Musical Theater Camp Faculty
Zeke Blackwell (Director) has been involved in over 80 productions as a director, actor, writer, designer, and technician, and has made theater in Sitka, Fort Worth, New Haven, New York, and Costa Rica, where he directed world- premiere Spanish-language production of Once on this Island! With over a decade of improv comedy experience, he’s performed/taught improv in LA, San Francisco, NYC, Chicago, Austin, Boston, and Washington, D.C, and most recently at the Boston Comedy Arts Festival. His original play, Still Life, was produced in the 2013 New York International Fringe Festival. He graduated from Yale in 2013 with a B.A. in Cognitive Science. He served two years on the board of directors for Far Corners Community Musical Theatre, a non-profit dedicated to providing arts opportunities for underserved youth in isolated regions of the world. Once he beatboxed for Lin- Manuel Miranda. Zeke is returning for his sixth season at SFAC as the YPT Director.
Erin Coffey (Choreographer) is thrilled to return to SFAC for her second year. She has choreographed both educational and professional productions at organizations across the country and beyond, and she was nominated for the Choreographer of the Year SALT Award both seasons she was Resident Choreographer at Redhouse Arts Center in Syracuse, NY. Favorite choreography credits include: Pippin, Hairspray, Kiss Me Kate, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, A Man of No Importance*, Seussical, 13, Big Fish, Dreamgirls*, and Gypsy: A Musical Fable. Favorite performance credits: Crimes of the Heart* (Meg), Cabaret (Rosie), and Carousel (featured soloist). (*Syracuse Area Live Theatre Award Nomination) Also an advocate for arts education, social justice, and accessibility, Erin spent two years on the Board of Directors for Far Corners Community Musical Theatre and translated several titles for bilingual and Spanish-language premiere productions in Monteverde, Costa Rica, as well as leading justice and accessibility initiatives at multiple regional theaters in the US. In addition to working as a freelance choreographer, Erin is the Manager of Audience Engagement for the Broadway League in NYC and is a key member of the producing team for The Jimmy Awards/National High School Musical Theatre Awards.
Rhiannon Guevin (Vocal Coach) is the Operations Director for the nationally recognized Sitka Fine Arts Camp (SFAC) where she has worked full-time since 2013. In addition to her administrative duties with the camp, which include financial management, program logistics, and grant writing, Rhiannon teaches voice at SFAC's High School Camp and provides vocal coaching for SFAC's Musical Theater Camp. Rhiannon helped to start SFAC's Young Performers Theater program in 2013 and still serves as the program's Music Director during the year. She also teaches private voice lessons to a small studio. Rhiannon has served as an adjudicator for the classical voice sections at Alaska's State Solo and Ensemble Music Festival.
Rhiannon graduated summa cum laude from University of Puget Sound’s School of Music, where she received a BM in Vocal Performance with Honors in Music. During her time at Puget Sound she performed in opera scenes and full-scale productions, including the roles of Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Miss Titmouse in Too Many Sopranos!, and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance. She was the fall 2011 winner of the University of Puget Sound’s Concerto/Aria Competition. Other roles include the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with the China Yunnan Opera Festival, Zerlina in Juneau Lyric Opera’s production of Don Giovanni, Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Cathy Hyatt in The Last Five Years, Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, Woman 1 in Songs for a New World, and Judy Bernly in 9 to 5. Rhiannon has studies voice with Dr. Dawn Padula.
Rhiannon graduated summa cum laude from University of Puget Sound’s School of Music, where she received a BM in Vocal Performance with Honors in Music. During her time at Puget Sound she performed in opera scenes and full-scale productions, including the roles of Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Miss Titmouse in Too Many Sopranos!, and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance. She was the fall 2011 winner of the University of Puget Sound’s Concerto/Aria Competition. Other roles include the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with the China Yunnan Opera Festival, Zerlina in Juneau Lyric Opera’s production of Don Giovanni, Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Cathy Hyatt in The Last Five Years, Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, Woman 1 in Songs for a New World, and Judy Bernly in 9 to 5. Rhiannon has studies voice with Dr. Dawn Padula.
Rebecca Poulson (Set Designer) is a writer and artist who grew up reading and drawing in Sitka, Alaska. She commercial fished and repaired wooden boats before earning an MFA from Tyler School of Art in 2000. She is a printmaker and painter, and publishes "The Outer Coast," a wall calendar of art and poetry. She has illustrated novels for young readers and memoirs for adults, and designed the 2023 Alaska Folk Festival poster art. Her work is in the Alaska State Museum and other collections. She has been practicing her art in a deep dive into the history of the Sheldon Jackson School and College in the context of Lingit Aaní, through oral history interviews, archival research, an upcoming article in "Alaska History" journal, writing at sitkaartblog.wordpress.com, installation, and the collaborative history project "Voices of Sheldon Jackson" (sjvoices.org). She is the recipient of a Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award, and of the Alaska State Records Advisory Board Archival Excellence Award for a place-based history curriculum. She is a member of the Alaska Historical Commission and the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society board, and manages historic preservation grants on campus and at the Japonski Island Boathouse. She also has fun designing and building sets, often in collaboration with youth, for theatrical productions and writes and directs radio plays. It is her work with kids in the arts that more than anything has deepened her understanding of what art is and what it can do.
