All staff undergo a Colorado State and Federal background check.
Michelle Romeo
Founding & Acting Artistic Director
Michelle grew up as a performer in New York City. She holds degrees in Theatre and Dance with a secondary emphasis in Film and Multimedia from Southern Oregon University, Hunter College in NYC, and Naropa University in Boulder, CO, where she now resides. She has extensively studied acting pedagogy, improvisation, and vocal technique in New York City at La Mama, Circle in the Square Theatre, HB studios, and Theatre Sports. She has been fortunate to have had the opportunity to study with such renowned acting teachers as Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, Peter Goldfarb and Ruth Zaporah among others. In 1996, she founded Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids, an award-winning youth theatre where her mission was to create highly creative, innovative, and fresh children’s theatre for the community. Michelle has directed over 70 plays in all genres of theatre from well-known musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof and Oliver to dramas such as Eve Ensler’s Necessary Targets and most recently Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone.
Executive Director
Barry holds a Masters in Comparative Religion and brings fourteen years of Waldorf School administration experience to his responsibilities at RMTK/AAPA. Now in his tenth year with RMTK/AAPA, Barry also brings to RMTK/AAPA enormous expertise in technology interface design and management, executive administration, parent relationships, and more. Pottery, antiques, photography, hiking and traveling are some passions. When not at the theatre, he teaches adult ceramics classes.
Carrie Colton
Artistic Director/Senior-Ensemble Company Show Director and Choreographer/Boulder Munchkins Music Director/Boulder Ensemble Lab Teacher
Carrie Colton (she/they) is an actor, director, choreographer, and musician originally from Salt Lake City, Utah. They hold a BFA in Classical Acting from Southern Utah University and an MFA in Directing/Choreography from Florida State University. As an actor, Carrie has performed in two international tours: My Fair Lady (Eliza) and Annie (Miss Hannigan), as well as several regional theatres around the country. Some of her favorite directing/choreography credits include Hairspray with the Fusion Academy of Hong Kong, Peter Pan with the Jacksonville Opera Theatre, Twelfth Night with the North Dakota Shakespeare Festival, The Tempest with Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival, Scarlet Pimpernel with The Candlelight, and Matilda with Town Hall Arts Center. Carrie is a certified stage combat teacher through Dueling Arts International and holds additional certificates in clowning (LA School of Clowning) and Intimacy Direction (Theatrical Intimacy Education). She is a True West Award-winning Choreographer and also won the American Prize for best direction for her devised piece Identity: An Origin Story. Carrie is currently an Associate Professor of Movement and Direction at Metropolitan State University of Denver where she also coordinates the BFA in Musical Theatre Program. At AAPA/RMTK, they have directed over 30 productions including Julius Caesar, Peter Pan, Pippin, and A Chorus Line.
Kia Heafner
Production Manager/Stage Manager/Scenic Artist/Props Master/JR Lab Teacher/Afterschool class Teacher/Summer Director
Kia is a theater technician and stage manager who has been working with RMTK/AAPA since spring 2021. She graduated from MSU Denver with a BFA in Theatre technologies and design. Professional stage management work includes Headliners and Ann (Cherry Creek Theatre), Vox Vergere (Phamaly Theater Co.), Chicago and Polaroid Stories (MSU Denver). For AAPA, Kia has stage managed for Denver’s Lion King Jr., 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Shrek Jr., Chorus Line and Cats! She has also directed Boulder summer camp Cinderella, and after school classes of Moana and High School Musical. She also adores being the lead Junior Lab teacher in Denver. Kia loves painting and shopping so she is also the resident scenic painter and props master!
McKensey Tanguma
Boulder Junior/IPC Company Show Music Director, Vocal Major Teacher, and Munchkins Co-Teacher
Denver Junior/IPC Company Show Co-Director/Co-Choreographer
McKensey Tanguma is currently in the middle of her sixth year with Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids. She has directed, music directed and choreographed various productions for AAPA as well as for RMTK summer and after school classes. She graduated from The Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University where she received her BA in Acting with a minor in Musical Theatre. In addition to teaching, she has performed in numerous musical theater productions. Some of her favorite credits include The Sound of Music National Tour at Wolf Trap (Ensemble), Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Truly Scrumptious). McKensey loves RMTK/AAPA and is so excited to be a returning staff member. She is looking forward to continuing her time with RMTK, while also taking advantage of the many performing opportunities Colorado has to offer.
