Lashauna's passion for art began at age 9 when she became fashion editor of her class newspaper. She attended Fashion Industries H.S. in NYC and earned a BFA from Syracuse University in 2006. She has designed for Totem Pole Playhouse, Parsons Dance, Hasbro Toys, International Playthings, Toys R Us Times Square and The Children's Acting Academy. She works and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son. Check out Lashauna's apparel company for children, Freshkidnation
Gianna is a New York state certified Theatre Teacher who has recently received an M.S.ED in Educational Theatre from City College. She is passionate about the medium of immersive and interactive theatre for children, and is thrilled to be joining Mainstages as a performer.
Suzy graduated from Hofstra University with a bachelor's degree in English Literature, and is currently working on her graduate degree in Dance Education at Hunter College. She grew up on Long Island, and has studied and taught many different styles of dance, including ballet, hip-hop, contemporary, and ballroom. Suzy loves the performing arts and her mission is to share this joy with kids!
Taylor is a writer, actor, and children's theater director with a BFA in Acting from West Virginia University. She has taught classes and directed shows at her mother's children's theater company in Leesburg, VA, as well as directed theater at a summer camp in upstate NY. During the year she also plays guitar and sings for the babies of Manhattan. She is thrilled to get an opportunity to work with young artists and team of mainstages!
Emily is from Ann Arbor, MI and began performing at the age of 11 at performing arts camps in Southeastern Michigan. She fell in love with theater and pursued it ardently, recently graduating with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Oakland University. It has been a dream of Emily's to develop young artists in a fun and educational setting. She believes exploration of creativity and imagination is key to every child's success.
Filip is an NYC-based award-winning comedian, actor, and comedy writer. He spent his formative years in Toronto, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre from Ryerson University. Filip relishes teaching children about character and comedy through his performances.
Clara Kundin received her B.A. in theater from St. Olaf College and continued her studies at the École Jacques Lecoq in Paris. Clara is the executive director of Rebel Playhouse, an educational children's theater, and the associate education director for The Ume Group. As an actor, she has performed for Creative Time, Torn Out Theater, the Guthrie Theater, and many more. Clara is thrilled to be continuing work with Mainstages. www.clarakundin.com
Olivia has over 15 years experience in foreign language administration and teaching. She grew up in France, studying linguistics at the Sorbonne. She oversees the dual language Detective Lingo performance series, where she uses her expertise to develop age-appropriate vocabulary and innovative program ideas. You can reach Olivia at olivia@mainstages.com
Eden is a New York-based actor, producer, and teaching artist. She received her B.F.A. in Drama from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and her Masters in Acting from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She adores working with mainstages and is proud to call it her first job out of school. You can see more of Eden's work here: www.EdenPerry.net
Sarah has spent the last few years as a teaching artist and performer in Philadelphia in NYC. She has taught Pre- K, Musical Theatre, and is involved heavily in Jewish education including work with mainstages as the Theater Director for Camp Twelve Trails, a director, and a performer. Sarah graduated with a BFA in Theatre Arts from The University of the Arts.
Jas grew up in Vermont and moved to New York City to pursue his love of acting. He is a graduate of CAP21 Conservatory and recently completed touring with Missoula Children's Theater for 15 months, including overseas. Special skills include bad jokes, and knowing WAY too much about Star Wars.
Tommy studied Theatre and English at The University of Alabama. He made his Off-Broadway debut last year in NYC and has worked all over the country as an actor and teacher. He toured children's theatre with The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse all over New York for two seasons and has directed the theatre program at Camp Barney Medintz in Georgia since 2011. He is so excited to be joining the Mainstages team!
Darya is a renowned artist whose works consists of drawings, paintings, and three-dimensional installations all connected to each other in sequences of transformations. Her work has been on display in installations and galleries across the country including The School of Visual Arts, SCOPE Miami Beach, and many more. Darya enjoys working on mainstages set design, creating hand painted works of art that evoke the spirit of expression and art in children's theater. You can see more of Darya's work here.