Sam Leichter (Education Director/Teaching Artist):
Sam Leichter has worked in theatre education for over seven years. Sam served as the Education Manager at Marin Shakespeare Company in San Rafael California, overseeing in-school and after-school programs, adult/senior classes and workshops, as well as an extensive summer camp. For the last three years, Sam has been a Teaching Artist with George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Sam's teaching work with George Street has been phenomenally varied. He has led in-school, curriculum-based residencies on a wide range of subjects, such as the life of Ponce to Leon (3rd Grade), the experience of children in the Holocaust (7th grade), the Civil Rights Movement (6th Grade) and Greek mythology (5th-8th Grades). In addition, Sam has worked recently with Wingspan Arts, and was a co-teacher at the New Collectives Shakespeare Camp this past summer. Sam holds a BA from Bates College, and received his MFA in Acting from Rutgers, where he has taught Basic Acting to undergrads. Sam is a working actor, a member of of Actor's Equity Association, and performs regularly in classics and new works.
Sam Leichter has worked in theatre education for over seven years. Sam served as the Education Manager at Marin Shakespeare Company in San Rafael California, overseeing in-school and after-school programs, adult/senior classes and workshops, as well as an extensive summer camp. For the last three years, Sam has been a Teaching Artist with George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Sam's teaching work with George Street has been phenomenally varied. He has led in-school, curriculum-based residencies on a wide range of subjects, such as the life of Ponce to Leon (3rd Grade), the experience of children in the Holocaust (7th grade), the Civil Rights Movement (6th Grade) and Greek mythology (5th-8th Grades). In addition, Sam has worked recently with Wingspan Arts, and was a co-teacher at the New Collectives Shakespeare Camp this past summer. Sam holds a BA from Bates College, and received his MFA in Acting from Rutgers, where he has taught Basic Acting to undergrads. Sam is a working actor, a member of of Actor's Equity Association, and performs regularly in classics and new works.
Erin Maxon (Regional Education Director):
Erin Maxon is a passionate educator with more than 10 years experience teaching students age 4 to 20, and facilitating art workshops with people aged 4 to 95. She uses theatre and ethical facilitation to create the safest place possible for people to try on different aspects of themselves. Alongside her years teaching and facilitating, Erin received training in the student-centered Responsive Classroom educational philosophy, NoBully response techniques, and the Harkness Method of discussion-based learning. She has her Masters in Applied Theatre: Drama in Educational, Community and Social Contexts from the University of London at Goldsmiths, and a BA from UC Berkeley in Anthropology and Theatre and Performance Studies. Erin most recently spent five years as the Drama and Art Teacher for K-8 students at an independent school in Mill Valley, California -- designing the school's arts curriculum, and directing all-school, student-centered productions of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Jungle Book," "Little Shop of Horrors," and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." She spent ten years at Word for Word/ Youth Arts, the literacy-through-theatre education program at San Francisco's Z Space, working her way from education intern to teaching artist to education associate to professional development facilitator. Erin spent time working with numerous educational organizations including but not limited to National Trust UK; Cabrillo Community College; Berkeley Playhouse; Tenryu and Urugi Board of Education in Nagano, Japan; Action for Refugees; Lawrence Hall of Science; Fremont High School; and more. Erin is currently engaging in the biggest educational experience of her life, expanding her family with a new little one. For a full resume and examples of her work, please visit erintatemaxon.com.
