Columbia Gorge School of Theatre

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Columbia Gorge School of Theatre - John Schneider and his Son

"Our son's acting ability has improved DRAMATICALLY since he's been attending Columbia Gorge School of Theatre!"

says John Schneider, star of "Smallville," "The Dukes of Hazzard" and co-founder of the Children's Miracle Network.

Staff - Current

Our staff is different each year. The below staff are the current members for the summer 2007 sessions.

Stephanie Blair (Camp Counselor / Instructor / Director) is an actress from Boulder who recently graduated from the University of Colorado with a BA in Theatre and a Minor in French. She has been studying acting seriously since high school, and has had experience professionally as well. Some of her favorite productions include : Les Miserables, To Kill A Mockingbird and Roulette by Paul Weitz. Stephanie is moving to Oregon to pursue Theatre in Portland, and also to enjoy the lush green nature of the North West. She is most of all excited for her fist summer ever at CGST! where she will be a Camp Couselor, and is looking forward to meeting lots of friends in her new home away from home. Stephanie.Blair@Colorado.EDU

Terra Dawson (Intern) I am returning for my second year as an intern at CGST. I just graduated from Hood River Valley High and plan to attend The University of Oregon next year. I will be studying Theatre and Education, that way I can combine my two loves; kids and theatre. I have been in many theatre productions including Much Ado About Nothing, Trek Trek, The Actor's Nightmare, The Ladies Of the Camellias and most recently Sure Thing. ralphymcboob@hotmail.com

Polly Edelstein (Intern) has been a student of theatre for nearly 10 years. She has been a music student all her life and enjoys taking dance whenever given the opportunity. Some of the plays Polly has been include In Fair Verona (Friar Lawrence), Unbeatable Harold (Wanda), Romeo and Juliet (Prince), Honk! (Grace, Female solo), Grease (Jan) and many others! The 2007 CGST season will be Polly's 5th year, 1st on staff, and hopefully will be the best ever! glittergalbaby88@aol.com

Jamie Grant (Intern) is very exited to be a full time staff member for her fifth year at CGST. Jamie has just recently graduated from Bainbridge High School on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Next year she will turn in her Spartan helmet and pick up her Grizzly bear suit, at the University of Montana in Missoula. There, she will be majoring in Theater Education. Jamie has been involved with theater and dance for as long as she remembers. She has been in several musicals such as; Once on this Island as a peasant, Newsies as Spot Conlon, and most recently Ivanha as Mama Squirrel. Jamie has also been in many straight plays as well as; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead as one of the players, and Baby with the Bathwater as Nanny. Along with being onstage Jamie was able to work on costumes during the course of this year as the head costume person for the winter one acts. evilgretel@yahoo.com

Kary Haddad (Musical Director) received his B.A. from the University of Rochester in 2004 (Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa), and earned an M.A. in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music in 2006 where he did his M.A. research on motivation in high school musical theatre. While studying, in addition to performing with numerous vocal, instrumental, and theatrical ensembles, he ran UR's 70 member, student-run theatrical performance troupe. He is currently the Associate Choir Director at Princeton High School in Princeton, NJ, where he works with the prestigious Princeton High School Choir, which recently traveled to Sweden on a three-city performance tour. Prior to his position at PHS, he served as an adjunct theatre staff member at Mt. Wachusett Community College in Massachusetts and on the artistic staff for the "Grand Champion" Greece Athena Show Choir in Greece, NY. karyhaddad@yahoo.com

Mac Ingram (Camp Counselor / Instructor / Director) is currently a student at Webster University, studying Media Communications and Political Science. Mac is passionate about theatre and film, and although currently removed from it, plans to return to the field one day. He has been a performer, as well as Assistant Director, Stage Manager, Producer, Production Assistant, and Set/Light/Costume/Sound Designer in shows including Honk!, Footloose, Inherit the Wind, Baby with the Bathwater, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, A Funny Thing Happened..., and You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Additionally, Mac wrote the CGST Film Party of the Year in 2005, and is a principal character in a television series at Webster entitled The Dorm. mac.ingram@yahoo.com

