Teacher Profiles

Wade Handy (Dean)

Florida State University

Acting, Theatre History & Unified Arts

Edward Blanchette

Florida State University - MFA

Stagecraft

Mr. Blanchette is pleased to be teaching for his 8th year at Dreyfoos. He comes from a long career in the professional theatre—most recently as Technical Director of The Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival where he built the scenery for such Broadway productions as Elaine Stritch At Liberty (Tony Award – 2001), Topdog/Underdog (Tony Award & Pulitzer Prize – 2001) and Mike Nichols’ production of The Seagull starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Prior to his tenure at The Public, Mr. Blanchette was the Technical Director at Florida Stage in Manalapan where he was responsible for building many of its Carbonell-Award-Winning sets. He has the distinct honor of building sets for award-winning Broadway, Film, and Television designers such as Tony Walton, Eugene Lee, David Gallo and Bob Crowley (to namedrop just a few!). He enjoys presenting stagecraft workshops at local and national theatre conferences and working as an adjunct theatre professor at Palm Beach Community College’s Eissey campus. Mr. Blanchette received his training at Florida State University’s School of Theatre where he received his BFA and MFA in playwriting. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, playing guitar, and spending time with his family.

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Sipiwe Moyo

New York University

Maria Konrad

University of the Arts

A native of Jupiter, Florida, Maria graduated from the Dreyfoos School of the Arts and received her BFA in Performing Arts from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. She has performed in various pieces throughout the Philadelphia area including the Barrymore Awards, The Philadelphia Fringe Festival, The Merriam Theater and Project Dance, Philadelphia. Throughout the Philadelphia area her choreography has been seen in West Side Story, Hello Dolly, Annie Get Your Gun, Project Dance, The Philadelphia Fringe Festival and The Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. Ms. Konrad created the early dance education curriculum for Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia, which has been featured in Dance Magazine. She is currently on staff at Florida School for Dance Education, Dreyfoos School of the Arts, and an adjunct professor at The Harid Conservatory. REACH Dance Company is her newest endeavor. This is South Florida’s only professional modern jazz dance company. Her passion for marrying dance, theatre and movement can be seen in her explosive and expressive choreography.

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Garry Q. Lewis

Music Theatre II, Dance

Mr. Lewis is a performer, choreographer, and teacher. He has been teaching in the Theatre Department for the past 14 years. Mr. Lewis has performed on Broadway in the revival of The Wiz (as the scarecrow) starring Stephanie  Mills; Sophisticated Ladies, starring Gregory Hines; Oh-Kay; Anything Goes, starring Leslie Uggams; and Your Arms Too Short to Box With God starring Jennifer Holiday. He has also done several national tours: The Wiz, as the scarecrow; Sing, Mahalia, Sing, starring Jennifer Holiday; Sophisticated Ladies; and Bubbling Brown Sugar. Mr. Lewis was nominated for a Cable Ace Award for his starring role in the children's show Puss n' Boots on Universal-RCA films, along with commercials for Coca-Cola and Canada Dry Ginger Ale. He has choreographed shows at The Hey City Theatre and The Illusion Theater Company (both in Minneapolis) and The Arizona Theater Company where he was nominated for Best Choreographer for the production Two Gentlemen of Verona. Mr. Lewis also gives workshops and master classes around the country.

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Bruce Linser

Mr. Linser has acted and sung his way around the country and around the world for over two decades. Theatrically, he's performed in the national tour of Big River and Off-Broadway in New York City, as well as regionally in Florida (Caldwell Theatre, FAU Summer Rep, Florida Stage, GableStage, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, New Theatre, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Take Heed Theater), California (Laguna Playhouse, Saddleback Civic Light Opera), Minnesota (Ordway Music Theatre, Hey City Stage), Wisconsin (Melody Top, Skylight Opera Theatre), and onboard cruise ships for SilverSea and Crystal Cruises. He’s appeared on TV in "All My Children" and "The View," and in the movies "Drop Dead Gorgeous" and "Bumping Off Burt."  He also voiced a character for the animated holiday special, "The Littlest Light On The Christmas Tree." In addition to acting and singing, Bruce is an accomplished pianist and musical director and is currently the organist and choir director for First Congregational Church of Lake Worth. He is completing his MFA in Theatre (Directing) at Florida Atlantic University. As part of his degree, Bruce conceived, created, directed, co-musical directed, co-choreographed, and performed in the original musical revue And The Tony Goes To…Celebrating 60 Years of Broadway’s "Best Musicals" for FAU’s Festival Rep this past summer.

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Penelope Koleos Williams

Costuming

Ms. Williams is proud to be at Dreyfoos for her 15th year as Costume Artist-in-Residence. She splits her time between us and Palm Beach Atlantic University where she is also head of Costume for a 5th year. She was resident designer at the Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton for nine years and received nine Carbonell Nominations for Best Costume Design. She has also freelanced all over South Florida for many theatres as well as commercials and designing photo shoots with the Palm Beach Post. She thanks her mother for everything, her husband for putting up with her schedule and holds on tight to her two small boys because they are growing entirely too fast!

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Scope & Sequence

• Theatre History and Literature I
• Drama II
• Drama III (Costume)
• Drama IV (Costume)
• Acting II
• Acting III
• Acting IV
• Stagecraft I – Shop
• Stagecraft II – Shop
• Stagecraft III – Shop
• Stagecraft IV – Shop
• Theatrical Direction I
• Theatrical Direction II
• Musical Theatre I
• Musical Theatre II
• American Musical Theatre
• Unified Arts I