Faculty
Theatre
Roxanne
Amico*
Professor, Resident Designer
Roxanne Amico has designed scenery, costumes and lighting for over 120 productions at Cedar Crest since 1981. She is a member of the United Scenic Artists Local 829 and a graduate of Northwestern University with an M.F.A. in stage design. She holds a BA in theatre and English from Heidelberg College. She has served in many leadership roles at Cedar Crest over the years including for 22 years Chairperson of the Performing Arts Department, Dean of Academic Services, Dean of Faculty, Acting Provost and Cedar Crest College Trustee. In addition to designing for mainstage theatre and dance productions annually, she also teaches in Honors Program as well as various courses in theatre.
Email: rtamico@cedarcrest.edu
Ex:
3440
Tim Brown
Assistant Professor, Director of Forensic Speech
Tim has worked
professionally in the theatre for
over 15 years as a director, actor, and
playwright. Tim has directed over 35
productions regionally and
nationally, and performed in over 45
different productions. His work has
been seen in Washington, DC,
Milwaukee, Baltimore, New York
City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia,
Toronto, Minneapolis, Winnipeg,
and Chicago, as well as in places as
close as his current community of
Allentown, PA and as far away as
Bratislava, Slovakia. He is a member
of the Society of Stage Directors and
Choreographers (SSDC). Tim has
been a member of Funkopolis since
1998 and currently serves as the
artistic director. He co-directed and
performed several different roles
onstage in the inaugural production
of Funkopolis, 3 Stories to the
Ground. He conceived, co-wrote and
directed Bochenski’s Brain, and
directed the Funkopolis production
of Audioplay Two: Safe by Jakov Lind(Peculiar Works Big Art Festival,
NYC). Peculiar Works has also
commissioned two original pieces
from Funkopolis, including a
remembrance of Judson House in
New York City, Rite #55:
Wonderwall Elegy, which he also
directed. His homage to Richard
Foreman, Words from Richard, was
invited to the Istropolitana
International Festival of Puppetry.
Tim made his premiere as a
playwright with the Funkopolis
production of An Exquisite Dream of
Fire, which he also directed for its
World Premiere (Theatre Project,
Baltimore). In addition to his work
with Funkopolis, Tim works as a
free-lance director in his Lehigh
Valley community, as well as in
collaboration with theatres across the
country. He served as assistant
director for the Broadway premiere
of Squonk (Helen Hayes Theatre).
Recent productions include Proof,
Dear Edwina (Cedar Crest College)
and Batboy: the Musical (The Theatre
Outlet). Favorite theatrical
experiences include working with
Maria Irene Fornes on her
production of Mud (Milwaukee
Repertory Theater) and performing
and working within the ensemble to
create an original piece with Daniel
Stein, entitled Going Forward
Backward. Tim earned his BA inTheatre and English from Marquette
University in Milwaukee, as well as
his MFA in Theatre from Towson
University.
Email: tbrown@cedarcrest.edu
Ext: 3581
Erik Honsel
Creative Drama
Erik teaches
Creative Drama in Education and Integrating Arts Throughout
the Curriculum
at Cedar Crest College. Erik received his B.A. in theatre from
DeSales University and his
M.Ed. from East Stroudsburg University. He has also studied
educational theatre with a
Creative Arts Team at New York University. Erik is a middle
school theatre arts teacher
for the Nazareth School District. He has received the Howard
Clopp Exemplary Teachers
award from Cedar Crest College, the College of Education’s
Outstanding Educator Award
from Lehigh University, and was nominated for Best Practices
in the Arts in Pennsylvania.
Ellen Ann Kafkalas*
President of Friends of Cedar Crest Theatre, Program Editor
Ellen Ann has
twenty years of nonprofit arts management experience.
The marketing director
for the Cedar Crest Stage Company and the director of marketing
of The Town Hall Concert Hall
in New York City, her other experiences include working as
director of publicity/box office treasurer
for the Mt. Washington Valley Theatre Company, press assistant
for the Berkshire Theatre Festival
and creating a working publicity/marketing office for the Cedar
Crest Stage Company while a
student. Founder of an alumnae-based fund raising organization,
the Friends of Cedar Crest Theatre,
Ellen Ann has a B.A. in theatre from Cedar Crest College and
is a produced playwright.
Email: ekafkala@cedarcrest.edu
Ext:
4608
Kevin Gallagher
Assistant Professor, Performing Arts Depatment Chair
Kevin received
his BA from Allentown College OSFS and his MFA from the
University of Connecticut.
He was the Production Manager at the Barter Theatre (LORT D)
in Abingdon VA. He has also spent
time as the Technical Director for Emerson College in Boston
MA and at Ramapo College in Mahwah NJ.