Fitz Turner
Denver Junior/IPC Musical Theatre Majors Teacher, IPC Lab Teacher, Junior/IPC Company Show Director/Choreographer, Ensemble Theatre Lab Teacher
Fitz Turner (they/them) graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder’s program with a BFA in Acting, and they trained in improvisation at the Bovine Metropolis Theatre in Denver. Fitz has taught at AAPA/RMTK since 2019, and some of their favorite directorial credits include 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Denver AAPA location and Peter and the Starcatcher at the Boulder AAPA location. Fitz dearly loves choreographing, directing, acting, improvising, and teaching and has a passion for helping young actors discover the joy of being weird! After all, life is much better when you aren’t worried about what other people think about you! During the day, Fitz teaches arts and crafts to elementary aged students.
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Kari Flett
Boulder Munchkins Teacher, Junior Theatre Lab Teacher, Junior/IPC Acting Major Teacher, Junior/IPC Company Show Stage Manager, Afterschool Class Teacher, & Admin/Social Media Manager/Program Manager
Kari is a 2020 graduate of Carthage College, where she graduated with a BA in Music Theater and Public Relations. She was an AAPA student for 10 years and is so excited to be back and teaching for the program she grew up in. Additionally, she has taught younger company summer camps for 11 years and counting! Kari’s recent acting credits include Sister Act (Sister Mary Patrick), Flora the Red Menace (Esther), and The Addams Family (Ancestor/ Ensemble). While performing is her passion, Kari loves sharing her knowledge and teaching young artists the beauty of theater. When she is not on the stage or in the classroom you can find her taking content for AAPA & RMTK social media, or planning a wedding or event. Kari is so grateful to be back and working with the Actors Academy!
Hannah Schell
Denver Senior/Ensemble Company Show Director, Afterschool Class Teacher
Hannah has been performing for almost 25 years and teaching for over 14. She graduated magna cum laude from Baylor University with a BFA in Theatre Performance with emphases in Musical Theatre and Sound Design. Her most recent performance was in Empire Lyric Players’ A Christmas Carol as a member of the Ghost Ensemble. She has performed locally with both Town Hall Arts Center (in How to Succeed in Business…) and Equinox Theatre Company (in Urinetown and Bonnie & Clyde). This year, she has been busy directing AAPA’s The Phantom Tollbooth (Denver). She first worked with RMTK in the summers of 2014 and 2015 as a younger company choreographer. Some of her favorite choreography credits include Honk Jr at Regents School of Austin, Frozen at RMTK Denver, and Big Hero 6 at RMTK Boulder. Last summer, she made her Directorial Debut with RMTK Denver’s Annie. Hannah is incredibly excited to be directing another summer at RMTK!
Vin Ernst
Denver Senior/Ensemble Theatre Lab Teacher, & Afterschool Class Teacher
Vin Ernst graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a BFA in musical theatre in the Spring of 2021. They have only been working with RMTK and APPA since the summer of 2020 but have found a passion in fostering the skills and creativity of their students. Although they have trained in many areas of theatrical performance, Vin specializes in all things voice and speech, with a specific focus on voice acting and accent acquisition. Vin believes that one’s theatre education never truly ends and believes that they learn as much from their students as much as they learn from them. When not in the theatre, Vin can either be found recording audio for various podcasts in their closet, or out in nature annoying their friends with plant facts.
