smith Cubine
Teaching Artist
Marty Smith Cubine
Marty Smith Cubine (she/they) is a multi-hyphenated actor and teaching artist. After receiving her BFA in Musical Theatre from Cornish College of the Arts, she settled in Seattle to be a full-time performer and arts educator. They have been on stage at SCT in The Little Prince, in the touring show Ghosted, and have also acted in productions at ACT and Harlequin theatres. As an educator, Marty has taught every age from 3 years old to adults and specializes in bringing social-emotional learning into theatre and arts education. Marty lives in the Bothell area with her husband, dog, fish, and tortoises.
Priya Marita Diaz
Teaching Artist
Priya Marita Diaz
Priya Marita Diaz (she/they) is a performing artist, vocalist, guitarist, visual & craft artist, poet, composer, yoga & meditation teacher living the dream on Beacon Hill in Seattle. Priya grew up from the age of 11 performing in musical theater and improv in the Bay Area in California. Priya loves nothing more than creating community and joy through the arts. As a bi-racial multi-cultural Chicanx artist, Priya sings in English, Spanish & Sanskrit/Hindi, was raised at an Ashtanga Yoga Center and has traveled to and studied music and spirituality in Nepal & India. After moving to Seattle in 2009, Priya ran a non-profit South Asian music institute for 13 years. Priya has a Masters Degree in Education, and a Bachelor's in a major she designed called "Power & Culture in Social Movements". Priya is involved in multiple arts and activism circles in her community, including Beacon Artist Guild, BIIPOC STAHC and Beacon Food Forest. Priya envisions a resilient community connected through the power of the arts as a medium to discover our authentic selves.
Rendon Ramsey
Teaching Artist
Rendon Ramsey
Rendon Ramsey (he/him) is a professional Acting Coach, Director, and Teaching Artist. Rendon specializes in bringing out the very best of his students’ natural talent, allowing them to act with honesty and confidence. Since 2002 Rendon has taught both privately and at some of the top arts schools in the nation, helping hundreds of students develop their artistic gifts and achieve their dreams. His students have gone on to some of the most highly respected conservatories and universities in the world. Rendon’s students continue to seek out his help as they work professionally in the industry. Rendon is thrilled to have joined Seattle Children’s Theatre to help bring out the very best in the young actors of his hometown. For more information about Rendon and his work please visit rendonramsey.com.
Ricardo Solis
Teaching Artist
Ricardo Solis
Ricardo Solis (he/him) is a Seattle based theater artist, filmmaker, and musician from Kansas City, Missouri. Ricardo received his B.A. in Drama from Washington University in St. Louis. He taught Drama, Film, and Social-Emotional Learning at Seattle Country Day School for four years, and is currently working as a Head Electrician at the Cornish Playhouse. Ricardo cherishes the joyful and uplifting energy that kids bring to the classroom, and is passionate about whole-person education, teaching through inquiry, and bringing his love of theater to kids of all backgrounds.
Tatyana Emery
Teaching Artist
Tatyana Emery
Tatyana Emery (she/they) is a Tufts University graduate invested in creating community through theatre education. As a theatre maker, Tatyana seeks to create safe classrooms in which students feel comfortable to write and rewrite their personal narratives-bringing to life the stories that inspire them on stage. As an educator, they are proud to have worked with organizations such as The Theater Offensive, Central Square Theater and Tufts Children’s Theatre in building strong youth ensembles where students are invited to embrace the theatre of the everyday.
Taylor Tinsley
Teaching Artist
Taylor Tinsley
Taylor-Nicole Tinsley (she/they) is a Black Queer educator and artist, born and raised in Mississauga Territory (Detroit, Michigan). She's an actor, trained voice actor, published writer, dancer, and mixed media artist with a BA in Educational Studies from Arizona State University. They have over 10 years of experience working with all ages from infants to high school students. Their special interests are improv, comedy, spoken word, imaginative play, puppetry, and children's media. They'd love to be an actor/puppeteer on a children's show like Sesame Street one day! Taylor-Nicole's philosophy is prioritizing the art of play and using theater as a way to understand ourselves and the world around us. They aim to curate safe creative spaces for historically excluded folks to heal and express joy, and have worked with organizations like Black Farmers Collective and Nurturing Roots to develop programming that combines performing arts and outdoor education. When she's not working with youth, she enjoys longboarding, meditation, volunteering, and snuggling her kitty Babydoll!
Teaching Assistants
Andy Walker
Teaching Assistant
Andy Walker
Andy Walker (he/they) is a Seattle based actor and director originally from Whidbey Island. Previous acting credits include The Watsons Go to Birmingham (Seattle Children’s Theatre), As You Like It (Seattle Rep), and Twelfth Night (Seattle Shakespeare). Andy is a member of Washington Ensemble Theatre where they recently assistant directed Tin Cat Shoes and Arlington. Education: BA Musical Theatre, University of Northern Colorado.
Chloe Williams
Teaching Assistant
Chloe Williams
Chloe is a theater practitioner from Wilmington, Ohio. Her goal is to make theater accessible and enjoyable for thespians of all ages through the creation of inclusive environments. Her focus and passion lie in theater education and stage management, something she has been able to practice during her time at Ohio Wesleyan University. While Chloe is not practicing theater, she enjoys cooking, baking, and trying new kinds of ice cream.
Claira Eastwood
Teaching Assistant
Claira Eastwood
Claira Eastwood (she/her) is an actor and educator based in Seattle, WA. She holds a BA in Strategic Communication with a minor in Drama, and is currently pursuing her Masters in Teaching. Claira was a member of the 2023 Drama School Internship program and is so thankful to be sticking around. As an educator, she especially enjoys working in process-based theatre arts, as well working with viewpoints, improv, and devising. Her work has an emphasis on consent-based artistry and social-emotional learning.