Email:kpgallag@cedarcrest.edu
Ext:
3439
Rebecca Callan
Costume Director
Rebecca has
worked in many costume shops around
the country including Imagination Las
Vegas, Santa Fe Opera, and Kalamazoo
Civic Theatre. She received her B.A.
from Carroll College in Waukesha, WI.
Email: rrcallan@cedarcrest.edu
Ext: 3583
Marion McCorry
Assistant Professor, Acting & Directing
Marion has taught
at the College of William and Mary, Bennington College,
Marymount Manhattan
College, and is presently teaching at The Herbert Berghof Studio
as well as Cedar Crest College.
She has appeared in the Actor’s Theater of Louisville’s
Humana Festival’s production of The Trestle
at Pope Lick Creek as well as ATL’s productions of Dracula,
A Perfect Ganesh, Lots of Love Gertrude,
and Ever Thine Thornton for their Classics in Context
Series. Additional credits include: The Snow Ball
at Buffalo Studio Arena; Dancing at Lughnasa and the Sum
of Us at Rochester’s GeVa Theatre; Later
Life at Albany’s Capitol Repertory Theatre and Reckless at
the Pittsburgh Public Theater. She has
appeared off-Broadway in Extremities, in the feature
films Signs, The Thomas Crown Affair, and on
television in Spin City and Law and Order.
Email: mmccorry@cedarcrest.edu
Ext:
3442
Dot Hemerly
Musical Director, Adjunct Faculty
Dot started
her musical education at age three. The accordion, saxophone, clarinet, then
piano, became the loves of her life. She received her B.S. in Music Ed. at
Ithaca College, then her Master's Degree at S.U.N.Y. at Fredonia, NY. Dot
is a retired public school teacher, a substitute organist, a director/accompanist
(experienced in most theatre companies in the Lehigh Valley). Names, dates,
places of those experiences are too numerous to mention, here. Cedar Crest
College has treated Dot well. She considers it home!
Dance
Robin Gerchman*
Assistant Professor, Director of Dance Program
Modern, Jazz, Dance Composition, Dance Pedagogy, Modern Ensemble
Robin Gerchman is an MFA candidate at Goddard College. She holds an EdM in Dance Education from Temple University and a BFA in Dance from the College of Performing Arts in Philadelphia. Mrs. Gerchman has studied dance education and advocacy under Dr. Karen Bond and Dr. Luke Kahlich. Among her many training experiences, she had the privilege to work with Risa Steinberg and privately with Ann Vachon of the Jose Limon Dance Company. She is a charter member of the National Dance Education Organization, a member of the Congress on Research in Dance, International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, Americans for the Arts, included in the National Registry of Dance Educators and is recognized in the 1995, 1998 and 2000 editions of Who’s Who Among American Educators. Robin has also been invited to participate in UNITY, an organization that serves to bridge the gap between dance education in Higher Education, Public Schools and the Private sector. She is the advisor for Nu Delta Alpha, a Dance Honor Society that recognizes individuals’ contributions to dance performance. In addition to directing the Dance Program, she is the director of the Cedar Crest College Dance Company.
Email: rmgerchm@cedarcrest.edu
Ex:
3373
Michelle Jacobs
Assistant Professor
Modern, Jazz, Experiencing Movement I & II, Dance History I & II, Cultural Dynamics of Movement
Michelle Jacobs holds an MFA in Choreography and Performance from Temple University and a BFA in Dance Education and Performance from the University of the Arts. She is also a certified Ballroom instructor and a classically trained pianist. Mrs. Jacob’s performance experiences include various theatres throughout the Philadelphia area such as the Merriam, Painted Bride, Museum of Natural Sciences, the Gallery Axiom and the Drake Theatre. She was an original member of Tap Team II and Company of Philadelphia. She has served as an adjunct faculty or guest artist at Temple University, Dickinson College, The University of the Arts and Rowan University.
Email: mmjacobs@cedarcrest.edu
Ex:
3373
Kathleen Bibalo
Modern
Kathleen Bibalo holds a BA in both Classical Studies (Greek emphasis) and Dance from Dickinson College. She received her early training at the Scranton Civic Ballet School, Burklyn Ballet Theatre, and programs with Cherie Noble. Her performance credits include work with many NYC choreographers including Skip Costa/COREmovement, Giada Ferrone, JoAnna Mendl Shaw, Max Stone, Lars Rosager, and LKB Dance. She also had the opportunity to perform with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Broadway Cares, and The American Dance Machine. For four years she was a member of Dance Council Movement Theatre and served as Assistant to the Director for one year. With Dance Council, she performed at many venues across the country and abroad. She was fortunate to be invited to apprentice with Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and Momix last summer where she learned a lot about contemporary ballet and composition tools. Her teaching experience covers many genres of dance and conditioning. She has taught dance at The Scranton Civic Ballet, Pa Governor's School for the Arts, Temple 3 University, The University of Scranton, Dickinson College, and currently teaches as adjunct faculty at Muhlenberg College in the dance department. Her choreography has been seen at the Scranton Civic Ballet, Muhlenberg College, Dickinson College, Cedar Crest College, and at special functions and benefits. She is a certified Pilates instructor receiving her training from the Kane School of Core Integration, where she has continued training in Pilates for dancers and dance injuries. She also spent a year and a half studying Stott Technique at Sheri's Pilates Studio in Kingston, PA.
