RESIDENT ARTISTS

Chandler Bingham started her training in ballet, jazz, modern, and contemporary ballet at an early age. Chandler was accepted into the Conservatory of Performing Arts (C.O.P.A.) - Dance Program at Point Park University and graduated with a B.A. in Dance and a minor in History. She has performed choreography by; Staycee Pearl, Daniel Karasik, Kiki Lucas, David Norsworthy, Kaylin Horgan, Shana Simmons, and many others.

Chandler has also performed in stage / film work with Bricolage Production Company, Rashaad Newsome, and Allana Clarke, as a dance artist. Chandler has been a featured background actor in several Netflix movies and series productions.

In addition to being a multidisciplinary performance artist, she is a published model who has been featured in Pittsburgh Magazine and recently in 'Minding the Gap, Waiting in the Wings' a book that features dance artist and mental health, through the pandemic. Chandler is a Virtual Global Instructor with Juntos Collective teaching internationally at places such as Nicaragua. Chandler has been a Company Dance Artist with Staycee Pearl Dance Project & Soy Sos since 2019, succeeding her apprenticeship in 2018. As a dance / teaching artist Chandler has performed with the company in Pittsburgh and also multiple states. Chandler also enjoys teaching, choreographing, and working with local dance academies and youth theatre companies.

Anya Epstein is a Pittsburgh Native, who is excited to be at PMT, this time as an educator! Anya has performed with PMT, seen as Patty Simcox in Grease, understudied Dyanne in Million Dollar Quartet, and Evil Dead The Musical. She has also worked and performed with other Pittsburgh theater companies, including Stage 62, Heritage Players, and the New Hazlett Theater. Anya graduated from Muhlenberg College with a BA in Theatre and Dance, concentrating on acting, choreography and dance science.

As an arts educator, it is important to her that students gain knowledge of not only dance, but of safe movement practices for their individual bodies through discussion of anatomy and how the body works while moving. Throughout her dance career she has danced with and for Monica Bill Barnes & Company, Earl Mosley, Megan Flynn, and Shana Simmons. She is currently a company dancer for Attack Theatre, a modern dance company based in Lawrenceville. Anya also teaches at Pittsburgh CLO and the Squirrel Hill JCC. She is thrilled to be a part of PMT's conservatory!

Brecken Newton Farrell is a native of the Pittsburgh area, where he attended the PMT Conservatory from a very young age. He has been seen in many shows with the company including Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys, Scott in Evil Dead: The Musical, and many more. In addition to acting, he is a guitarist and singer involved in several rock music projects. He is proud to continue his work as a performer, arts educator, and director within the company.

Elexa Lindsay Hanner is a Pittsburgh Native, who is excited to be with PMT as a Resident Artist and Arts Educator! Elexa has performed with PMT, seen as a Soul Girl in Jesus Christ Superstar (Byham Theater - 2025) and Ensemble in Waitress (Gargaro Theater - 2025). She has also worked as a Teaching Artist, Choreographer, and a performer with other Theater Companies such as: The Pittsburgh Public Theater, City Theater, Theater Square 2 (Fayetteville, Arkansas), Pittsburgh CLO, The New Hazlett Theater, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater, and Alumni Theater Company. Elexa is a proud Alumnus of Penn State University - Main Campus (BFA Musical Theater, 2021).
Elexa is looking forward to creating art and having fun with the students and other faculty members of Pittsburgh Musical Theater. She is grateful and honored to join the PMT team!

Kaylin Horgan is a Pittsburgh-based choreographer, performer, and educator. As a performer, she has worked with Esperanza Spalding's touring ensemble as a soloist dancer, creative collaborator, and vocalist, toured with Pillow Project across Europe and the UK, and performed with Antonio Brown Dance, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, and the August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble. Her own choreographic work has been presented nationally and internationally, including at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Scotland), The Hague (Netherlands), and United Dance Project (Bermuda). Recent credits include Annie (Pittsburgh Musical Theater), A Mother's Love (MCG Jazz, Pittsburgh — part of a residency with Grammy-nominated jazz pianist and composer Ray Angry), and The Way of Light (Mulvane Art Museum, Salina, Kansas), a work written by Vanessa German. She teaches at Point Park University and Slippery Rock University and holds a Master's degree in Arts Administration from Goucher College (2026).