Erin Maxon is a passionate educator with more than 10 years experience teaching students age 4 to 20, and facilitating art workshops with people aged 4 to 95. She uses theatre and ethical facilitation to create the safest place possible for people to try on different aspects of themselves. Alongside her years teaching and facilitating, Erin received training in the student-centered Responsive Classroom educational philosophy, NoBully response techniques, and the Harkness Method of discussion-based learning. She has her Masters in Applied Theatre: Drama in Educational, Community and Social Contexts from the University of London at Goldsmiths, and a BA from UC Berkeley in Anthropology and Theatre and Performance Studies. Erin most recently spent five years as the Drama and Art Teacher for K-8 students at an independent school in Mill Valley, California -- designing the school's arts curriculum, and directing all-school, student-centered productions of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Jungle Book," "Little Shop of Horrors," and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." She spent ten years at Word for Word/ Youth Arts, the literacy-through-theatre education program at San Francisco's Z Space, working her way from education intern to teaching artist to education associate to professional development facilitator. Erin spent time working with numerous educational organizations including but not limited to National Trust UK; Cabrillo Community College; Berkeley Playhouse; Tenryu and Urugi Board of Education in Nagano, Japan; Action for Refugees; Lawrence Hall of Science; Fremont High School; and more. Erin is currently engaging in the biggest educational experience of her life, expanding her family with a new little one. For a full resume and examples of her work, please visit erintatemaxon.com.
Giverny Petitmermet (Lead Teaching Artist):
Giverny Petitmermet is the Artistic Director of The New Collectives, a New York-based theatre and film collective. For the past three years, she has served as the Lead Facilitator and Curriculum Coordinator of The Young Collectives, the education division of The New Collectives. She spearheads The Young Collectives’ yearly “Shakespeare Camp!” for 7 to 10 year olds. Giverny's love of Shakespeare was sparked at the ripe old age of twelve, after she attended a Shakespeare summer camp at Idyllwild Arts in California. She returned to Idyllwild Arts, to co-teach the same Shakespeare class that had started it all. She has also taught at Brooklyn International School, and Court Tree Collective. She graduated from Boston University with a BFA in Acting and a minor in Art History. She has trained at LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) and at BADA (British American Dramatics Academy) at Oxford University, studying with the great Shakespeare director John Barton. Giverny also works as an actress in New York City and as a babysitter and tutor for children ages 1 to 14.
Giverny Petitmermet is the Artistic Director of The New Collectives, a New York-based theatre and film collective. For the past three years, she has served as the Lead Facilitator and Curriculum Coordinator of The Young Collectives, the education division of The New Collectives. She spearheads The Young Collectives’ yearly “Shakespeare Camp!” for 7 to 10 year olds. Giverny's love of Shakespeare was sparked at the ripe old age of twelve, after she attended a Shakespeare summer camp at Idyllwild Arts in California. She returned to Idyllwild Arts, to co-teach the same Shakespeare class that had started it all. She has also taught at Brooklyn International School, and Court Tree Collective. She graduated from Boston University with a BFA in Acting and a minor in Art History. She has trained at LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) and at BADA (British American Dramatics Academy) at Oxford University, studying with the great Shakespeare director John Barton. Giverny also works as an actress in New York City and as a babysitter and tutor for children ages 1 to 14.
Sarah Moore (Teaching Artist):
Sarah Moore graduated from the Hartt School in Hartford, CT summa cum laude with a BFA in acting and a minor English. While attending the Hartt School, she studied abroad in England, concentrating on a Shakespeare intensive curriculum. Since graduating, Sarah has been a New York City based actress performing all around the city, Central Park and a national tour. She has also been involved in many projects involving children in the arts. For four years in South Florida, she co-directed and co-choreographed multiple musicals for middle school aged students as part of an after school mentorship program.
Sarah Moore graduated from the Hartt School in Hartford, CT summa cum laude with a BFA in acting and a minor English. While attending the Hartt School, she studied abroad in England, concentrating on a Shakespeare intensive curriculum. Since graduating, Sarah has been a New York City based actress performing all around the city, Central Park and a national tour. She has also been involved in many projects involving children in the arts. For four years in South Florida, she co-directed and co-choreographed multiple musicals for middle school aged students as part of an after school mentorship program.
