Teaching Artists

Patricia Krauss MA, M. Div.

Patty is a dance artist, choreographer, actor, clown, director, educator, and now hospice chaplain. Prior to co-founding Artstream,  she created Seize the Day! Mixed-Abilities Performance, where she was the Artistic Director, chief cook and bottle washer for 10 years. Having become intrigued with an international movement of dance artists with and without physical disabilities who took the form beyond “wheelchair dancing,” pushing the boundaries of dance, and common perceptions of beauty, grace and power, part of a new genre that flourishes today.  Seize the Day! was the premiere mixed- abilities performance company in the DC Metro area for nearly a decade, performing and teaching throughout the region. She then turned her attention to training in physical theater in the Le Coq tradition, with Dody DiSanto in Washington DC, Chris Bays in NYC, Giovanni Fusetti and Matteo Destra in Italy. She performed a clown solo in the 2009 Capitol Fringe Festival, and performed in Italy at a number of venues.

Patty was part of Artstream from 2005-2010, teaching in the community, serving on the Advisory Board, and as a choreographer working on the Gaithersburg Inclusive Company artistic team. She has returned as a Teaching Artist, and is currently involved in projects to develop Artstream programs in Howard County, Baltimore County and Baltimore City, where she now resides. She dances in her living room regularly these days.

Nicolette is a theatre educator, social skills trainer, playwright, and director. With ArtStream, she designs curriculum for Leadership Programs which teach social and pre-employment skills using an arts model. Among these programs, she created the award-winning “Positively Speaking” workshops in partnership with Down Syndrome Network Montgomery County.

Nicolette has written two books: an interactive handbook, ArtStream for Life: A Social Skills and Communication Handbook for Self Advocates, and a children’s book, The Colorful Adventures of Pauline and Tiff. ArtStream for Life was published by ArtStream, Inc. and Tilson & Diaz Solutions, Inc., and produced with a grant from the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council. The lessons in the handbook are presented live by Nicolette and a self-advocate to help the audience understand that communication skills are for everyone. Pauline and Tiff was co-authored by Nicolette and an ArtStream client with Down syndrome and features illustrations by Annie Dykstra. The book was self-published through a private grant.

Nicolette is proud to co-host Montgomery County, MD’s first inclusive talk show “Telling Your Story with Terrel and Nic.” Terrel and Nic’s talk show received two 2019 Montgomery County Media Monty Awards: the Viewer’s Choice Award and the Best Co-Hosts Award.

In 2017, Nicolette was awarded “Outstanding Technical Achievement” by the Ethan Saylor Memorial Film Festival. The award recognizes Nicolette’s commitment to empowering individuals with disabilities, and, especially, her work preparing self-advocates with Down syndrome to speak in the halls of Congress.

Nicolette is a proud member of Leadership Montgomery 2010 Core Class and holds a Master of Education from George Mason University.  She lives in Germantown, Maryland.

Patti is a Co-founder and the Founding Executive Director for ArtStream. She now serves as a Master Teacher and consultant for ArtStream. Patti wears several hats during the day. She currently teaches drama and directs for ETC and Theatre Lab. As a Registered Drama Therapist (RDT), she works privately with clients, and also works as a professional organizer for Basic Organization. She loves directing again and is very thankful for everyone on the team in Arlington Company A!

Sydney is a 17-year-old assistant director from Silver Spring, MD. Sydney became and assistant director after volunteering with Silver Spring Company A for seven years. She is a student at Montgomery Blair High School. Sydney has also performed at the Highwood Theatre. She loves art!

Claire Alrich is a freelance dance artist, costume designer, and educator in Washington, DC. In addition to working with the lovely folks at ArtStream, Claire is a dancer with Darling Dance company, a teacher with Local Motion Project, and the Program and Outreach Manager for the National Fund for the U.S. Botanic Garden. Claire is also a 2017 recipient of an artist fellowship grant through the DC Council of the Arts and Humanities.

Bio coming soon!

