Conservatory Staff
David Catanzarite, Artistic Director
David is both a master stage director and expert educator, with 32 years of teaching and directing experience. He has directed more than 120 professional and college productions internationally and on both coasts, including Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Toronto. Catanzarite began his teaching career at the age of 21 as an adjunct theatre instructor at Stanford University. He is currently a member of the Theatre Arts faculty at California State University, San Bernardino's Palm Desert Campus, and teaches Honors English at Rancho Mirage High School. He served full-time as head of the Directing programs at Pomona College (Claremont, CA) and Towson University (Baltimore, MD). He has also taught at UCLA; the University of Southern California; the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts; the California State Universities at Los Angeles and Northridge; and five California community colleges.
David is both a master stage director and expert educator, with 32 years of teaching and directing experience. He has directed more than 120 professional and college productions internationally and on both coasts, including Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Toronto. Catanzarite began his teaching career at the age of 21 as an adjunct theatre instructor at Stanford University. He is currently a member of the Theatre Arts faculty at California State University, San Bernardino's Palm Desert Campus, and teaches Honors English at Rancho Mirage High School. He served full-time as head of the Directing programs at Pomona College (Claremont, CA) and Towson University (Baltimore, MD). He has also taught at UCLA; the University of Southern California; the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts; the California State Universities at Los Angeles and Northridge; and five California community colleges.
Mark C. Austin, Music Director
Originally hailing from Portland Maine, Mark C. Austin holds a B. E. in Music Education from the University of Maine, a M. Mus. from New England Conservatory in Choral Conducting, and did doctoral level study in voice and choral conducting at the Eastman School of Music. He has performed as a singer or conductor with several sacred and secular music ensembles over the years, and has been working as a musical theater director starting at the Theater at Monmouth (Maine) in 1983. Mark has taught music at the Elementary, Secondary and Post-Secondary level, was formerly Director of Choral Music at Providence College, and was a regular guest lecturer at Stanford University, and the Eastman School of Music.
Mark is currently a professional conductor/singer, serving as Artistic Director for Harmonic Voices, as the Music Director for the Green Room Theatre Company and as a bass in the choir and chamber singers at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert. He also is a regular guest teacher in music for several public and private school systems in the Coachella Valley.
Originally hailing from Portland Maine, Mark C. Austin holds a B. E. in Music Education from the University of Maine, a M. Mus. from New England Conservatory in Choral Conducting, and did doctoral level study in voice and choral conducting at the Eastman School of Music. He has performed as a singer or conductor with several sacred and secular music ensembles over the years, and has been working as a musical theater director starting at the Theater at Monmouth (Maine) in 1983. Mark has taught music at the Elementary, Secondary and Post-Secondary level, was formerly Director of Choral Music at Providence College, and was a regular guest lecturer at Stanford University, and the Eastman School of Music.
Mark is currently a professional conductor/singer, serving as Artistic Director for Harmonic Voices, as the Music Director for the Green Room Theatre Company and as a bass in the choir and chamber singers at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert. He also is a regular guest teacher in music for several public and private school systems in the Coachella Valley.
Karen Lin, Associate Producer
Karen Lin is the founding President and Associate Producer of Green Room Theatre Company (GRTC). She is a National Board Certified teacher and a California State Credentialed teacher. She taught in public elementary school in various grades for a ten-year span. During this time, she also helped reboot theatre education in inner city elementary schools by teaching for the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Arts Prototype Program. Her leadership in arts education garnered an award as Getty Fellow in the Teacher’s Art Study Program at the Getty Museum.
She has produced and directed children's excerpts of Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, and Mary Poppins. She also co-directed 13 The Musical, Story Theatre, and The Mice Council, a new play by Tony Padilla. She has devised and directed dozens of short pieces for children including The Stinky Cheese Man, Holiday Shuffle, Three Little Javelinas, It Could Be Worse, The Peddler and the Monkeys, Ant and Grasshopper, Bird, Bat and Beast, The Bullfrog, I’m Not Santa, Christmas in July, The Baker’s Dozen, The Princess and the Bowling Ball, Dog Cries Wolf, The Golden Touch, The Moneylender, Casey at the Bat, When Twins Go to War, and dozens of other compositions.
Locally, she is very active as a Community Partner for the Ophelia Project, a national project providing support to at risk teens. In addition to all this, Karen is an accomplished pianist and musical accompanist.
