Joe DeMita is one of the founders, and current Artistic Director, of The F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company, Inc. He graduated from Stonehill College in 2005 with a degree in psychology. Favorite directing credits include Company, Urinetown, The House of Blue Leaves, Into the Woods, Bat Boy, I Love You Because, Fuddy Meers, and the Boston premiere of the musical bare. Joe has also served as the directing intern to Rob Ruggiero at TheatreWorks Hartford on productions of The Exonerated (featuring TV/Film star Kim Fields) and the world premiere musical Ella: Off the Record (starring Broadway's Tina Fabrique). During the summer, Joe works in the pre-school program of the KIDSTOCK! Educational Theater Center. During the school year, Joe teaches 7th grade drama in Brookline, and also serves as the coordinator and teacher for the 3rd and 4th grade Runkle Extended Day program at the same school.

Samm Hammel, Director/Founder has been coaching young actors, singers, and dancers since 1998. She graduated from Wagner College in 2006 with a B.A. in Theater Education. Samm has studied theater at the Walnut Hill School for Performing Arts under Eileen O'Brien and Kirstin McKinney; dance at Broadway Dance Center (NY) and Dancers Workshop (MA); and voice with Bob Marks (NY) and Marsha Vleck (MA). In 2002 she had the privilege of working under Lynda St. James at The Cameo Agency, New England's largest talent and modeling agency for kids and teens and was the recipient of the Metrowest 2002 Future Leaders Award. Also in 2002, she produced two full-length children's albums. Samantha co-created Girl Authority with Rounder Records. As a director, Samantha proudly studied under Chris Catt at Wagner College and Snug Harbor Cultural Institute. Currently, Samantha studies at Improv Boston with Will Luera and Dave Sawyer and Tap, Ballet, and African dance with Bonnie Petry. Since the age of fourteen, she has directed, produced, and/or choreographed eleven seasons of The Friends of Broadway, eighteen mainstage musicals, and countless youth musicals. She is overjoyed to have shared so many rewarding experiences with the community and looks forward to many more!

Erin Huelskamp Noted as "startling revelatory" and "electrifying," Erin is a composer, stage director, choreographer, and teacher known especially for her work in the Greater Boston Area. Upcoming projects include composition performances by the Lorelei Ensemble, the Juventas New Music Ensemble, a recording for Cathy Smith, and stage direction with the Harvard's Lowell House Opera, the MIT Gilbert and Sullivan Players, and Wakefield Repertory Theater. Recent projects include stage directing with the Boston Arts Academy and OperaHub, composition performances in the University of Alabama Hunstville New Music Festival and SCI Region VI Conference, the completion of The Year of the Serpent, a comedic, kung-fu opera, and on-going activities as Executive Director and co-founder of the Juventas New Music Ensemble. Erin serves as a certified teacher at Keys for Kids in Lexington and as a music theory faculty member at Boston College. She holds an M.M. in Composition from The Boston Conservatory and B.M. with an emphasis in Composition and Flute Performance from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Erin loves working with kids to embrace the joy of theater, dance, and music; she finds their endless joy and passion infectious! (www.ErinHuelskamp.com)

Tom Violet received his B.A. in Drama/Music from Bennington College in Vermont. He has worked as a director with Samm Hammel since 2004. His inherent belief in a theater that is organic, unexpected, both amusing and transformative, malleable, serious and silly, bare, and accessible and essential, has found a kindred pulse with the Performing Arts Connection.

Carla Gerken has been teaching dance at The Performing Arts Connection since 2008. She graduated from West Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance in 2008. She has extensive training in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and modern dance. She has recently choreographed musicals for Metrowest Family Theater, RJ Grey Middle School, and the youth musicals at The Performing Arts Connection. She currently dances and performs with Adagio Big Band, Mill City Dancers, and takes various dance classes around Boston. She loves teaching and sharing her love of dance with others!