Pamela, a veteran educator (Drama, English, Chorus, Special Education), holds a B.A. magna cum laude from Ithaca College and an M.A. in Communication Arts and Theatre from The University of Maryland.  An international Gilbert and Sullivan director, Pamela is founder and stage director of PB Theatricals, which offers performance and technical theatre opportunities for young people in the UK.  She is on the board of Best Medicine Rep, a Gaithersburg-based theatre company dedicated to the production of new comedies.

Tonnia is a 26-year-old graduate from Rose Bruford College,and she lives in Baltimore, Maryland. She received her Associates degree (ATCL) and my LTCL for Musical Theatre from Trinity College in London. Tonnia has done shows such as: The Sound of Music, The King and I, The Music Man, The Phantom of the Opera, Babes in Toyland, Annie, South Pacific, Motown, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Dreamgirls, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and The Wiz. She has also modeled in Baltimore Fashion week, DC Fashion week, Maryland Fashion awards, Mount Vernon Fashion show, Harrisburg Fashion week, New York Fashion week, and Maryland Fashion week. In the summer of 2012, she studied abroad at Cambridge College and it was there that she sang for the Queen of England and attended the 2012 Olympics. At 17-years-old, Tonnia started her own magazine called “Iceware” and has recently launched her own “Iceware” brand. She has recently released her first EP “Love Letters”. She is also a teaching artist at Baltimore Center Stage.

Amy Creamer has been an award winning theatre teacher, producer, director and designer for youth theatre since 2000.  She founded the Autrey Mill Middle School (AMMS) theatre department in 2004 and in 2016 started a freelance theatre production company, Amy Creamer Productions, LLC, which served schools in the North Fulton, Georgia community in all areas of theatre production. A graduate of Ithaca College, Mrs. Creamer holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts as well as a non-degree Music Education certificate from Georgia State University.  She studied music history and theory at the Institute for European Studies in Vienna, Austria and has participated in theatre workshops sponsored by Broadway Teaching Group in New York City, The Shakespeare Festival at Oglethorpe as well as the Alliance Theatre. Amy is a teaching artist with Encore Stage and Studio.

Annie is a native of Northern Virginia who received both a Bachelor and Master degree in music from Towson University and the Cleveland Institute of Music, respectively. She has performed in a number of operas and musicals with various companies throughout DC, MD and VA.

She first became involved with ArtStream after meeting Patricia Woolsey during a 2011 production of Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte. She has worked as a choreographer with ArtStream ever since.

Outside of ArtStream, Annie works at BuckleySandler LLP, a proud sponsor of ArtStream. She also sings with the National Philharmonic Chorale and has a side job as assistant music director at a church in Alexandria.

Annie looks forward to continuing to work with, support, and promote ArtStream!

Caitlin Davies is an educator from Arlington, VA. She is thrilled to be returning to ArtStream for her fourth show as an assistant director. Caitlin studied theatre at Grinnell College and is currently a Special Education teacher at Patrick Henry Elementary in Arlington Public Schools. She recently completed a Masters in School Administration. “Thanks to my fellow artists for their inspiring work!”

Joanne D’Eugenio is thrilled to be joining the ArtStream Team as Stage Manager! She recently moved from CT, where she spent many years involved in community theatre as stage manager, director, and set designer. Her real love is writing and she is currently working on several books and plays, which she hopes to get published. When she isn’t writing, Jo loves to sing, swim, hike, and camp. She would like to thank the entire ArtStream team for all their love and support! She would especially like to thank her daughter, Emily, and son, Billy, for making the move to VA worthwhile!

Shelley Fisher is a choreographer and performer. She teaches dance classes, performs, and manages events. Some of her most rewarding moments come from serving as the choreographer for Gaithersburg Company A. “Now everyone put your hands to your mouth and yell out loud, ‘Go Gaithersburg Company A!!’”

Kia Folsom is a 36-year-old stage manager, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. She joined ArtStream in 2018. Before ArtStream, she ran her own theatre non-profit for 10 years as a director, choreographer, and fundraiser. During the day, she works for the Federal Government of Public Affairs. In her spare time, she likes to sing, dance, and write, and is also a videographer and editor. “Live each day as if it is your last!”

