Meet the NYC Children’s Theater Team
From our supportive board, to our tireless staff, to our talented teaching artists, these are the people who make NYC Children’s Theater the premier children’s theater and educational program in New York.
Our Board
We would like to thank our Board of Directors for their wisdom, guidance and unwavering support.
Anika Larsen
Position - Board Member
Anika Larsen is an actor/singer who has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, on tour and regionally for over 20 years. Anika is currently playing the mom in Broadway’s Almost Famous the Musical. read more
Barbara Zinn Krieger
Position - Artistic Director
Barbara Zinn Krieger founded New York City Children’s Theater (formerly Making Books Sing) during her tenure as Executive Director of the Vineyard Theatre. read more
Erin Eisenberg Blaz
Position - Board Member
Erin Eisenberg Blaz is a civic entrepreneur, currently working as the Senior Advisor to the Chief Program Performance and Financial Management Officer at the NYC Department of Social Services. read more
Hope Helfenstein, CFP
Position - Board Member
As a Certified Financial Planner and Vice President of Investments at UBS Wealth Management, Hope Helfenstein manages over $125 million in client assets. read more
Javier Sanchez
Position - Board Member
Javier Sanchez has worked with youth at community-based organizations including Jacob Riis Settlement House, Project Reach Youth and LGBT Community Center. read more
Kashif Sweet
Position - Board Member
Kashif Sweet is a New York City Children's Theater Board Member. read more
Kimberly Wilson Marshall
Position - Board Member
Kim Wilson Marshall is the Director + Founder of Wilson Marshall PR+Events, a New York City based boutique company performing public relations and special event services for diverse clients. read more
M. Bridget Downes, M.D.
Position - Board Member
Bridget’s looks forward to participating in NYCCT's mission to promote social and emotional resiliency and a lifelong love of theater. read more
Marilyn Yanowitch
Position - Board Chair
Marilyn Yanowitch has spent most of her career in advertising, first as a copywriter and then as Executive Creative Director for large NYC ad agencies. read more
Matthew Quint
Position - Board Member
Matthew Quint is the Director of Columbia Business School's Center on Global Brand Leadership, the leading global forum on branding issues. read more
Melissa Hurd
Position - Board Member
Melissa Hurd has been a Director of Marketing in the Global Merchant Services team with American Express since 2012. read more
Michael Schmitt
Position - Board Member
Michael Schmitt is an architect who has known Barbara Krieger since 1985 when he worked with her on the design for the Vineyard Theater in Union Square. read more
Naney Pandit
Position - Board Member
Naney is a Managing Director in the Treasury Services group at JPMorgan Chase & Co. She is currently the head of products & platforms for commercial cards. read more
Richard Hua
Position - Board Member
Richard Hua is an Executive Director of Quantitative Research with the Corporate Investment Bank at JP Morgan Chase & Co. Since 2014, he has led a team of quant researchers focused on various analytics, pricing, and optimization initiatives for the Prime Finance business. read more
Warren Kudman
Position - Board Vice-Chair
Warren Kudman is a global IT executive with over 20 years of experience in aligning enterprise-wide IT strategy and programs with business strategy. read more
Our Staff
Andrea Palma
Position - Associate Director of Education
Andrea Palma pursued her Bachelor's degree in Music Education at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, and her Masters in Voice from the Chicago College of Performing Arts read more
Andres Garza
Position - Director of Individual Giving and Special Events
Andy is more than excited to be joining NYCCT, bringing his passion for theater, education, and diligent administration together as NYCCT's Development Manager. read more
Aurie Ceylon
Position - Artistic Coordinator
Aurie Ceylon is a New York City-based actor, writer, teacher, and the creator of Monster Classroom! She is madly in love with the arts and is over the moon to dive in as an official member of the NYCCT team! read more
Barbara Zinn Krieger
Position - Artistic Director
Barbara Zinn Krieger founded New York City Children’s Theater (formerly Making Books Sing) during her tenure as Executive Director of the Vineyard Theatre. read more
Barry Hamilton
Position - General Manager