Regina Kettering, PhD: Regina joins Pittsburgh Musical Theater as Artist/Music Director in Residence. Past credits include Mary Poppins (Chartiers Valley SD), Shrek (West Mifflin SD), and Phantom of the Opera (Blackhawk SD). She has been Organist/Music Director at multiple Pittsburgh churches over the past 15 years. The adaptability and flexibility required for organ translate well to the dialogue between pit and stage.

Classically trained by Anne Liva and Michael Popick, Regina started playing piano at 4. She performed publicly at 8, and accompanied choirs by the age of 10. In high school, she memorized the equivalent of a Master's level recital, playing Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and more. Moving to Pittsburgh allowed her to learn the king of instruments - organ - from Craig Dobbins, Music Director of Sewickley Presbyterian Church. She performed the last public recital at Heinz Chapel, playing music composed by women from 1500-2020 on International Women's Day.

Regina is an active member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. She earned a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh in protein crystallography.

Amber hails from Pittsburgh, with her husband, Kevin and son, Brody. She is a graduate of Clarion University and is the Props Master, Set Dresser, Jack-of-all-Trades Resident Artist and theater mom at PMT. Her most favorite credits with PMT include Evil Dead The Musical, Disney's Newsies, The Little Mermaid, Shrek, and more. Amber has been with the company since 2012, and is looking forward to many more seasons with PMT.

Kevin is the PMT Conservatory Technical Director. He has set designed several shows at Pittsburgh Musical Theater including The Music Man Jr., Sister Act, Jekyll and Hyde, We Will Rock You, and Newsies. He has also worked in various other technical positions at PMT and PMT Conservatory such as sound designs for Evil Dead the Musical (2019), Hunchback of Notre Dame (2019), and A Lyrical Christmas Carol (2019). Over the past several years as the resident artist with the Teen Performance Intensive Program helping to educate students in technical theater design and application. Kevin attended Clarion University of Pennsylvania and earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and studied theatrical design and direction. He is eager to continue to work with the students and professionals at PMT!

Jess Levine is a Pittsburgh native and proud Penn State graduate. She has worked locally with Quantum Theatre, New Hazlett Theater, Kinetic Theatre, Pittsburgh Playwrights, and Pittsburgh Playhouse, as well as on the road with the national tours of Elf the Musical and Hairspray. Jess is thrilled to be joining PMT this summer and can't wait to share a love of all things theater with the students!

Katie Lyons is a recent graduate of Westminster College, where she earned her B.M. in Music Education and Piano Performance. At Westminster, she was a part of various ensembles and organizations such as the Concert Choir, Wind Ensemble, and the Titan Theatre Group. Katie is a frequent performer across Pennsylvania and has made numerous appearances both as a collaborative pianist and as a soloist, playing in musicals like Legally Blonde, Into the Woods, and Something Rotten. She is excited to join the PMT team this year and is looking forward to working with the students and other faculty!

Isabel Menon (she/her) is a recent graduate of Yale University, where she earned a BA in Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. While at Yale, she choreographed mainstage productions of Fiddler on the Roof, RENT, and The Addams Family, and executively produced and performed in her original senior thesis, a movement research anthology entitled Body as Memoir. Isabel also served as an instructor through the Yale Dramat, the university’s oldest theater organization, where she developed and taught original curricula for New Haven high school students as part of a Dramat outreach program.

Since returning to her hometown of Charleston, West Virginia, Isabel has continued choreographing—most recently for a community production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee — and completing her 200-hour yoga teacher training (RYT-200). She is thrilled to join PMT this summer and share her passion for dramatic outreach, arts education, and healthy movement!

With more than a decade of experience turning theatrical chaos into opening night magic, Gemma Mitchell serves as Director of Production Operations and Production Manager for the Conservatory at Pittsburgh Musical Theater. Equal parts strategist, problem-solver, and calm-in-the-eye-of-the-storm, she oversees production execution across both the professional company and conservatory while balancing budgets, staffing, logistics, and artistic vision, often simultaneously and usually with a headset on.

