Core Staff
Terri Steinmann…………… Artistic Director
Ronn Reinberg………………Facility Manager
Rebecca Bartlow……………Executive Administrator
Mandy Metcalfe…………….Summer Production Manager
Noah Berkowitz-Mitchell….Summer Technical Director
Hunter Wallraff…………….Scenic Painter
2008 WEST Creative Team & Guest Artists
Dara Thornton - Dara’s performance background includes 5 years as a professional puppeteer with Wild Wood Puppet Theater. She is the former President of the Wisconsin Children’s Theater Association. Locally Dara entertained hundreds of Santa Cruz youth as a Storyteller at Treehouse Toys for 3 years and has taught in Santa Cruz City School district for 10 years. She was the Thespian Sponsor and produced spring musicals at Pacific Collegiate School. Working with our current team, Dara was the Instructor/Director for , “Introduction to Puppetry,” and “Peter Pan” at Pisces Moon Educ. Theater and this past summer was the Instructor/Director for “Pixies, Kings & Magical Things, ” under our new company, WEST.
Eleni Giannis - Eleni Giannis has been working with WEST since it’s inception. Prior to that she spent ywo years as an Assistant Instructor for Pisces Moon Educational Theatre. She is a SPECTRA Artist through WEST at Amesti Elementary. As a professional Voice over Artsist and Actor based in San Francisco, Eleni hasrecently voiced numerous Video Games and commercials for Verizon. She directed Inspecting Carol for Pisces Moon Educational Theatre in 2006.
Gina Garcia - Gina is a social worker and has been a SPECTRA Artist and teacher for seven years. She teaches visual arts, Capoeira, contemporary dance, creative movement, Afro-Haitian and Brazillian dance to children of all ages in Santa Cruz county. She has led workshops on teen empowerment, setting boundaries and self-defense.
Iman Lizarazu - Ms. Lizarazu is a world-class juggler and physical commedian. As a world-class juggler, a classically trained ballet dancer, mime, and physical comedian, a jester and a fool in the best, old-world sense of the words, her background includes a wide range of comic disciplines from circus arts to commedia dell’arte. Also a talented and extremely creative fine artist, Iman ’s artwork has been seen the annual Santa Cruz County Open Studios.
Joya Winwood - Joya, Improv Theater Teacher, is a Creativity Activist and believes that right now is a good time to re-imagine what it means to be human. Improv theatre players have at their core a resounding “yes” response to offers made by fellow players. There’s no script, only the suggestions for the scenes, initially pulled from the audience. Collaboration abounds! She has led Mothersong: A Multicultural Singalong for Families with Babies for 18 years and has 2 CDs and a DVD Leader’s Guide. Twelve years of teaching improv to kids has been a delight and has led to the Invisible Speedbump Management Improv Classes and Shows.
Luanne Nunes DeChar - Ms. Nunes de Char has directed for the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, The Denver Center, Sea World, Cal Shakes, Denver Children’s Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, The National Theatre Conservatory and several universities. She was Resident Director for ten years at the Denver Center of Performing Arts (Dept. of Educ.) and spent 5 seasons in the Soviet Union doing political theatre with students. She has a B.A. in Theatre from UCLA and an M.F.A. in Directing from USC.
Mandy Metcalfe - Mandy spent four years as part of the Pisces Moon Educational Theatre teaching staff before moving to WEST. She holds a degree in Theater from San Jose State where she was named Best Actress in 2005. She performs regularly around San Jose and played Pantalone in WEST’s innagural staff production, Androcles And The Lion.
Rivera Cook - A graduate of Bennington College, dancer/choreographer Rivera Cook was the 418 Project’s Artist In Residence in 2006, creating the full-length show “A Breath For Nothing”. Soon after, Rivera formed Cook ‘n Company, a local dance/theater troupe to continue making provocative and enjoyable performances such as “We’re Toast” (March ’07); “Jimmy/Joan” (Sept ’07) and “Stone Soup” (Feb-March ’08). Rivera is thrilled to join the WEST teaching team.
Ronn Reinberg - Bio coming soon
Saki - Saki has worked as a dancer and teacher for arts education performances with The New Pickle Circus, Tandy Beal & Company’s “Listening to the Earth” and “Imagine If” shows plus mathdance assemblies and workshops presented by the Dr. Schaffer & Mr. Stern Dance Ensemble. Saki has performed and taught in dozens of Bay Area and Santa Cruz schools though SPECTRA Plus, including a four year residency at Gault Elementary School,Tierra Pacifica, Orchard School, Happy Valley School, Santa Cruz Sports Central, The Mello Center through the Pajaro Valley Center for the Performing Arts, Amesti Elementary, Mount Madonna Middle and High School and the Well Being Center. She has a Bachelor of Fine Art in Modern Dance from the University of Utah. Saki teaches a range of styles including Creative Movement, Choreography and Improvisation, Circus Arts and Skills, Hip Hop, Modern Dance, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Acrobatics and Performance Skills.
Stephanie Golino - Bio coming soon
Terri Steinmann - Ms. Steinmann has enjoyed over two decades of arts education work. Locally, she was the Director of Pisces Moon Educational Theatre for four successful years during which time she and her Creative Team built one of the area’s strongest children’s theatre programs. She has taught at numerous schools in Santa Cruz county as a SPECTRA Artist including Gault, Bayview, Amesti, AFE, Landmark and Delaveaga Schools and is the returning Guest Director each year at St. Catherines in Port Coquitlam, BC. Previously Ms. Steinmann was a Managing Director of the Mizel Cultural Arts Center. She is a Guest Director at St. Catherine’s in Port Coquitlam, BC. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from University of Colorado and has studied at The La Jolla Playhouse, The Globe Theatre and The Denver Center.