Barry Hamilton, who first served NYCCT as the Technical Coordinator for the award-winning A Band of Angels in 2015, has a wealth of experience in theater production. read more
Caitlyn McCain
Position - Education Associate of Public Engagement
Caitlyn McCain is a New York City based actor, singer and teaching artist. Originally from SoCal, Caitlyn moved to NYC to attend New York University's Tisch School of the arts, where she graduated with a BFA in Drama in 2019. read more
E.A. Meier
Position - Production and Operations Manager
E.A. Meier is delighted to be making her debut with NYC Children's Theater. She is an NYC-based performer and arts manager originally from Dallas, Texas. read more
Frank Ruiz
Position - Education Coordinator
Frank Ruiz (He/Him) is a proud Nicaraguan-American Actor-Musician, Director, and Educator based in New York City. He attended The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, where he also served as a founding member of the Curriculum Review Committee. read more
Laura Pelcher
Position - Grant Writer
Laura Pelcher is delighted to bring her experience in nonprofit operations and communications to the role of Grant Writer with the NYC Children’s Theater. From an early age, Laura has loved language and storytelling. read more
Madeline Calandrillo
Position - Director of Education
Madeline Calandrillo is New York City-based applied theater practitioner, teaching artist, and theatre-maker drawn to creating accessible and diverse theatrical experiences for young audiences and their families. read more
Matt Ketai
Position - Associate Director of Marketing & Communications
Matt Ketai is an actor and writer originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He holds a BFA in Acting from Boston University and an MFA in Acting from Brown University. read more
Melanie Weinraub
Position - Acting Executive Director
After serving on the Board of NYCCT for 9 years, including 3 years as its Chair, Melanie Weinraub has stepped into the role of Acting Executive Director. read more
Nicole Hogsett
Position - Director of Marketing and Audience Engagement
Nicole Hogsett is a nonprofit marketing professional with a passion for educating and engaging children through theater and visual arts. read more
Sammy Lopez
Position - Resident Director
Sammy Lopez is a curious theatre-maker dedicated to uplifting historically excluded voices & stories through the arts. He is proud to be the first resident director of New York City Children’s Theater. read more
Yvonne Roen
Position - Board and Government Relationships Manager
Yvonne Roen is an actress, director, and songwriter living and working in tri-state area. She enjoys creating and performing classical as well as avant-garde works. read more
Current Apprentices and Fellows
Fran Sillau
Position - 2022 Leadership Fellow
Fran has worked extensively within the world of Theater For Young Audiences for over twenty years. A professional playwright, director, and producer, Fran can also be found in the classroom as a theatrical teaching artist and inclusion consultant. read more
Our Teaching Artists
Alexia Antoniou
Alexia Antoniou is a storyteller who is absolutely delighted that her work has lead her to NYCCT. read more
Ana Cantorán
Ana Cantorán is a Mexican-born, NY-based Theatre Artist and Arts Educator. She is an actress, director, mover, singer, collaborator, teaching artist, space holder, and passionate theatre creator. read more
Becca Bernard
Becca Bernard is an Off-Broadway performance artist who blends physical comedy, music, and dance to communicate her ferociously optimistic perspective of the world. read more
Betina Hershey
Betina Hershey Russo is a native New Yorker born to a Broadway musician and a painter. read more
Brian Feinstein
Brian Feinstein began his career in entertainment at the USC School of Cinema & Televisionand completed his master’s degree at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. read more
Caitlyn McCain
Caitlyn McCain is a New York City based actor, singer and teaching artist. Originally from SoCal, Caitlyn moved to NYC to attend New York University's Tisch School of the arts, where she graduated with a BFA in Drama in 2019. read more
Carrie Ellman-Larsen
Carrie Ellman-Larsen is a born and raised New Yorker. She studied drama and psychology at NYU where she received her BFA in Drama. read more
Claire Fleitz
Claire Fleitz is an Educator and Creator. She is passionate about facilitating important conversations with young ones through theatre, play, and storytelling! read more
Emma Mueller
Emma Mueller is an actress, writer, and teaching artist in NYC. She hopes to inspire joy, curiosity, empathy, and creativity in her students and is thrilled to be returning to teach with NYCCT! read more
