At SPA, our mission is to develop youth and adults within the field of performing arts while enhancing their intrinsic creativity and brokering their vast talents. The SPA trains and educates youth so they can become the artists, patrons, and leaders of tomorrow while providing opportunities to adults to empower them and foster their creativity.
Los Angeles native Barb Stitzer started acting when she was six years old and spent the next 20 years working as an actress in television, film, soap operas; commercials and theatre. She studied directly with the legendary Sanford Meisner, who then taught her to teach others to Live Truthfully Under Imaginary Circumstances. She coaches a
Los Angeles native Barb Stitzer started acting when she was six years old and spent the next 20 years working as an actress in television, film, soap operas; commercials and theatre. She studied directly with the legendary Sanford Meisner, who then taught her to teach others to Live Truthfully Under Imaginary Circumstances. She coaches actors from beginners wanting to get their first agent to recognizable names. She is a Momager to her daughter Tenley, a television actress with a recurring role on Vindication, a faith based television series and to Zoe, a copywriter and novelist. She is also an award winning commercial photographer, and trains her actors to look and, more importantly, feel their best in front of the camera.
Her favorite moment is when a young person’s eyes light up when they make the connection between who they are as a person and who they are as an actor, because that is where the magic begins.
Lisa Huston, a 1988 Music-Ed / Piano graduate of Otterbein College (University) has been working with youth musicians professionally since 1988. She began her career teaching ages K-12 in Danville Local Schools. While at Danville, she also began having the students perform musicals each year. Unlike past performances in Danville that use
Lisa Huston, a 1988 Music-Ed / Piano graduate of Otterbein College (University) has been working with youth musicians professionally since 1988. She began her career teaching ages K-12 in Danville Local Schools. While at Danville, she also began having the students perform musicals each year. Unlike past performances in Danville that used recorded music, Lisa introduced live musicians to accompany the performance. She also directed, or performed as musical director, for community theater and church musicals during this time. Since moving to a position as High School Choir Director at Big Walnut in 1998 (and Assistant Band Director since 2000), Lisa served as Music Director for the High School Drama performances from 1998 to 2019. During her career she has directed and been Musical Director in over 40 musicals in the public school, summer community theater and church productions and has taken groups of students to multiple locations nationally to learn from professional musical theater performers.
Emily Lefevre is so excited to be back directing again at SPA. She is the owner of ELTC talent company. She is a talent manager for young actors. Emily loves working with children. She has taught drama kids in the past. Emily has always loved working with children’s theatre. She has been involved in theater for her entire life. She found
Emily Lefevre is so excited to be back directing again at SPA. She is the owner of ELTC talent company. She is a talent manager for young actors. Emily loves working with children. She has taught drama kids in the past. Emily has always loved working with children’s theatre. She has been involved in theater for her entire life. She found a passion for theatre as she would sit in the audience at a very young age, watching college actors on stage performing, their craft. She has explored many facets of theater, including the technical side. Emily has directed shows for Worthington Community theatre, Hilliard Arts Council and has been involved in more than 100 productions. She enjoys sharing her insight, and her experience with developing actors as they find their place in the world.
Emily lives in Westerville with her husband and three daughters! When she is not in a play, you can often find the family at a theatre events.
Carmel Avegnon Sanders, proudly, is a wife, a mother of three children. She is the Founding Artistic Director of Brave Young Voices: The Westerville Youth Theatre Project. Carmel is also, a teaching artist, an arts administrator, arts advocate and performer. She recently received the Alston Award for Social Justice from Leadership Westerv
Carmel Avegnon Sanders, proudly, is a wife, a mother of three children. She is the Founding Artistic Director of Brave Young Voices: The Westerville Youth Theatre Project. Carmel is also, a teaching artist, an arts administrator, arts advocate and performer. She recently received the Alston Award for Social Justice from Leadership Westerville and the Excellence in Teaching in the Arts award from the Arts Council of Westerville and in 2018 the Civilian Award from the City of Westerville for her work with youth at Westerville’s 4th Friday Festival.