Kathryn Hamilton is a co-director and teaching artist at ArtStream. When Kathryn isn’t working or volunteering within Artstream, she is working her two other less exciting jobs or hanging out with her animals and her fiancé. “A huge thank you to Robbie for helping with props, Chris for driving to rehearsals sometimes, and Ravi for always treating her like family.”

Hannah Kauffman is very excited to join the ArtStream family once again after 4 and a half years away! She graduated in December from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) with Dual Baccalaureate degrees in Musical Theatre & Speech-Language Pathology. She will be attending West Virginia University in the fall to pursue a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. 

Hannah was a mentor for Gaithersburg Co. B from 2010 to 2015. She loved working with ArtStream and the actors so much that they were the main inspiration for her pursuing her two degrees. She also is a teaching artist at Imagination Stage, teaching dance and musical theatre techniques. Long term, Hannah looks forward to working with her clients as a Speech Pathologist. While she is open to whatever opportunities arise, she is particularly interested in working with stroke and traumatic brain injury victims in a hospital, rehabilitative, and/or acute care facility. 

Hannah would like to thank her amazing team for their unconditional love and support both in rehearsals and in our outside lives. She would like to thank her actors for being so open, personal, and creative in this process. As always, love to her mom and dad for their support in everything. A special shoutout to the Germantown carpool for good laughs and therapeutic conversations to and from rehearsal!!

Bio coming soon!

Leah Kocsis started loving and playing the piano at age 8.  As a pianist and conductor she has been performing, teaching, and collaborating ever since. She is passionate about teaching and sharing music with children. She received her B. A. in music from the University of Rochester and its Eastman School of Music and her M. A. in music education from the Peabody Conservatory. Since moving to the DC area in 2000, Leah has taught classroom general music, founded and taught a beginning strings program, choral and handbell ensembles. While living in Maryland, she had a private piano studio for ten years. She builds communities through song in her work as a song leader, playing guitar and singing while exciting children and families to explore music and their musical voice. Leah has served as music director for numerous musical theater ensembles including Kensington Arts Theatre, The Arlington Players, The Little Theater of Alexandria and Rockville Musical Theater. She has also worked with area community and youth orchestras as music director, assistant conductor, and pianist. Leah has three young music makers of her own – Alexandra, Charlotte, and Elizabeth – who can often be found singing, dancing and making music of their own.

Julie is a proud graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City where she focused on Musical Theatre Performance. After graduation, she spent five years creating, producing and performing with the Rising Sun Performance Company in lower Manhattan and worked as the female awards handler for the New York Innovative Theatre Awards. She was last seen on a local stage as Pam in Rockville Musical Theatre’s critically acclaimed Baby.

Julie first joined ArtStream as a performer, playing Princess Glory in both the film and touring productions of their innovative musical Knights of Glory. Since joining the team, Julie has served as a choreographer, assistant director, and director with the Inclusive Theatre Companies and has also taught several classes. She couldn’t be more proud of the incredible and inspiring work that ArtStream creates!

Mike Morton is a musician, teacher, and producer from Glenelg, MD. He has been with ArtStream since 2015 (and loves every minute of it). Mike teaches private music lessons and performs with a variety of local groups. He has a BA in Art History from the University of Maryland and has taught at Music & Arts and the Damon Foreman Music Academy. In his free time he enjoys playing chess, reading sci-fi, and hanging out with all his pets.

Bio coming soon!

Amy Sheff Neumann worked across the country as a teaching artist, director, and performer. Amy currently performs with Now This!, a DC-based musical improv comedy troupe and Synergy in Action, a Playback Theatre company. A member of the Actor’s Equity Association, she appeared at the Kennedy Center, Ford’s Theatre, Round House Theatre, and the American Century Theatre. Amy toured nationally in both The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Annie.

Amy has directed and taught acting, musical theatre, and music at the Ensemble Theatre Community School, Columbia Center of Theatrical Arts, Long Lake Camp for the Arts, Imagination Stage, and the Young Actors’ Theatre. By day, Amy is a social worker; her work focuses on children and teens with special needs. She also holds a BFA in Acting from Syracuse University and an MSW from Catholic University.

