Teaching Artists 2023

Hope Allen (She/Her) is a Junior at Syracuse University in the BFA Stage Management program. Her passion for the performing arts started at Dreamwrights in 2015, when she played a Jitterbug in The Wizard of Oz. Since then, she has been involved in multiple productions with Dreamwrights, her most recent credit being Spring Awakening (PSM). Other credits include: Dancenation, Sender, Into The Woods, Sister Act, Mary Poppins Jr, and many others. This fall, Hope will be Stage Managing a world premiere production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  Outside of theatre, she loves singing, hiking, writing, and playing with her two dogs, Oliver and Parker. She is very excited to be back, combining her love for theatre and the education of future artists!  

Kate Brennan has created 5 musicals including The Infinity Trilogy, the recipient of a 2021 MAP Grant. Her Brennan & White musical ALiEN8 is available with YouthPlays and her poetry book, elevated thoughts, was released with Literati Press. Her first musicals, Some Assembly Required and ELFuego, premiered in Philadelphia.  Her play What’s in Store was most recently developed with Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival. Her writing has appeared in McSweeney’s, Dramatist, Howlround, and The New York Times. Kate runs The Brennan Book Blog and its accompanying podcast as well as The Fair Play Podcast.  As a Designated Linklater Teacher, Certified Yoga Instructor, Certified Thai Bodyworker, Melt Hand & Foot Instructor, Kate has been on faculty with Oklahoma City University, Temple University, St. Joseph’s University, Rosemont College, McCarter Theatre Center, Tofte Lake Center and Broadway Classroom, among others.  Her methodology, Brennan Check-In, cultivates more present, collaborative and self-sufficient artists who are agents of their own well-being. She is a member of The Dramatist Guild, AEA and VASTA. Kate holds an MFA from The University of Virginia and is Artistic Director of Ignition Arts. 

Mackenzie Buckley is a recent graduate from Ursinus College with a BS in Health & Exercise Physiology. In her time at Ursinus she captained the dance team and was treasurer for the student run dance group. She danced all throughout college and already misses it so much. Her most recent credits include: Red Rat Dancer in Jekyll & Hyde (Facetime Theater), Dance Captain/Ensemble in Descendants (The Belmont Theatre), Adult Woman in Spring Awakening (DreamWrights), and Anita in West Side Story (Footlighters Theater). Mackenzie can currently be seen on The Belmont Theater’s stage in their production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame taking place in June!

Carla Christopher is a former Poet Laureate of York (2011 – 2013), the co-founder of York Equality Fest which became York County Pride, and an award winning and multiply-published writer. Carla has twice received the key to York City for her community-based education initiatives and continues to use writing and storytelling as activism. The former York Dispatch OUT and About columnist, host of Culture & Main; York’s Weekly Cultural Showcase on White Rose Community TV, and co-director of PoemSugar Press / Community Arts Ink, Carla’s full-length books include; Song (Columbia University Press, 2000), Baby, Read Me Something with Rhythm (PoemSugar Press, 2011), Made In York (2015), Addicted to Relapse (2018) and the forthcoming Slave Catechism. She also released the EP Of Water Born with the ensemble Poetic Voices and the  recorded collection Poetry from the Ashes with Soul Thief Collective. Carla studied psychology, education, and creative writing at Columbia University in NYC and worked as an educator and case manager in domestic violence shelters, state prison systems, and school districts before receiving her Masters in Divinity from United Lutheran Seminary. As a caseworker and community educator, then Diversity and Inclusion consultant, Carla has been the force behind regional campaigns for Food and Water Watch, Put People First – PA, Y.W.C.A. of York County, United Way of York County, York County Cultural Alliance, Appell Center for the Performing Arts, York County Libraries, and more. She has also traveled around the globe, from Rutgers and Penn State to major organizations and institutions in Kosovo, Albania, Flint, Chicago, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Sarasota, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Philadelphia etc., as a performer, speaker and trainer.