Carmel has been fortunate to perform domestically and abroad in TV, Film, Radio and her first love, Theatre. She has reunited with her passion after taking some time off to raise her children. She was recently seen with Opera Columbus in Rigoletto and a TV commercial for LearningRX Dublin-Columbus among others. . Carmel graduated from Otterbein University with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Upon graduation she moved to Chicago to start The Treehouse Theatre Company with several other Otterbein grads. Along with being seen in productions with the Treehouse, she worked with Steppenwolf’s Arts Exchange program, Redmoon Theatre, Cornservatory Theatre, Voice of the City and others.
Though Carmel found great joy in performing, she quickly learned that working with young people to develop their artistic craft brought her even more joy than performing herself. With that, she has immersed herself for over 20 years in the world of youth arts and advocacy.
With her work at well-known and internationally recognized youth theatre companies, she was able to develop her artistic philosophy working with young people and hone her skills as a teaching artist. After working as a teaching artist for several years, she joined the staff at the Center for Community Arts Partnerships at Columbia College Chicago (CCC) where she lead the Youth Theatre Coalition of Chicago in designing workshops for community-based youth theatres in the Chicagoland area as well as organized an annual youth theatre festival. Carmel then became Assistant Director of Community Partnerships, where she brokered collaborative partnerships between departments in higher education and community-based youth arts organizations.
Along with key members at CCC, she designed (the first of its kind in the United States), a Master’s Level Concentration in Arts in Youth and Community Development in the Arts, Entertainment and Media Management Department at Columbia College Chicago. She also had opportunities to participate in an exploratory arts exchange program with the United Kingdom, collaborate with linguist anthropologist Shirley Brice Heath and contribute to various publications focused on youth arts, youth arts advocacy and the value of arts within communities. Carmel also was an adjunct faculty member in the School of the Liberal Arts and Sciences Department at Columbia College Chicago.
Her last position before focusing on raising her children was as the Program Director for Little Black Pearl. A youth multi-arts organization in Chicago.
Carmel has served on many arts councils, advisory committees and organizational boards throughout her career. Currently she is a board member of the Ohio Thespians which is a chapter of the Educational Theatre Association. She serves as Co- Awards/Scholarships Chair, Hospitality Chair, a member of the Jr. Thespy’s Conference committee and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access and Belonging (DEIAB) committee.
Above all, Carmel is committed to the idea that theatre has a transformative power to create opportunities for meaningful dialog that is vital to the healing of our society.
Adrian (he/him) is a rising junior at Otterbein University pursuing a BFA in Theatre: Design/Technology and a BA in Art History and Visual Culture. He has been studying assistant stage management, carpentry, and sound engineering. Adrian has worked in multiple disciplines while studying theatre and he lives all of them. He always strives
Adrian (he/him) is a rising junior at Otterbein University pursuing a BFA in Theatre: Design/Technology and a BA in Art History and Visual Culture. He has been studying assistant stage management, carpentry, and sound engineering. Adrian has worked in multiple disciplines while studying theatre and he lives all of them. He always strives to be a team player no matter what the task is and wants the production to have the best work from him as possible. Outside of the theatre, Adrian really enjoys music. Whether it be going to a concert or just jamming by himself, you can almost always find him listening to something. He even works for a collection of event/music venues through PromoWest Ohio!
Naomi Eason is thrilled to be back at SPA choreographing Willy Wonka Jr. They’re currently studying at Otterbein University as an Acting major with a minor in Dance. Previously, they choreographed Seussical Jr. (SPA) and Descendants the Musical (Peninsula Youth Theatre). Choreography and theatre education are some of their favorite things
Naomi Eason is thrilled to be back at SPA choreographing Willy Wonka Jr. They’re currently studying at Otterbein University as an Acting major with a minor in Dance. Previously, they choreographed Seussical Jr. (SPA) and Descendants the Musical (Peninsula Youth Theatre). Choreography and theatre education are some of their favorite things and they have thoroughly enjoyed this process. Enjoy the show!
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