JAN JAMES (Executive Director) Jan owns and runs the business with Jesse Merz, her son, Artistic Director, and daughter-in-law Laurel Merz, Camp Director. Jan graduated from the University of Oregon (go Ducks!) with a degree in Sociology. After graduation she lived in the Hood River Valley for 24 years. During that time, Jan lived on an apple and pear orchard with her husband, and raised 2 children, Jesse and Jody Merz. Jan loved spending time with her children, and was involved in their many pursuits......she enjoyed watching them work on and finish their degrees in Acting/Teaching, and Psychology/Nursing respectively.
     After Jan sold her last house in the Hood River Valley, she began to look for another place in the country. When she found the property outside White Salmon, Washington, the Blue Moon Ranch was born. Somehow, the idea for the Columbia Gorge School of Theatre was hatched with input from the whole family, and it was started by Jesse, Jody, and Jan.
     Jan loves spending time with her 3 grandchildren--Alana, Josephine, and Elliott. Alana and Josephine are at camp in the summer with their parents, Laurel and Jesse. Jody and her husband Prescott have Elliott, and they live in Portland. They come to visit camp when they can. Jody has gone on to become a nurse at OHSU in Portland, Oregon, a hospital that Jan lived in for 4 months in 1997 (more about that later).
     Jan never really knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. She always supported her family members in their various pursuits. She loved being involved in the creation of CGST. After the family decided to start the summer camp, the heart disease she had been diagnosed with became more serious, and she was placed on the Heart Transplant waiting list. During the first summer of camp, Jan was waiting in the hospital (OHSU) for 3 1/2 months, for a life saving heart transplant. Jesse and Jody ran a small version of CGST with 10 amazing campers, and a wonderful staff.
     When the entire camp was at the Hood River County Fair, the pager notified Jesse and Jody that a heart was available. They left the campers in the capable hands of the rest of the staff, and rushed to Jan's side in Portland, just in time to give her some words of encouragement before she went into surgery. Jesse was helping his mom with some breathing exercises meant to relax her--she was never quite sure if those exercises were for Jesse, Jody, or the patient!
     When Jan woke up in the recovery room with a strong, healthy heart, she was making plans for CGST. She was fortunate enough to get out of the hospital in time to see our first show--Godspell. Because of the generosity of an anonymous donor family, Jan is alive and well, and able to fully enjoy our wonderful, amazing, summer theatre camp with her family. Every moment she remembers the heart donor and his unbelievable, generous, inspiring family.
     Jan has an office in her home at camp, and does administrative work year round. She can be contacted directly at BlueMoon91@aol.com, or 800-405-3450. The camp has been a tremendous inspiration to her, and she loves talking to people from around the world about a great experience for kids--CGST. The camp has changed the lives of everybody that has come in contact with it, and she is happy to tell people about how it has changed her life. Jan has finally found with she wants to be when she grows up--the Executive Director of the Columbia Gorge School of Theatre.

Penny Ayn Maas (Dance Director) has appeared on Broadway in Cabaret (Fraulein Kost, Texas), Crazy for You (Betsy & Patsy u/s) and Damn Yankees (Betty & Hi-Tone). In regional theatre, she has appeared in such shows as A Wonderful Life, The Pajama Game, Cabaret, Swingtime Canteen, Psycho Beach Party, Joseph ... Technicolor Dreamcoat, Bedroom Farce and The Butler Did It at such theatres as Seattle's Fifth Avenue, Asolo, Charlotte Repertory, Flatrock, Fullerton CLO, Westchester Broadway, Goodspeed, Cleveland Playhouse, Maine State Theatre, Chelsea Playhouse and many others. TV and Film credits include The Stepford Wifes, Another World, Janovich Paints, The Kennedy Center Honors, The Late Show with David Letterman and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. As a director and/or choreographer, she has worked on such shows as The Baby Janes, Swingtime Canteen, The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, Cabaret, La Gioconada, and 06880 - The Musical at such theatres as The Belt Theatre (NYC), Theatre Barn, Mt. Gretena Theatre, Don't Tell Mama (NYC), Downtown Cabaret of Bridgeport, The National Yiddish Theatre (NYC), The Weston Playhouse, Clurman Theatre (NYC), Center Stage Theatre (CT), Charlotte Rep, Flatrock Playhouse, Seaside Music Theatre, Allenbury Playhouse, and many more. For film and tv she has choreographed Bury the Evidence and Broadway Encore. She also has served as the Artistic Director of the New York Theatrical Community Choir and as the Managing Associate & Producing Assistant of the National Yiddish Theatre. She has stage managed at the National Yiddish Theatre, 92nd Street Y, Lincoln Center, and others off-Broadway and Los Angeles plays. She has a B.F.A. in Music Theatre Performance from Illinois Wesleyan University. She is a member of AEA, SAG and AFTRA. Pennyayn@netscape.com

Chrissy Mazzella (Nanny / Director / Stage Manager) Chrissy is attending CGST for her 6th summer and is extremely excited to be the nanny of Alana and Josephine. She hails from Pensacola, FL and is looking forward to meeting new people and to reunite with those that she has met before! This summer is going to be absolutely amazing!!!! Pisceangel1620@cs.com