Emmy Weissman
Emmy Weissman is a theatre artist and arts educator based in NYC. She is committed to providing high-quality, accessible arts education to young people. read more
Garry Novikoff
Garry Novikoff is a Bronx-born singer/songwriter whose talent spans many genres. He is a recipient of the ASCAP Joe Raposo Award for Children’s Music. read more
Jess Mount
Jess Mount is a NYC based artist, educator, administrator, and choreographer and is so grateful to be working with NYCCT! She believes exploration and discovery through the arts is essential for the emotional and cognitive growth of all humans. read more
Julia Sharpe-Levine
Julia Sharpe-Levine is an artist, educator, writer, and activist living in Brooklyn. She has a Master's degree in Applied Theatre from CUNY's School of Professional Studies. read more
Kasia Klimiuk
Kasia Klimiuk is a New York-based performance artist, teaching artist, director and arts administrator. She believes theatre has the power to transform and transcend into all aspects of our lives. read more
Kassandra Pérez
Kassandra Pérez: A Cuban-American born Jersey girl is an actor, creator, writer, performer, teaching artist and applied theatre practitioner based in the NYC area read more
Kimberly Hale
Kimberly Hale grew up in Iowa where she studied Performing Arts & Musical Theatre at Iowa State University. She currently works in New York City as a Teaching Artist (specializing as a Director/Choreographer) and also works as an ASL-English Interpreter. read more
Kit Goldstein Grant
Kit Goldstein Grant is a New York City-based composer, lyricist, librettist and teaching artist. She is delighted to be teaching with NYCCT! read more
Laura Galindo
Laura Galindo is a theatre and music maker based in NYC. She believes deeply in the power of early exposure to the arts and is excited to bring her passion for theatre and music to the young artists of New York City! read more
Lily Lipman
Lily Lipman loves working with NYCCT as a teaching artist and is thrilled to join them this year as both a teaching artist and Accessibility Coordinator. read more
Lynda DeFuria
Lynda DeFuria is a New Jersey born, Las Vegas raised singer, songwriter, actress and teaching artist currently living in New York City. read more
Mandy Nicole Moore
Mandy is currently pursuing her Masters in Applied Theatre at CUNY. Mandy is super passionate about contemporary theatre, great story telling, comedy and theatre for social justice and has been seen performing them all regionally and locally in NYC theatre. read more
Meghan Grover
Meghan Grover Meghan Grover is so grateful to return for her 5th year with NYCCT. read more
Nicole Serra
Nicole Serra is a theatre artist and educator. As a teaching artist, she has worked with Creative Arts Team, Leap, CentreStage, and Theatre Arts Center, among others. read more
Psacoya Guinn
Psacoya Guinn is extremely excited to join NYCCT as a teaching artist, after working as an education apprentice during the 2016-2017 school year. read more
Rachael Feldman
Rachael is a teaching artist, facilitator, and performer local to Brooklyn. They hold a Masters in Applied Theatre from CUNY SPS, as well as a BFA in Acting from Adelphi University. read more
Rae Wilson
Rae Wilson is an actress & a dancer who is passionate about making the arts accessible to all populations and regardless of income or ability. read more
Remi Adewole
Remi is a versatile singer, actress and performer who delights in sharing her gifts with adults and children of all ages. She began her journey with NYCCT when she joined the cast of “FIVE” in 2018. read more
Sindy Castro
Sindy Isabel Castro is an actress, educator, and theatre artist. She is co-founder of Jugando N Play, a multilingual theatre for young audiences. read more
Vanessa Vivas
Vanessa Vivas is a Venezuelan actress, director, multi-hyphenate creator, and arts administrator based in NYC. Raised in the city of Doha, Qatar, she has taken her hybrid identity and infused it into her work, focusing on multidimensional storytelling. read more
Yvonne Roen
Yvonne Roen is an actress, director, and songwriter living and working in tri-state area. She enjoys creating and performing classical as well as avant-garde works. read more
Zeynep Akca
Zeynep Akca is a Brooklyn-based teaching artist and director. She is originally from Istanbul, Turkey. She’s an actor-teacher with NYCCT’s anti-bullying campaign. read more
Join Our Team
Check out the Job Openings and Residencies at New York City Children’s Theater and apply today!