Heather Newhouse has been stage managing with ArtStream for five years and loves the creative, collaborative atmosphere of Company A–as well as the interesting props she gets to make from year to year! She currently works at Folger Shakespeare Library as the Patron Services Manager. Heather would like to thank everyone in ArtStream for being so supportive and inspirational. Break a (virtual) leg, friends!

Kristen is a graduate of the College of William and Mary with a BA in theatre and psychology. She began teaching with ArtStream in 2012, directing the George Mason ArtStream group. Since then she has also taught Shakespeare and improv classes at Oakton and is excited to be directing the Gaithersburg Company A for the second year! Kristen is a local director, actor, and fight choreographer in the DMV region and is an advanced actor combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. She is a teaching artist with several other companies including Educational Theatre Company and Traveling Players Ensemble. She was inspired by her work in theatre education and by ArtStream to become a drama therapist; she is completing her master’s degree in drama therapy at Lesley University. Big thanks to everyone in Company A, GMU, and the whole ArtStream team!

Elana Polin is originally from New York and is delighted to be on her maiden voyage with ArtStream. She is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA having performed professionally on stage, television, and film. Elana is a graduate of the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and has sung musical theater, opera, and liturgical music internationally. In 2018, Elana started a small business “Polin Voice” in order to teach others to incorporate singing technique into good public speaking. She also presents scripted seminars for corporate America in the DMV and beyond. Elana lives with her three children, dog, and cat in Washington, DC. Special thanks go out to Heller An Shapiro, Kathryn Hamilton, and Rye Ellis for welcoming her with open arms to the ArtStream family.

Jennifer Quilty is thrilled to be a part of another ArtStream Cabaret. What a wonderful process putting together this Cabaret is! As in life, we all come to this art form from different perspectives. Yet somehow, like a wonderful kaleidoscope, our passions and our visions blend with each others’. The result is a mixtape that reflects us all as individuals and also opens up new directions for us to explore. “A special ‘Happy Birthday’ to my husband Robert! You and the kids are my favorite mixtape.”

Mehdi Raoufi is a recent graduate of Lesley University in Boston, Massachusetts, and holds a M.A. in Mental Health Counseling with a concentration in Expressive Arts Therapy. He also has a B.A. in Theater with a concentration in Directing/Dramatic Literature from Christopher Newport University.

Mehdi currently lives in Boston, where he is a Career Readiness Program Specialist for Partners for Youth with Disabilities, a non-profit organization whose goal is to create a world where young people with disabilities will be able to live with dignity and pride in who they are, and to lead self-determined lives filled with purpose.  He teaches weekly workshops focusing on vocational skills and inclusion in the workplace. Prior to relocating to Boston, Mehdi worked for over a decade as a sound designer and teaching artist in the Washington, D.C. area, teaching with both Imagination Stage and ArtStream through 2017. Mehdi has also sound designed with many theatres in the DC area, including Constellation Theatre Company, Faction of Fools and Gallaudet University, just to name a few. 

In his free time, Mehdi loves live music and art, playing and creating music, and annoying his two senior dogs, Maggie and Coltrane.

Madeleine Regina is a DC Based Director, Performance Artist, and Educator, whose work primarily focuses on issues of social equity. Her most recent projects include “Body.”, a devised production about the stories our physical forms carry, which she directed for the DC Fringe Festival. In addition, she was an assistant director for Flying V’s recent devised production, “Crystal Creek Motel”. She is currently directing an acting showcase with Matthew Corzine Studio and is working on a small production with the Center for Adoption Support and Education, helping to tell the stories of adopted children and their families. She also teaches with Imagination Stage and Theatre Lab in addition to her directing work with ArtStream. She absolutely loves sharing a creative space with people of all backgrounds and abilities!

Danyel is a self-taught musician and plays piano, guitar, ukulele, violin, and djembe. She was born in Goldsboro, NC, and joined ArtStream in 2019. During the day she is a preschool teacher at Little Folks School. She received her Masters in Vocal Performance from James Madison University and her B.A. in Music with a double minor in Theatre and Dance from UNC Charlotte. Her vast experience in opera, musical theater, and various dance styles has allowed her to perform in the U.S, Nova Scotia and Germany. She enjoys ice skating, karaoke, and going out dancing. She wishes the best to her ArtStream family in all their endeavors!