Denush Vidanapathirana (Technical Director) is the Technical Theater Manager for the Sitka Fine Arts Camp. Originally from Sri Lanka, working with local theater companies is what first interested him in theater. He then moved to Texas to study at Midwestern State University, where he earned his bachelor's in theater performance. During his time at MSU, he was involved in all aspects of theater production, from acting to design to technical operation, and that variety gave him a deep appreciation for the values that theater stands for. His identity as an artist continues to be shaped by the places he goes to and the people he meets.
Susan Wingrove-Reed (Pianist) enthusiastically embraces any and all opportunities to collaborate with singers and instrumentalists. She plays piano and harpsichord with the Anchorage Symphony, the Alaska All State Mixed Honor Choir and regularly works with the West High School and Romig Middle School choirs, the Hiland Women’s prison orchestra, countless solo and ensemble festivals/competitions and on occasion with the Alaska Chamber Singers. She has been the resident music educator (pre-concert lectures and program notes) for the Sitka Summer Music Festival and the Anchorage Symphony for over thirty years, sharing stories about composers, music and history. Reed is a passionate advocate for performances by women composers. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance and a Master of Arts in Teaching at Indiana University before returning home to Alaska to work with Anchorage Opera and the Alaska Repertory Theatre. She also taught choir and drama at Bartlett High School. She has played in or directed over thirty operas and musicals throughout Alaska and received an Alaska Governor’s Award for her contributions in arts education. Reed also does community outreach performances with cellist Zuill Bailey, Artistic Director of the Sitka Summer Music Festival. She performed in several works at the 2017 SSMF, including two works by iconic American composer Amy Beach and a collaboration with Zuill on his 2017 Grammy- award-winning “Tales of Hemingway” (by Michael Daugherty). She was the recipient of the 2016 Alaska Music Advocate of the Year award from the Alaska Music Educators Association.
Claire Shea Duncan (Costume Designer) (she/her) is an interdisciplinary designer and creative from Granville, Ohio. She aims to collaborate with a guiding framework of cultural humility and empathy. Claire has a strong interest in the intersection of art, linguistics, and education and she believes the convergence of these concepts is storytelling. She received her BFA in Costume Design at Carnegie Mellon University with an additional major in French and Francophone Studies. This is Claire’s first summer in Sitka and she is thrilled to join such wonderful artists in such a beautiful landscape.
Alicia Jeffrey (Stage Manager) (she/her) is based in Northern California, and is a music and vocal director, pit musician, and theatre producer. She is also the Executive Artistic Director of Broadway by the Bay in Redwood City, California. Her work as a music director and director has been recognized by Theatre Bay Area as a finalist for both Outstanding Direction and Music Direction for Million Dollar Quartet (Theatre Bay Area finalist for Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Music Direction) and Godspell (Theatre Bay Area Award nominee for musical direction). She has cast, produced and artistically guided over 50 full-scale musicals over the last decade. She also proudly serves as the President of the Board of Directors and Festival Director for the Lenaea High School Theatre Festival based in Sacramento California, inspiring the next generation of theatre artists over the past 68 years. She has worked on the creative staff of numerous community and regional theatre companies, and is also a former board member and producer for Contra Costa Musical Theatre, and a founding member of “OMG, I Love That Show!” Productions.
Katy Green (Music Director) is working to complete a Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting degree at Michigan State University. As a conductor and teacher, her work spans a variety of ages and ability levels. She is currently the conductor of Campus Choir, an undergraduate mixed ensemble of 70 members at Michigan State University. As a guest conductor, Katy travels widely to conduct regional and state honor choirs, clinic middle and high school ensembles, and adjudicate choral festivals.
Katy began her choral teaching career at West High School and Romig Middle School in Anchorage, Alaska. After graduating with a Master of Music Education degree with choral conducting emphasis from Murray State University, Katy returned to Anchorage to teach the choirs at Bartlett High School. She is a recipient of the Anchorage School District Denali Award, the Block Foundation Exceptional Teacher Award, a Grammy Music Educator of the Year nominee, Alaska State Teacher of the Year nominee, and a two-time recipient of the Edward D. Anderson Choral Fellowship at Michigan State University.
Katy began her choral teaching career at West High School and Romig Middle School in Anchorage, Alaska. After graduating with a Master of Music Education degree with choral conducting emphasis from Murray State University, Katy returned to Anchorage to teach the choirs at Bartlett High School. She is a recipient of the Anchorage School District Denali Award, the Block Foundation Exceptional Teacher Award, a Grammy Music Educator of the Year nominee, Alaska State Teacher of the Year nominee, and a two-time recipient of the Edward D. Anderson Choral Fellowship at Michigan State University.
J.D. Hopper is a lighting designer based out of New York City and a recent graduate of the School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University. Previous design credits include Godspell at Carnegie Mellon (Pittsburgh, PA), Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 at Playhouse on the Square (Memphis, TN), Double Trouble at Bristol Valley Theater (Naples, NY), and Matilda at Forestburgh Playhouse (Forestburgh, NY). Instagram: @jdh2205 | Web: jdhopper.com