Wilson Hettinger
Boulder Junior/IPC Theatre Lab Teacher, Afterschool Class Teacher
Wilson (he/him) is thrilled to continue his teaching career at Actors Academy for the Performing Arts! Wilson graduated with his BFA in Musical Theatre at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Born and raised in New York State, Wilson has loved performing ever since his freshman year of high school. Some of his favorite credits include Pippin (Pippin), Motel (Fiddler on the Roof), and The Baker (Into the Woods). When not going to school or teaching at AAPA, Wilson loves hanging out with his brothers and his Husky/Black Lab Mix Ghost. “Anything you do, let it come from you. Then it will be new. Give us more to see…”
Joel Paszkowski
Boulder Junior/IPC Company Show Music Director & Senior/Ensemble Theatre Lab Teacher
Joel graduated from WAAPA (Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts) with a Bachelor of Musical Theatre performance in 2013, where he wrote and produced a reading of his first original musical, ‘Wish’. In 2015 he received the VCA New Musical Theatre grant to develop ‘Stealing Picasso’ with writing partner, Tom Reed. He has received multiple development opportunities, including workshops through the Grassroots Initiative. In 2018, Joel was accepted into the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at Tisch, NYU, on the Dean’s Fellowship, where he wrote his thesis musical ‘Much A Cruise About Nothing’ with writing partner, Lisette Glodowski. In 2020, he received the Dairy Arts online educational grant to create educational content and has since been working as a music director for the Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids in Boulder.
Halima Kamara
Boulder and Denver Acting Major Teacher, Junior/IPC & Senior/Ensemble Company Show Hair, Makeup and Props
This is Halima’s first year with AAPA. She teaches the Acting III Majors classes in Denver and Boulder. Halima is currently professional career Nanny specializing in Infant Care. She has worked closely in Children’s Theatre since 2017. She started as a Theatre Education Intern and Child Wrangler with CAST Kidz in Anniston Alabama. In her time at CAST, she has appeared in numerous children’s shows and designed the hair and makeup for each production. She was the Drama Director for 2 summers at a sleep away camp in New York, where she directed 4 shows over 2 summers. Halima is an artist and runs a small business in her spare time. She is skilled in wig construction, hair and makeup design, and mask/head piece design and painting. She will be designing the hair and makeup and props for the AAPA shows this season! If you ever see her around the theatres, please do not hesitate to say hello!
Mallory Moeller
Boulder and Denver Junior/IPC Theatre Lab Assistant Teacher
Denver Munchkins Assistant and Afterschool Class Teacher
Mallory is a performing artist who grew up in Colorado! She is so excited to be a part of the RMTK/AAPA team! Mallory is currently in her senior year at Metropolitan State University of Denver getting her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. Mallory has also been teaching/choreographing children’s theatre for four years and has been performing for fifteen years. Some of Mallory’s credits include: The Servant of Two Masters (Clarice), Legally Blonde (Margot), Lewis Carrol: Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast (Alice), and Suessical (Mrs. Mayor). When Mallory is not performing or teaching, she enjoys traveling to new places as well as old to visit family and to go on adventures.
Rachel Brooks
Boulder Senior/Ensemble Company Show Assistant Director/Choreographer, Musical Theatre Major Teacher
Denver Senior/Ensemble Musical Theatre Major Teacher
Rachel Brooks is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), New York City, and a newcomer to Colorado! After graduating, she started her theatre career in her home state of Wisconsin where she spent many years performing, directing, choreographing, and teaching dance and theatre in the Midwest. Some of Rachel’s favorite credits include Evita (Eva Peron), Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), Noises Off (Director), The Addams Family (Director/Choreographer), and Mama Mia (Director/Choreographer). When she is not working in the theatre, she spends her time as a content and digital creator! Rachel is really ecstatic to be part of the AAPA/RMTK family and working with these bright young actors as they start to develop their artistic passions!
Stephanie Faatz Murry
Boulder Senior/Ensemble Company Show Director
A native of Rochester, NY, Stephanie currently resides in Arkansas where she is an Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Ouachita Baptist University. She holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Arkansas and a B.F.A in Musical Theatre from SUNY Fredonia. She also holds a certificate in Classical Acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). She has worked professionally throughout the United States and internationally at Gyeonggi English Village in Paju, South Korea. During the summer months, she serves as Producing Artistic Director for North Dakota Shakespeare Festival. She is also a 200-hr certified Yoga Teacher and studying to become an Alexander Technique Teacher. Aside from theatre, her greatest loves in life are her husband Matthew and their two funny pups, Scamp and Gizmo!
Roberta Hamilton-Griggs
Denver Junior/IPC Company Show Director
Roberta is thrilled to be working with such an amazing group of people! A lifetime of performing, teaching, and directing has me unceasingly in awe of actors and technicians. Their talent and dedication are only matched by their strong compassion and full hearts.