Justin Ivan Brown (Teaching Artist):
Justin Ivan Brown has been a teaching artist for over a decade working to cultivate a passion for the art of theatre with both children and adults. He started in 2008 working within the school systems and juvenile detention centers of Indiana teaching Sex Education and Abuse Prevention through theatrical scenarios. In 2009 he moved to Saint Louis, Missouri working as teaching artist for children with such institutions as Stray Dog Theatre, PiWacket Theatre Company, Saint Louis Public Library, and started his own after-school theatre program entitled Acting Up. He has worked with both incarcerated youths and reformed citizens through Prison Performing Arts, adults with disabilities promoting disability awareness with The Disability Project, and children with disabilities through Variety Children’s Charity. After moving to New York City in 2013, Justin worked with the NYC Department of Transportation and Flying Ship Productions on a show, Apple Corps., promoting street safety to children in the NYC school system. He freelances as a teaching artist for Piper Theatre Company in Brooklyn, and now with his home theatre company The New Collectives. He has a passion to keep theatre alive through cultivating imaginations and growing the skills of all actors in the NYC area no matter where they are in their process as artists and lovers of theatre.
Justin Ivan Brown has been a teaching artist for over a decade working to cultivate a passion for the art of theatre with both children and adults. He started in 2008 working within the school systems and juvenile detention centers of Indiana teaching Sex Education and Abuse Prevention through theatrical scenarios. In 2009 he moved to Saint Louis, Missouri working as teaching artist for children with such institutions as Stray Dog Theatre, PiWacket Theatre Company, Saint Louis Public Library, and started his own after-school theatre program entitled Acting Up. He has worked with both incarcerated youths and reformed citizens through Prison Performing Arts, adults with disabilities promoting disability awareness with The Disability Project, and children with disabilities through Variety Children’s Charity. After moving to New York City in 2013, Justin worked with the NYC Department of Transportation and Flying Ship Productions on a show, Apple Corps., promoting street safety to children in the NYC school system. He freelances as a teaching artist for Piper Theatre Company in Brooklyn, and now with his home theatre company The New Collectives. He has a passion to keep theatre alive through cultivating imaginations and growing the skills of all actors in the NYC area no matter where they are in their process as artists and lovers of theatre.
Maeve Brady (Teaching Artist):
Maeve Brady graduated from Princeton in 2015 with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Theater. While at Princeton she worked with youth from the Trenton/Princeton area to create a devised piece of theater area while taking a class with McCarter Theater's head of education Erica Nagel. During the summers, while a company member at Princeton Summer Theater, she helped create and teach a series of children's workshops. Since graduating Maeve has helped redesign the children's theater classes at her hometown Community theater as well as continued to work with children since moving to New York.
Maeve Brady graduated from Princeton in 2015 with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Theater. While at Princeton she worked with youth from the Trenton/Princeton area to create a devised piece of theater area while taking a class with McCarter Theater's head of education Erica Nagel. During the summers, while a company member at Princeton Summer Theater, she helped create and teach a series of children's workshops. Since graduating Maeve has helped redesign the children's theater classes at her hometown Community theater as well as continued to work with children since moving to New York.
Dan Morrison (Teaching Artist):
Dan Morrison received his BA in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University. There he collaborated with the education, dance and music programs to create Theatre of the World Festival - an event that celebrates children's theatre from all across the world. He was also involved in numerous children's touring productions through SDSU such as, Cat Feet of the Fog, Fire and Ice, Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Dan also trained at BADA (The British American Drama Academy) at Oxford University and at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Dan went on to receive his MFA at The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. While at ACT, he taught theatre at ACT's Young Conservatory Program. Since graduation, he has been a professional actor in New York City.
Dan Morrison received his BA in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University. There he collaborated with the education, dance and music programs to create Theatre of the World Festival - an event that celebrates children's theatre from all across the world. He was also involved in numerous children's touring productions through SDSU such as, Cat Feet of the Fog, Fire and Ice, Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Dan also trained at BADA (The British American Drama Academy) at Oxford University and at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Dan went on to receive his MFA at The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. While at ACT, he taught theatre at ACT's Young Conservatory Program. Since graduation, he has been a professional actor in New York City.