Katherine Jana Peterson
Teaching Assistant
Katherine Jana Peterson
Kat Peterson (she/her) is a Seattle playwright, director, actor, comedian and podcaster but most importantly a cute chubby clown! She has been generating nonstop new work with her plays, films and oddball spirit. She’s a co-host of Not Like Other Podcasts, a playwright of her first play Manic Pixie Middle Aged Man and a director in her film debut Filth I Was Fed. She has earned a BFA with an emphasis in Original Work from Cornish College of the Arts in the fall of 2020. Growing up she felt like she never saw her body type represented on stage which caused her to feel as if she didn't deserve to be seen. This has ignited a fire in her to teach the younger generation of children and artists that you can create, act and be seen no matter the body they have. She wants to create a safe space for kids to explore their authenticity and vulnerability within art and in themselves. As well as giving the tools to help write, direct, act, play, voice act, do improv and improve their self-confidence. Kat is honored to be a part of the SCT team and is excited to go into work with an open heart.
Ruby O'Malley
Teaching Assistant
Ruby O'Malley
Ruby O'Malley (she/they) is an actor, improviser, and musician from Honolulu, Hawaii. They just graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Acting. She was raised by a theatrical family & has been in many productions throughout her life, and plans on making her relationship with theater a lifelong practice. Ruby loves how theatre builds community, and hopes to explore the intersection between theatre and collective action by creating art with people of all ages.
Willa Barnett
Teaching Assistant
Willa Barnett
Willa Barnett (she/her) is an educator, storyteller, and musician from Seattle, WA. She holds passion for collaborative creation and as a proudly disabled artist works to prioritize accessibility within the classroom. As a former SCT student, she is thrilled to have the chance to return as an educator and continue a tradition of joy and empowerment through theatre arts. She recently graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, with a degree in Theater Studies. When she is not teaching or making, you can find her playing with dogs, traveling, or reading at the park.
Education & Engagement Department Staff
Abby Sledge
Drama School Registrar
Abby Sledge
Abby Sledge (she/her) is a 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 spent seven summers of her teen years in Austin, Texas 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!
Aiyana Mehta
Engagement Programs Manager
Aiyana Mehta
Aiyana Hewitt Mehta (she/they) is an arts administrator and musician. She started her arts administration journey in 2018 at the Walla Walla Symphony. During her time there, she discovered her passion for community engagement and continued on to become Community Programs Manager at Seattle Opera. Aiyana plays trombone and has played with groups such as Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra and Philharmonia Northwest. She is thrilled to be working at SCT as the Engagement Programs Manager and looks forward to continuing to connect with her community through a youth-focused lens.
Brianna Canning
School Programs and Partnerships Manager
Brianna Canning
Brianna Canning (she/her) is the School Programs and Partnerships Manager at Seattle Children's Theatre (SCT). She joined the SCT community in June 2021 as a Teaching Artist intern, and then was welcomed to the Teaching Artist faculty starting in the fall of 2021. Before diving into the world of theatre education, Bri focused on stage management and production management, both at her college and on a regional level. She moved to Seattle after graduating in May 2021, eager to join the theatre community. In addition to working as a Teaching Artist with SCT, Bri has also worked as a residential faculty member and after-school supervisor at Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bellevue, WA. Brianna completed her undergraduate education at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where she received a BA in Government and Legal Studies, and Latin American Studies. While in college, she was a Head Proctor for Residential Life, President of the student theatre group on campus, and worked for the Bowdoin College Department of Theatre and Dance in various capacities. In addition, Bri was invited to study abroad at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán in Mérida, México, in the Spring of 2020 where she fully engaged in the Spanish language and Mexican culture. Brianna is ecstatic to be working full time at SCT. She loves theatre for its unique capacity to cultivate empathy, and produce social and political change through storytelling and community-building. Additionally, she is passionate about providing opportunities for young people to create, imagine, and learn about themselves and others. In her free time, Brianna enjoys baking and eating cookies!
Gabriela Tatone
Drama School Operations Manager
Gabriela Tatone
Gabriela Tatone (she/her) is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University where she got her BA in both Theatre and Sociology, researching how child-geared arts programs emphasize inclusivity. After graduating, she started her journey with SCT as a Teaching Artist Intern in 2020 and transitioned into Teaching Artist Assistant soon after. With her passion for inclusive educational theatre, she has worked in a variety of positions such as director and choreographer at The Performer's Academy in her home state of California, International Intern at Chickened in London, and Acting and Musical Theatre Interns at Tacoma Arts Live. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to continue working with SCT and hopes to grow even more as a theatre educator and administrator!
Tiffany Maltos
Director of Education and Engagement
Tiffany Maltos
Tiffany Maltos (she/her) is the Director of Education & Engagement at Seattle Children’s Theatre, former Staff Writer for TYA Today, and a founding member of the BIPOC in TYA Advisory Board. 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 and taught in a high school before officially transitioning her career to theatre. Tiffany was an SCT Drama School Teaching Artist Intern in 2013 before returning to her hometown of San Antonio, TX, where she was the Education Department Manager at The Magik Theatre and a teaching artist for The Classic Theatre. Upon moving to the Pacific Northwest, Tiffany served as a board member for Theatre Puget Sound from 2017 – 2020 and is a current trustee of the TYA/USA Board. In 2021, Tiffany was named in American Theatre Magazine’s Role Call for her practice as an administrator, teaching artist, and arts activist. Tiffany has been featured as keynote moderator, contributor to Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppressive Futures for Theatres for Young Audiences, speaker for the Listen, Learn, Lead webinar series (TYA/USA), and TIMEOUT with Brodrick (podcast).