Pattie Bostick
Jazz, Ballet, Jazz Ensemble
Pattie Bostick has been teaching and dancing professionally all over the world since 1989. Her travels have taken her across the United States, Europe, China, Japan and the Caribbean. She has had the privelege of working with many celebrities including Dick Clark, Donald Trump, Englebert Humperdink, Pat Cooper, Clint Holmes and magician Robert Gallup. Ms. Bostick has been choreographing shows and special events for Confetti Entertainment since 1994. She is certified with Dance Educator’s of America and the American Council on Exercise and has taught at conventions for both DEA and Dance Olympus. Pattie is Co-owner with her mother of the Patricia Bostick Dance Center. She is currently on the faculty of both Cedar Crest and Muhlenberg Colleges.
Margo Clifford Ging
Ballet, Pointe, Ballet Ensemble
Margo Clifford Ging is the Founder and Artistic Director of DanceGing, a contemporary dance company based in the Lehigh Valley. As a professional dancer, Margo has danced with the Pennsylvania, Harkness and Nevada Opera Ballet, as well as Joan Kerr’s Modern Dance Company. She has traveled throughout the United States and the Caribbean, dancing for Bucks County Playhouse, Resorts International, Princess Casinos and the MGM Grand. Currently, Ms. Ging serves a Co-Director of the Dance Division at Pennsylvania Youth Theatre and has choreographed for PYT’s Mainstage Productions of The Wizard of Oz, Babes in Toyland, Narnia, Peter Pan and Snow Over Bethlehem. Working as a Physical Therapist Assistant, she specializes in Performing Arts Medicine.
Nicole Hockenberry
Tap, Tap Ensemble
Nicole Hockenberry is a former member of Manhattan Tap, a touring rhythm tap company. While working with the company and performing with such tap legends as James “Buster” Brown, LaVaughn Robinson, Heather Cornell, Savion Glover, Dianne “Lady Di” Walker, Jeannie Hill and Germaine Salsberg, she became overwhelmed at the musicality of her art. An accomplished improvisational performer, Nicole has shared the stage of many tap festivals and National Tap Dance Day celebrations and continues to educate her audiences in the relationship between jazz music and tap dance. As an educator, she is dedicated to teaching the importance of musicality and inner rhythm. Nicole is also the Artistic Director of T.A.P. Company and school, located in Easton, PA.
Kathleen Treat
Jazz, Experiencing Movement I and II
Kathleen Treat holds a BFA in Dance and Literature from Kutztown University and is a graduate of the Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts. Mrs. Treat has studied with the Boston Ballet Company, Pittsburgh Ballet and locally with the Lehigh Valley Ballet Guild under the direction of Alexi Ramov. She is the Owner of Steps In Time Academy for Dance Studies in Allentown.
Tabatha Robinson-Scott
Experiencing Movement I and II, Cultural Dynamics
Tabatha Robinson-Scott is a native of the Lehigh Valley. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Dance and Fine Arts as well as her Master’s in Education from Temple University. During that time, she was a member of Kariamu & Company, an African based dance company in Philadelphia, and a guest artist for the Seventh Principle Performance Company. She has recently choreographed for In Motion Dance Company in New Jersey, Let’s Dance Company in South Carolina and her work was selected this October by Temple University’s Alumni Concert. She continues to train, work, and perform for several sports teams and well-known choreographers in Philadelphia, Detroit and New York City. She is currently the artistic director of her own company, The Monarch Dance Company, now based in the Lehigh Valley. Tabatha has taught throughout the tri-state area including at Temple University, Muhlenberg College’s Children’s School and Stockton College of New Jersey. She is now full-time faculty at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts in Bethlehem and adjunct faculty at Cedar Crest College.
Associations
The dance faculty is affiliated with and participates as active members of the following organizations
American College Dance Festival Association
Lehigh Valley Council on the Arts
Lehigh Valley Consortium
National Dance Association
National Dance Educators Organization
Congress on Research in Dance
Dance Educators of America
Americans for the Arts
International Association of Dance Medicine and Science
Music
Allan Birney
Email: adbirney@cedarcrest.edu Ex: 3485
* member of Alpha Psi Omega