JESSE MERZ (Artistic Director, Meisner Acting Instructor) Jesse Merz grew up on an apple and pear orchard in Parkdale, Oregon and lived in New York City for 8 years. As an actor, he has performed off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, in regional theatre, summer stock, feature films, on the radio and in 120 cities in 34 states on national tours. He has directed more than 45 productions in New York City and regionally, including directing Tony-Winner Daisy Eagan in the new musical Suburban Dreams. He has produced more than 200 theatrical and film productions.
     He served as the Producing Artistic Director of Longview Stageworks, an Equity regional theatre, from 2000 - 2003. He has been the Artistic Director of the Columbia Gorge School of Theatre (www.CGST.com) and the Columbia Gorge Repertory Theatre since 1996.
     He has taught theatre, particularly Meisner acting, since 1994 to teenagers, college students and professionals at such places as Portland State University, Lower Columbia College, Walla Walla College, Columbia Gorge Community College, Oregon & Washington State Thespian Conferences, David Douglas High School, and the International School of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean. He is currently teaching Introduction to Acting at UC Davis where he is also the Assistant Artistic Director of the THIRDeYE Theatre Festival and is pursing his MFA in Acting.
     He has worked with such companies as Portland Repertory Theatre, Lakewood Theatre Company, Broadway Rose Theatre, Young People's Theatre Project, Portland Center Stage, Bergen County Playhouse, CoHo Theater, Wycliffe, Disney, Miramax, MTV, Starizon, New Line Cinema, USA Cable Network, and Arrow Releasing.
     In New York City, he worked with several companies including: Atlantic Theater Company, Intar Theatre, Promenade Theatre, Musical Theatre Works, Theatre 22, NADA, Producers' Club, Theatre-Studio, Theatreworks/USA, The Company Theatre, Raw Space, Annex Theater, Playwrights Horizon, The Present Company, Arrow Network, and the Sanford Meisner Theatre.
     He has worked or studied with such folks as William H. Macy, David Mamet, Felicity Huffman, River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, Constantine Maroulis, Kristin Linklater, Dennis Bigelow, Josh Harnett and many more.
     He is a member of Actors' Equity Association (AEA), American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Dramatists Guild, Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC) and the Voice and Speech Teachers Association (VASTA). His BFA in Acting is from New York University/Tisch School of the Arts and his MA in Teaching (drama endorsement) is from George Fox University.
     Jesse is happily married to Laurel and is most proud of his role of daddy to Alana and Josephine.     www.JesseMerz.com

LAUREL MERZ (Camp Director, Head of First Aid, Lifeguard) grew up in Hood River, Oregon and lives Woodland, California with her husband, Jesse and daughters, Alana and Josephine. Professional acting credits include Sylvia in Sylvia, Ensemble in The Laramie Project, Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, Julie in Jake's Women and Robert Anne in Nunsense (Jake's Women and Nunsense were also performed in Vancouver at the Columbia Arts Center) with Longview Stageworks. She also played Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret and Sheila in Hair in community productions at Clark College directed by Ron Daum and Tony Bump, respectively. Additionally, Laurel has also worked as a director, stage manager, designer and in commercials on TV and on the radio. She toured the world in the musical Roads produced by Up with People, where she performed in 16 US states, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Chicago, as well as Canada, Sweden, Denmark, and Japan. Other favorite credits include Vicky/Brook in Noises Off, Fruma Sarah in Fiddler on the Roof, and Mrs. Webb in Our Town. She received her Associates of Arts with a Biology emphasis from Lower Columbia College. She has most recently been helping to train Med students at UC Davis medical center by acting as a simulated patient. The work has been rewarding and challenging. LaurelLMerz@aol.com

Emily Newman (Camp Counselor / Instructor / Director) attended the Washington Academy of Performing Arts and graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor's in Comparative Literature. She performs folk and classical harp, and has written plays performed at CGST, Idaho Repertory Theatre and Young Playwrights Inc. in New York City. praha_lime@yahoo.com

Kelsey Wagner (Camp Counselor, Production Team Member, Instructor) is very excited to attend CGST for the first time. Originally from San Jose, CA, Kelsey graduated from UC Davis with a BA in Dramatic Art, emphasis in Stage Management. Kelsey has worked on such diverse shows as Urinetown, Woyzeck, and Death of a Salesman, but her true love is improvisational comedy, and she is a founding member of UCD's new improv/sketch comedy troupe, Birdstrike Theatre. kwagner1.5@sbcglobal.net

Staff | Current | Jesse Merz, Artistic Director | Theatre Jobs | 2005 Staff Bios

"I felt a real sense of belonging." - Sarah, age 13, Japan