Eden Roessel graduated from Skidmore College in 2008 with a B.S. in Dance. At Skidmore, Eden studied ballet, modern, jazz, and tap, performed in many faculty and student choreographed shows, and produced her own choreography. She also had the chance to work with guest artists from Doug Varone and Dancers and American Ballet Theatre, among others, and performed in works choreographed by Isadora Duncan, Doris Humphrey, Donald McKayle, and Robert Battle. Most recently, Eden completed an internship with the National Dance Education Organization, and studied with the Martha Graham Dance Company during their summer residency at Skidmore. Eden has been teaching dance ever since graduating and is excited to be joining the team at The Performing Arts Connection!

John Bower is entering his fourth year teaching voice at The Performing Arts Connection. He holds a B.A. in music theory/composition and vocal performance from Haverford College. JB currently works full time at The Rivers School in Weston where he teaches 7th and 8th grade French, directs the Middle School Select Chorus, and serves as the school's Directory of Diversity. In February of 2010, he was names director of his semi-professional a capella group, "Redline," that performs for private and public functions in the Boston area. He recently starred as Joseph in Metrowest Family Theater's production of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and is also an active music director for that company, amongst others in the area.

Lauren Elena Drapek has been on staff at The Performing Arts Connection since the summer of 2006. She holds a B.Mus. in Music Education with a concentration in Vocal Performance from New York University and an Ed.M. in Learning & Teaching from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Lauren currently teaches music at the VOICE Charter School in New York City and previously taught at the Susan B. Anthony School of Fine Arts in Revere. She has trained in both classical and musical theatre singing, most recently under Professors Erin Heisel and Gregory Sheppard. Though primarily a musical theatre singer, Lauren has had extensive experience performing instrumental music (particularly piano) and in a cappella ensembles. She has years of experience as a performer, director, music director, and educator through New York University, Danvers Youth Theatre, Inverse Theater Co. (NYC), the North Shore Music Theater, and others. Despite her current distance from the the studio, Lauren plans to remain a member of The Performing Arts Connection family!

Michelle Drapek recently graduated from Boston University with a BA in International Relations and Italian. As a student, she was both a member and the business manager of "In Achord," BU's original co-ed a cappella group. Michelle trained in classical voice and piano at the Chopin Conservatory under Professor Christina Dietrich and Danuta Sava Wysocka. Michelle has performed in several theatrical productions with Danvers Youth Theatre and Danvers High School Academy Theatre, including 42nd Street (Anytime Annie), Guys & Dolls (Adelaide), and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Drood). She directed music for Seussical the Musical at Pope John XXIII High School in Everett, MA, and taught for the Summer Stages programs at North Shore Music Theatre for two years. Michelle has taught various workshops at The Performing Arts Connection and is thrilled to be working on the production of Once On This Island, Jr. this fall with Samm.

Jaclyn Kottman is thrilled to join the TPAC team as the Music Director for Summer 2011! She hails from Appleton, WI where she is in her final year pursuing a Bachelors of Music degree in Choral/General Music Education from Lawrence University and Conservatory of Music. Jaclyn has taught at the Atlanta Young Singers (Music Theory and Voice) as well as the Lawrence Conservatory of Music (Asst. Music Director for Sondheim's Into the Woods), and currently serves as Children's Choir Director at the First United Methodist Church of Appleton. She is especially excited to teach musicals this summer, given her past experiences in West Side Story (Maria), Pirates of Penzance, Little Shop of Horrors, Anything Goes and Fiddler on the Roof. Jaclyn loves teaching because she believes there is nothing better than learning and growing through music (and having fun while doing it!)

Kaoruko Pilkington is one of TPAC's resident voice instructors. She is a voice instructor at Berklee College of Music and she is on the Jazz voice faculty at The Rivers School Conservatory. Kaoruko is a Level III Certified instructor of Somatic Voicework™ (LoVetri method). Kaorukoe is a skilled Jazz singer, arranger, and bandleader. She performs, teaches and gives clinics in New England area as well as her native country, Japan. Her objective of vocal teaching is healthy and organic with an emphasis on technique and strong voice production.

Wendy Heye is thrilled to have joined The Performing Arts Connection team this year as the Front Desk Manager. Wendy began her career as a teacher and then moved into the pharmaceutical industry where she spent over 15 years in various roles. For the last several years, she has enjoyed being at home with her 3 children. She is currently the Youth Music Director at St. John Lutheran Church in Sudbury where she loves working with kids and music. In her free time she enjoys spending time with friends and family.