Roberta has a bachelor’s from Colorado Mesa College in theatre, focusing on management and choral and theatre directing. After earning her master’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Denver Lamont School of Music, she discovered her love of teaching and directing Favorite shows include Little Women, Seussical the Musical, Quilters, Peter Pan, Snoopy, Mary Poppins, and Clue!
Roberta has been performing in and directing musicals, plays, commercials, and operas since she was a child in her backyard, telling her sisters where to move and how to sing. The ‘lightbulb’ effect of a student who gets what once seemed ‘ungettable’ is her favorite effect of teaching great people from ages 8-88!
Samantha Weiler
Denver Apprentice Company Teacher
Samantha is thrilled to be teaching the new AAPA Denver Apprentice Company this year! Since completing a bachelor’s degree in theatre, working with children for a few decades now, and after many performing years, she loves that she gets to put all of her knowledge into the students, and have tons of fun doing so!
Levi Franklin
Boulder Apprentice Company Teacher
Boulder and Denver Senior Theater Lab Teacher, Stage Combat teacher
Levi (he/they) is a recent graduate of MSU Denver with a BA in Theatre and Sociology. He graduated as the department Honored Graduate in Theatre and as the Student Leader of the Year through his work as the President of Stage Combat club and the Director of Execution with FOUND Theatre. They have been working at AAPA and RMTK for 2 years now, and have been teaching or mentoring formally for 8 years, and have taught 5-year-olds to the collegiate level. Levi has been the Associate Producer at Local Theater Company in Boulder since 2022. Levi specializes in new works, stage combat, divising, and arts administration. He is trained in intimacy choreography, mental health first aid certified, and level 2 stage combat certified in 6 different weapons styles with Dueling Arts International. Levi has been an assistant director for Betty Hart who is the president of the Colorado Theatre Guild and Carrie Colton a tenured professor at MSU Denver.
Kate Janzen
Boulder Senior/Ensemble Company Show Music Director
Kate Janzen, award-winning composer/director/accompanist, has been working in the field of music since the age of 15 (1999). Her first job was accompanying a local community choir, and since then has never looked back. After receiving her Bachelor of Music degree from Sacramento State’s School of Music, California –with a double focus in Jazz Studies/Arranging and Theory & Composition– she has gone on to become a highly sought after musician wherever she resides.
One of her greatest joys in life is vocal music –composing for, as well as directing/teaching– whether it be choir, vocal jazz, or musical theater. She is always advocating for singers, encouraging them to, “Stand in (and speak) their truth, since singing is a direct line to the soul. The more someone is in alignment with their depth and truest nature, the more their voice can ring clear and shine out to the world as the gift that they are. And nothing is more human –and more beautiful– than singing together.”
She currently resides in Colorado, focusing on composing new music for choirs and vocal jazz ensembles, music-directing at The Spark Performing Arts Center and The Rocky Mountain Theater for Kids, singing with The Key of She, directing The Superior Community Choir, and working on her first full-length musical.
Rachel Carothers
Denver Acting III Majors Teacher
Rachel is an actor, teacher, and director with 20 years experience working with all ages. Rachel has a BFA in acting, an MEd in Educational Administration, and is EC-12 Theatre and EC-12 Principal certified in the state of Texas. In her career in the classroom, her students routinely won “Best Actor/Actress” at one-act competitions and were selected for scores of college theatre programs. She also pioneered a travelling STEAM show and created student-led improv and community outreach groups with her students. In addition, she works as an actor, stunt performer, and intimacy professional. Rachel draws on her professional and educational backgrounds to create rich, forward-thinking experiences for students and educators.
Stuart Motola
Owner
Stuart has been working with Actors Academy for The Performing Arts and Rocky Mountain Theatre For Kids since its inception over twenty years ago. He has worked in small business administration, production management, the technology sector, and public school education. A state licensed secondary school teacher, he has worked with children in the educational arena for over twelve years. He has a great passion for helping children succeed on stage and in life, to launch children’s self-esteem to new heights. He brings a wealth of educational, business, and production management experience to Rocky Mountain Theatre For Kids. Stuart is also a novelist, playwright, and non-fiction writer.