Sandra has a BFA in dance from The Boston Conservatory of Music and an MA in dance from American University. She taught dance and creative movement in the Greater Washington DC area for 25 years, working with Imagination Stage, The Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital, Iona Senior Services, and Arts for the Aging teaching creative movement to older adults. She also works with Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN) teaching music and movement.

Sandra is currently working with Nancy Havlik’s Dance Performance Group. She has had previous performances with DPG in Washington, DC; Baltimore, MD; Philadelphia, PA; and New York, NY.

With ArtStream, Sandra teaches classes in schools and other provider organizations for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD). This work is highlighted in the Stone Soup Films production “DC Hero — Sandy Roachford.” She also works as a choreographer with Inclusive Theatre Companies.

Penny is a teaching artist and performer based in the DC/Baltimore area. She has worked as a writer, director and performer with the Blue Sky Puppet Theatre since 1994, and performs with Good Life Theatre, where she just completed a three year run at Wolf Trap. Other favorite performing companies include Bread and Puppet Theater, The Other Opera Company, Adventure Theatre, and The Puppet Company at Glen Echo.

Penny teaches puppetry workshops throughout the DC/Baltimore region and beyond, including workshops as far away as Scotland. She is a regular teaching artist for the Wolf Trap Institute and also sings with the Swing Set Trio and the Roland Cumberland Orchestra.

With ArtStream, Penny has teaches classes in schools and other provider organizations for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD). She also leads workshops in self-advocacy.

Annetta is a graduate of Rutgers University and American University where she earned her Bachelor degree in English and Communications and her Master’s in Performing Arts for Dance & Theatre, respectively.

She is honored to foster self-expression and self-worth with students through poetry, performance, dance, yoga, and visual arts. She has also worked for Arts for the Aging, teaching healing movement, healing stories, theatre improvisation and visual arts. Annetta feels that her well-rounded experience and understanding of the arts as a healing tool aligns well with ArtStream’s varied programming, including its military hospital program, Allies in the Arts.

Teaching Language Arts and Moving Arts for Arlington public schools, Annetta has been awarded as a poet-in-residence for The Arlington Humanities Project. She is also a member of the MCPS Teaching Artist Roster through the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and she teaches for The Folger Library’s Secondary Shakespeare Festival bringing The Bard to DC public schools. In addition to her artistic work with children, Annetta is also on the Fine Arts faculty at Trinity University and works locally in the DC region as a freelance performing artist.

Annetta is Assistant Director/Choreographer for the MD Cabaret, she teaches Practicing Performance, works with the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes, co-teaches Theater Arts classes at The Katherine Thomas School, and gives Drama & Story-Telling classes at the DC JCC.

Annetta believes strongly in arts integration and mixed-ability integration. She is proud to work with the unique, progressively productive theatre, and exceptional organization that is ArtStream.

Luke Scaros is from Madison, CT. He has performed at Generic Theatre (Virginia Beach, VA) East Haddam Stage Company, (East Haddam, CT) Connecticut Free Shakespeare (Bridgeport, CT), Ohio Wesleyan Players (Delaware, OH) and Regent University Theatre. Luke teaches with Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s Educational Program, and is developing The Organic Theatre, a theatre company based in Baltimore. He enjoys reading, playwriting, and coming up with a new recipe of the week. “Thanks to Colleen and Madeline for giving me the opportunity to work with such a wonderful cast!”

Barbara Schelstrate began music directing for what was then the Arlington Company A in 2014.  Her other music direction experience includes numerous Gilbert & Sullivan productions and annual CHAWbarets at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) in D.C., as well as a dozen productions at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington.  Her onstage experience includes several operas with the Washington National Opera chorus and William Inge’s Picnic with Dominion Stage. Her favorite activity is composing music: she’s written a one-act opera, Frigga & the Mistletoe, and a musical version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was performed in in 2011 at UUCA and in 2017 at CHAW.  She’s happy to be writing for Alexandria Company A!