Known for building collaborative environments where artists and organizations thrive, Gemma specializes in making ambitious projects feel possible — and somehow keeping everyone laughing along the way. When she isn’t coordinating productions, mentoring teams, or negotiating contracts, she’s likely solving a last-minute crisis before anyone else realizes there was one, or leading a production from a choreographer’s point of view.

Gemma is thrilled to celebrate her 19th season with Pittsburgh Musical Theater and PMT Conservatory alongside Colleen, Francesca, and the extraordinary community of artists who make the work so rewarding.

Nick Mitchell is thrilled to be spending another semester alongside the incredibly talented students and Artists at PMT. After a brief stint in NYC, Nick moved to Pittsburgh 15 years ago where he found both an artistic family and his amazing wife, Miss Gemma! He is an active actor/director in the Greater Southwest Pennsylvania region. Directing highlights at PMT include Evil Dead: The Musical and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Locally, he also directed the critically acclaimed productions of Bright Star for Front Porch Theatricals and Assassins at Stage 62. When not acting or directing, Nick is an avid arts educator. He has taught here at The Conservatory at PMT, as well as at the Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Propel, and Plum High School. He is also building and maintaining his own private acting and coaching studio. Nick studied Musical Theater at Oklahoma City University, continued his education at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, and is currently taking classes with Z/A Studios.

Caroline Nicolian is a Pittsburgh native and has been performing for over 15 years. Her favorite credits include Francesa in The Bridges of Madison County (Carrnivale Theatrics), Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music (Pittsburgh Musical Theater), Mayor Babs/Ma Ferd in The Toxic Avenger (PCLO), Casey in First Date the Musical (PCLO), Jaques Brel is Alive and Well... (PICT), Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre (PPU Conservatory), Side by Side by Sondheim (PCLO), and Eve/Mama Noah in Children of Eden (The Strand). She is a member of Actor's Equity and received her B.F.A. in Musical Theater from Point Park University, where she met her wonderful husband/favorite scene partner.

Emily Palmer is a Wisconsin raised, Pittsburgh area transplant most recently seen with PMT as Frenchy in Grease, Linda in Evil Dead The Musical, and in the ensemble of Jersey Boys. An artist with a diverse background, Emily graduated from University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point with a BA in Drama with an emphasis in Acting and Costume Design, however she can be seen in all facets of the theatre including building scenic and props, running sound/lighting, creating zombies with SFX stage makeup, managing costumes on cruise ships, and the occasional stage combat. As a resident artist, fostering students love for the artform, wherever they fit, is so important and Emily can't wait to share her love of theatre with the students this semester!

Education / College / Where From: From Cleveland, Ohio. Went to Slippery Rock University
Favorite musical: Cats! - I'm a cat lady and a dancer. It's the best of both worlds!
Favorite junk food: Anything cheesey!
First time teaching at PMT or / how many years have you been with PMT?: This is my 4th year with PMT.
What are you looking forward to most about teaching at PMT? I'm looking forward to seeing all of my students grow into more confident, energized, and experienced performers!

Christine Pater is a Resident Artist at Pittsburgh Musical Theater and a Professional Accompanist in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Recent productions include Cinderella, The Music Man, Disney's Newsies, and Spam-a-lot. In addition to Musical Theater, she has been a Collaborative Artist in the areas of instrumental, vocal, and choral accompanying with an emphasis in classical and operatic repertoire.

Christine is the founder of Pater’s Piano Studio with over 30 yrs. of teaching experience. She has directed music schools in Chicago, Guatemala City, and Fort Worth, Texas. Christine holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degree and is a member of the Music Teacher’s National Association (MTNA), Pennsylvania Music Teacher’s Association (PMTA), and the Westmoreland Chapter of PMTA.

She has performed in various venues throughout the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Germany, Guatemala, Israel, Mexico, and the Slovak Republic.