Karen Lin is the founding President and Associate Producer of Green Room Theatre Company (GRTC). She is a National Board Certified teacher and a California State Credentialed teacher. She taught in public elementary school in various grades for a ten-year span. During this time, she also helped reboot theatre education in inner city elementary schools by teaching for the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Arts Prototype Program. Her leadership in arts education garnered an award as Getty Fellow in the Teacher’s Art Study Program at the Getty Museum.
She has produced and directed children's excerpts of Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, and Mary Poppins. She also co-directed 13 The Musical, Story Theatre, and The Mice Council, a new play by Tony Padilla. She has devised and directed dozens of short pieces for children including The Stinky Cheese Man, Holiday Shuffle, Three Little Javelinas, It Could Be Worse, The Peddler and the Monkeys, Ant and Grasshopper, Bird, Bat and Beast, The Bullfrog, I’m Not Santa, Christmas in July, The Baker’s Dozen, The Princess and the Bowling Ball, Dog Cries Wolf, The Golden Touch, The Moneylender, Casey at the Bat, When Twins Go to War, and dozens of other compositions.
Locally, she is very active as a Community Partner for the Ophelia Project, a national project providing support to at risk teens. In addition to all this, Karen is an accomplished pianist and musical accompanist.
Deanne Anders, Lead Teaching Artist
Deanne Anders is delighted to join The Green Room Theatre Company’s summer program as a theatre artist in residence. A life long thespian, she graduated from UCLA with a theatre degree in directing. After a ten year career in television production, including Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and many network specials, she moved to Santa Barbara to start a family. Deanne enrolled and received her K-12 Multi-subject California teaching credential at UCSB. The next year, she began a fourteen-year career at Marymount of Santa Barbara as the Drama Specialist. |
At the same time, she formed an award winning non-profit with a Marymount parent, Connie Lambert, called Santa Barbara Youth Theatre. Deanne also attended and passed a summer intensive, Directing for Educators, at Yale. Her youth theatre shows include West Side Story, L’il Abner, School House Rock, The Diviners, How to Succeed in Business, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Romeo and Juliet, Starmites, The Crucible, The Miracle Worker, and Footloose. Deanne is honored to have received the Marymount Christmas Star in 2004 and a theatre award is given out in her name at Marymount's graduation for outstanding work in performing arts.
Moving to the Coachella Valley, Deanne taught an after-school program in theatre for young students 8-12 at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. After that program, for next seven years she was the head of the Xavier College Preparatory High School theatre department in Palm Desert, California. Productions at Xavier included Music Man, Guys and Dolls, 12 Angry Jurors, The Diviners, Fiddler on the Roof, and Urinetown. Deanne is proud to have students who have gone on to successful careers in the television, film and stage industry after graduating from many fine performing colleges including USC, NYU, Columbia, and Juilliard. Santa Barbara Youth Theatre received the CETA Organization Contributor to Theatre Education award in October 2005, and Deanne is an honored retired member of DTASC of Southern California.
Moving to the Coachella Valley, Deanne taught an after-school program in theatre for young students 8-12 at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. After that program, for next seven years she was the head of the Xavier College Preparatory High School theatre department in Palm Desert, California. Productions at Xavier included Music Man, Guys and Dolls, 12 Angry Jurors, The Diviners, Fiddler on the Roof, and Urinetown. Deanne is proud to have students who have gone on to successful careers in the television, film and stage industry after graduating from many fine performing colleges including USC, NYU, Columbia, and Juilliard. Santa Barbara Youth Theatre received the CETA Organization Contributor to Theatre Education award in October 2005, and Deanne is an honored retired member of DTASC of Southern California.
Haley Izurieta, Choreographer
Haley has been with Green Room Theater Company for eight years. She started as a
student and eventually became staff. She has not only performed in productions with the company,
but also choreographed multiple shows. She choreographed and performed
in Mary Poppins, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. For fifteen years, Haley has been expanding her knowledge in Dance. She has a deep knowledge in all styles of dance.
Haley currently attends Fullerton College for Dance and Musical Theater. This year she had the opportunity to choreograph American Idiot at Fullerton College. Haley has been a part of many dance competition teams, and has been competing for six years. She was director for the award winning youth team, iLLusionist dance crew.
Haley has a passion not only for dance, but for acting as well. She won a Desert Star Award for the role of Penny Pingleton in Hairspray, and has has performed in numerous plays and musicals including Look Homeward Angel, All in the Timing.Seussical, The House of Bernarda Alba, and Seussical. She is currently appearing in In the Heights at the Palm Canyon Theatre.