Jason Schoenfeld is a composer and recording artist trained at New York University, though he works by day in data science. He has continued to love his experience at ArtStream, completing his second year as Music Director for Gaithersburg Company B. If you enjoyed the music you heard in our show, you might also enjoy his EP “The Butterfly and the Leaf”, released under the pseudonym Jason Reid, available on all music streaming/purchasing platforms. 

Becky Webb is 29-years-old from Huntington Beach, CA. Becky earned her bachelor’s degree in Theater from UC, San Diego and currently works as a lighting designer/technician.  Besides working on theater shows, she also loves to travel and go on hikes.

Pam Young is so excited to be back with ArtStream after way too long. She is a writer and actor, originally from the Washington, D.C area, now living in Pennsylvania. She recently graduated from Kansas State University with her Masters in Drama Therapy. She is currently working on becoming a Registered Drama Therapist.  She’s excited to be working with a new and exciting team this year.

Natalie is a writer, director and actor who has appeared on area stages for over 20 years.

Natalie researches and writes original historical theater pieces. She trains and costumes actors for events such as the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum’s 50 Years of the Space Age, and for the National Archives Sleepover at the Archives. She created an historical three-character drama for the hip-hop theatre artist, Holly Bass. She is a licensed tour guide and a tour developer. In 2001 she launched Historic Strolls, a company that combines historical walking tours with theatre to create a unique experience. She is the author and director of The Ghost Story Tour of Washington, DC’s longest running costumed/character-led tour and A Dickens of a Tour: Charles Dickens in Washington. She has appeared as a guest and expert on History Channel and Travel Channel and has told stories for Canadian and French television, NPR, CNN Radio, Washingtonian Magazine, Politico and others.

Other credits include Natalie’s one-woman show: Dolley Madison’s Washington and the original, interactive program Maryland, My Maryland: Early Maryland History in public schools and home schools. Natalie is the lead actor and guide for the International Spy Museum’s Spy City Tours. She teaches drama in after-school programs for public and home schools. She also appears as an expert witness for local law firms in mock trials.

With ArtStream, Natalie has worked as an assistant director and director with the Inclusive Theatre Companies, and has taught several classes. She also developed the Cabaret Company, which premiered in the 2017-2018 season.

Melanie Zehner is a 28-year-old actor from Syracuse, NY, who has been with ArtStream since 2017. She got her Masters in Physical Acting at the University of Kent. She also performs at Laugh Index Theatre, Capital Fringe, Museum of the Bible, and even on TV in Thespian, Thou Shalt Not, and House of Cards. During the day, she is an SAG Actor, a mentor/writer/actor at the Museum of the Bible, and performs sketch and improv! In her spare time, she likes to read, write, drink cups of tea, and try new vegan food. “Defy Gravity!”

Delia Zielinski is a teaching artist with ArtStream, where since 2013 she has taught classes in music, drama, movement, social skills, and self-advocacy. She recently co-lead a new Chorus Ensemble Class in fall of 2019.

Outside of ArtStream, Delia is a singer and performer and teaches voice through her own private studio. She has also served as Assistant Minister of Music with Grace Episcopal Church in Silver Spring. She has appeared in productions with Annapolis Opera, Riverbend Opera Company, Center Stage Opera (PA), Loudoun Lyric Opera, Studio Theatre, Montgomery Playhouse, OutoftheBlackBox Theatre Co., DC Playwright’s Forum, and the Capital Fringe Festival. Recent operatic roles include Lisette in La Rondine, Genevieve in Suor Angelica, Nannetta in Falstaff, and Zerlina in Don Giovanni. In oratorio she has performed solos in Faure’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Gloria. In concert, she was a featured performer at the Johnny Mercer Music Festival in Savannah, GA, and in recital with the Washington Flute Society, the Kunen Theatre at Levine School of Music, the Kosciuszko Foundation, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library Concert Series. In 2013 Delia released her first solo album, “Boston Two,” featuring songs by American composers Amy Beach and Arthur Foote.

In addition to teaching and performing, Delia still finds time to serve as a musical volunteer with Hospice of Washington County. Delia and her husband live in Hagerstown, MD.