Quinn Patrick Shannon has been a regional performer and director in New York, Pittsburgh and Central PA. He first appeared with PMT at the age of 6 as Tiny Tim in the original 1991 production of A Lyrical Christmas Carol. He's directed many Teen shows for PMT Conservatory, most recently directing Disney's Beauty and the Beast this past fall at the Byham Theater. However, he is perhaps best known at PMT for his appearance as Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (2017). Favorite PMT appearances include Young Frankenstein (Igor), Grease (Roger), Jersey Boys (Nick Massi), and Sister Act (Joey). Other favorites: Guys and Dolls (Nicely Nicely Johnson) for the Pittsburgh Public Theater, Forever Plaid (Frankie), The Toxic Avenger (White Dude), and Titanic (Pittman/Etches) for the Pittsburgh CLO, and The Current War for Quantum Theatre (Francis Upton). Quinn is especially proud of his work for the last four years as the Conservatory Director at PMT Conservatory, where he strives to shape local youth into extraordinary people.

Dr. Tortorello is the Resident Music Director of Pittsburgh Musical Theater. Recent productions include Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, HAIR, Newsies, and The Sound of Music. She teaches multiple classes for the pre-college program in the PMT Conservatory. Dr. Tortorello is also an accomplished classical musician and performs with a variety of instrumentalists and singers. She frequently collaborates with members of the Pittsburgh Symphony. A dedicated teacher and coach, she has maintained an active piano teaching studio for the past twenty years. Dr. Tortorello began piano lessons at the age of four in her hometown of Mount Kisco, NY. She holds a Bachelors degree in Piano Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with Antonio Pompa-Baldi. She received a Masters degree and Professional Studies certificate in Collaborative Piano from CIM, studying with Virginia Weckstrom. She also earned a Doctorate in Collaborative Piano and Coaching at the University of Minnesota and studied with Timothy Lovelace. Francesca and her husband, Pittsburgh Symphony cellist Michael DeBruyn, have been performing as a professional duo since 2004.

Andonetta Chiarina Trageser (Andi) is a 2020 Musical Theater graduate of Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 as well as a PMT Conservatory Alumni. Andi spent 5 years as a student of the PMT Conservatory and has now returned to the PMT Family as a Resident Artist as well as a Propel Teaching Artist. Previous PMT credits include: Beauty & the Beast (Stage Manager), The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. (Stage Manager), Newsies Jr. (Stage Manager), High School Musical Jr. (Stage Manager), Grease (Production Assistant), and Million Dollar Quartet (Production Assistant), Pippin (Berthe), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Gargoyle).

Sara Finnell is from Oakdale, PA, where she grew up performing. With her highest area of interest being dance, she also participated in competitive performances, plays, and musical theatre. She is currently a junior at Pennsylvania State University in Beaver, working to obtain a degree in Psychology. She is thrilled to be starting at PMT's Conservatory and can't wait to experience kids expanding their arts education, just as she once did.

Cas Foremsky is from Moon Township, PA, and is a rising sophomore at Ithaca College, pursuing a BFA in Theatrical Production and Design. They are an alum of PMT Conservatory's Technical Theatre and Design program. Recent credits include: Little Women (Fly Rail Operator) - IC, Spring Awakening (Mic Dresser) - IC, and Carousel (Assistant Stage Manager) - PMT. He is excited to be working with PMT and looks forward to a great summer!

Mackenzie Heidenreich is a performer and aspiring director who has spent time after graduation working in those fields to further her knowledge and craft. Her favorite credits include Sally in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown (Stage 62), Little Red Ridinghood in Into the Woods (Paragon Studios), and Jetsam in Disney's The Little Mermaid (PMT). Currently, she is working toward obtain a degree in both Marketing and Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She is extremely happy to be working with PMT, and looks forward to helping kids find their passion.

Ava Stropkaj is a 2025 alumni of the PMT Conservatory and is extremely excited to be back working with PMT this summer! Ava spent 7 years as a student of the PMT Conservatory, performing in several productions including The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Rona Lisa Peretti), Les Misérables: School Edition (Fantine), and Disney's Beauty and the Beast (Belle). Currently, she is pursuing a degree in Musical Theatre at West Virginia University, where she recently performed in Something Rotten! (Ensemble, u/s Portia) this spring. She looks forward to sharing her love of theatre with the next generation of PMT Conservatory students!

Olivia Wick is from Havertown, PA, and is currently a rising senior at the University of Pittsburgh. She is a triple major in English writing, theater arts, and film & media studies. She has been performing since she was 5 years old, and has most recently performed in Pitt Stages Productions of Spring Awakening, John Proctor is the Villain, Dance Nation, and Emilia. This is her first summer with PMT and she is so excited for this season!