Haley has been with Green Room Theater Company for eight years. She started as a
student and eventually became staff. She has not only performed in productions with the company,
but also choreographed multiple shows. She choreographed and performed
in Mary Poppins, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. For fifteen years, Haley has been expanding her knowledge in Dance. She has a deep knowledge in all styles of dance.
Haley currently attends Fullerton College for Dance and Musical Theater. This year she had the opportunity to choreograph American Idiot at Fullerton College. Haley has been a part of many dance competition teams, and has been competing for six years. She was director for the award winning youth team, iLLusionist dance crew.
Haley has a passion not only for dance, but for acting as well. She won a Desert Star Award for the role of Penny Pingleton in Hairspray, and has has performed in numerous plays and musicals including Look Homeward Angel, All in the Timing.Seussical, The House of Bernarda Alba, and Seussical. She is currently appearing in In the Heights at the Palm Canyon Theatre.
Kirsten Cunningham, Lights/Projection Designer
Kirsten Cunningham’s interest in theatre started at a young age but it wasn’t until high school that she established an actual connection to the art. Throughout high school, she worked various types of tech (i.e. sound, lighting, and costuming) for shows, including Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray and numerous smaller productions. Currently, Kirsten attends San Francisco State University, where she has narrowed her technical focus to Lighting Design and Creation. This means that not only can she design a show, but she can also physically produce and hang the light plot. Under the instruction of excellent professors she has learned to become a Lighting Designer and Master Electrician. Her most recent work was as Assistant Master Electrician for Chicago, which was the largest show San Francisco State University ever produced. The lighting plot included more than 500 individual lighting instruments, intelligent lighting fixtures, and 480 bulbs that had to be socketed and wired by hand. |
Nick Wass, Junior Board Member and Publicity Intern
Nick has starred in many roles and productions, including Desert Ensemble Theatre Company’s Expressions, Children’s Playtime Productions Shrek the Musical (Lord Farquaad,) and Palm Springs High School Theatre Company’s 12 Angry Jurors. He will appear later this season with Desert Ensemble Theatre Company's production of The Thespian Radio Hour, by local writer Tony Padilla. Nick has sixteen films under his belt, including the shorts Victim, The Dropout, and Murder. He recently won second place in the regional finals of the English Speaking Union national Shakespeare Competition. As much as he loves his work on the stage, Nick also appreciates work behind the scenes and often takes key positions backstage. Nick has recently been stage managing at Palm Canyon Theatre. Previously, Nick has stage managed Rock of Ages, Deathtrap, and You Can’t Take It With You, as well as Envy and The Enchanted Oasis at the Riverside County Fair Date Festival, and December In Our Town at Children’s Playtime Productions. |
Jacqueline Merritt, Teaching Intern
Jacqueline is a Palm Desert native and veteran of eight years with Green Room Conservatory. She has just graduated from the Orange County High School of the Arts (OCSA) with a 4.0 academic GPA. Her roles in Green Room productions have included Golde (Fiddler on the Roof), Nancy (Oliver!) and Miss Andrews (Mary Poppins). At OCSA her artistic focus was Playwriting,where she was a semi-finalist two years in a row at the Blank Theatre’s Young Playwright’s Festival. She published numerous features in the Creative Writing Department’s award winning literary magazine Inkblot. At OCSA, Jacqueline also studied advanced musical theatre, dance, improvisation, vocal ensemble, and slam poetry, as well as stage makeup, prop design, and stage management.
She will attend University of California, Santa Cruz in the fall to double-major in Human Psychology and Theatre Arts.
Jacqueline is a Palm Desert native and veteran of eight years with Green Room Conservatory. She has just graduated from the Orange County High School of the Arts (OCSA) with a 4.0 academic GPA. Her roles in Green Room productions have included Golde (Fiddler on the Roof), Nancy (Oliver!) and Miss Andrews (Mary Poppins). At OCSA her artistic focus was Playwriting,where she was a semi-finalist two years in a row at the Blank Theatre’s Young Playwright’s Festival. She published numerous features in the Creative Writing Department’s award winning literary magazine Inkblot. At OCSA, Jacqueline also studied advanced musical theatre, dance, improvisation, vocal ensemble, and slam poetry, as well as stage makeup, prop design, and stage management.
She will attend University of California, Santa Cruz in the fall to double-major in Human Psychology and Theatre Arts.