Jan’s passion for the stage was ignited during her first solo vocal performance at the age of three. That passion continued to burn throughout her high school and college years as she performed in many plays and musicals. She achieved her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and went on to teach at several school districts in York County. Currently, she is a preschool and substitute teacher. She is delighted to be able to combine her love for the arts and children by teaching theater classes.

Randy Flaum is a documentary photographer covering events and people from York County. He moved to York, PA, in 2000 as the photography editor for The York Dispatch. His career began in Connecticut covering stories throughout that state. Since retiring from The Dispatch Randy has been telling visual stories from local events and the people who make up York County.

Anna Fraser (she/her) is a recent Eckerd College graduate with a BA in both Theatre and Animal Studies, and she has been performing onstage and working behind the scenes at DreamWrights since she was 8 years old. She has an affinity for historical costumes, particularly from the Renaissance and Regency eras, and loves writing and literature. More often than not, she has a book waiting nearby to be picked up at her earliest convenience.

Hannah has been acting, singing, and dancing since the moment she could walk and talk. DreamWrights is her second home, and she had been performing on the stages here since she was 7! She is a former camper and camp counselor at DreamWrights, and she’s thrilled to be taking on a new role! Hannah has been in over 35 productions, both on and off stage. This fall, Hannah will be majoring in Elementary Education and minoring in Musical Theater at York College of Pennsylvania. She can not wait to share her love of theater with a new group of young artists!

Lisi is an actor, director, and teaching artist from Saint Louis, MO. She attended Oklahoma City University where she graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Acting and a minor in Directing. Some of her recent favorite experiences include: Footloose (Gateway Center for Performing Arts), Something Rotten (Gateway Center for Performing Arts), John Proctor Is The Villain (Oklahoma City University), and The Revolutionists (Oklahoma City University). Lisi is a Philly-based artist, currently serving as Company Manager at People’s Light in Malvern, PA. To learn more about her work, visit lisilevy.com and follow her on Instagram (@lis.lev)!

Rodd graduated college as a Communications-Writing major.  Since then he has been part of the collaborative writing team on “Another World Today” for several years and written for other on-line soaps including “A Private World” and  “A Life of Our Own”.   He has also taught the “History of Soap Operas” for Penn State’s OLLIE Program.  Rodd has been in many local theatre productions and directed shows locally, as well as in Trinidad, Mexico, and Morocco.  He can usually be found at his furniture store on his farm in Chester County and is looking forward to retiring this year.  If Rodd is not there, he’s usually playing “CIV III”, writing, spending time with family and friends, or reading.

Ivy is a freelance artist and writer located in York, PA. She earned her Bachelor’s in fine art and art history with honors in 2018 from York College of Pennsylvania. She is currently working with local organizations and small businesses as a consultant, content writer, and muralist. She enjoys painting, reading while outside, and finding the best vegan food.

A founding board member of DreamWrights, Jay has worked in theatre most of his life, on and offstage with innumerable community theatre productions, including guest directing several shows at DreamWrights. Jay has been the editor for WRCT’s “Culture and Main” for the last few years. Utilizing his film degree from Boston University, Jay has directed several music videos as well as comedy videos.

A best-selling author with his non-fiction history of the horror genre, This Time It’s Personal, Smith teamed with original Halloween III: Season of the Witch director/writer, Tommy Lee Wallace on a “making of” history book in 2022. Smith’s reputation for high-quality motion pictures on moderate budgets has resulted in solid industry affiliations and partnerships with his films receiving wide domestic and foreign releases. His successful virtual reality short spin-off of his Corey Feldman cult classic, 6 Degrees of Hell was acquired by Samsung, starring A Nightmare on Elm Street horror icon, Amanda Wyss. His recent monster movie, Where The Scary Things Are was released to acclaim from Lionsgate June, 2022 and has made a stir in the genre.