Who We Are

Creative Team

Erin Glass (Founder), fell in love with theatre when she attended her first drama class in the 3rd grade in Corsicana, TX. In that class Erin found a place where she felt fully accepted, learned skills she still uses today, and made lifelong friends. She went on to earn a degree in theatre from Pepperdine University and worked in theatre, television, and film, in LA, Edinburgh, and New York. Erin has always loved working with kids and became a teaching artist in 2000 working with kids of all ages. In 2004 Erin created Broadway Bound Kids as a way to provide joyful and creative performing arts classes where kids could gain self esteem, make new friends, and learn about theatre, voice, and dance. Since 2004 Broadway Bound Kids has served thousands of students and has expanded to include master classes, weekend programs, summer programs, trips to see Broadway Shows, full scale musicals, after school programs in schools, and customized workshops. In addition to her work with Broadway Bound Kids, Erin is also an actress, director, and an Emmy Award winning producer. As a producer and director she works mostly with Warrior Poets, (Morgan Spurlock's production company, creator of the Super Size Me documentary.)

Jamie Parganos (Executive Director), naturally gravitated toward theater arts from a very young age. As a child, she would write and direct countless original plays starring various family members and perform them at family gatherings. She began her foray into the field of education as a teaching artist and theater arts coordinator at Queens Lutheran School and the United Federation of Teachers Charter School, where she wrote and directed four original musical productions. As an artist and educator with over twenty years of experience in arts and educational after school programs, Jamie has worked as a Program Director, Education Director and consultant at various organizations throughout New York City, including LEAP, Manhattan Youth, Groundwork (Good Shepherd Services), South Asian Youth Action and the YWCA. While at Groundwork, her program was featured as one of the best in the country in Education Week. She has also participated in leadership panels and administered trainings for the Department of Youth and Community Development and The After School Corporation (TASC). Jamie is also a touring musician and recording artist and has been featured on both college music and Billboard charts. She is honored and excited to be joining the Broadway Bound Kids family as the Executive Director.

Tim Paré (Director of Education and Programs) At age five, Tim begged his parents to put him into a dance class after watching his older sister perform. That year he made his stage debut as the genie in the lamp, with his Jazz company and he’s never looked back. Tim served as the Director of Education for Barrington Stage Company, where he managed a wide scope of arts education programs including the nationally acclaimed Playwright Mentoring Project, recipient of the Coming Up Taller award, the nation’s highest honor in after school programming. Before that Tim was the first Director of Education at Lake Dillon Theatre Company, where he helped build the foundation for their education and community programs. As an educator, Tim has worked with the education programs at Cohoes Music Hall (NY), Warren Consolidated School of Performing Arts (MI), Arts Academy in the Woods (MI), STREB Action Lab’s SLAM (NY), Stagedoor Manor (NY), Granbury Opera House (TX), Little Theatre on the Square (IL), The Co-op School (NY). A graduate of Michigan State University, Tim has worked creatively as a writer, director, choreographer, and performer all over the country.

Andrea Kehler (Marketing Director), made her theatrical debut as Tinkerbell at the age of 4, sparking a lifetime love of the stage and all things with wings. She has been with Broadway Bound Kids for over 10 years, and before creating the position of marketing director, she was the creative director for 2 years and a teaching artist for 3 years. Andrea has been honored to perform with and/or work alongside entertainers including Ben Vereen, Ann Reinking, Katharine McPhee, Paige Davis, Sam Harris, Terrence Mann, Alix Korey, and Charlotte d’Amboise. Her favorite credits include assisting the creative team with the launch of Miss Saigon (2018-2020 national tour), performing with the national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, in The Gregory Hines Tribute at Ann Reinking’s Broadway Theatre Project, and in Drama Desk Award nominated Cut to the Chase (Little Angela). Andrea trains professional voice teachers to coach acting for singers, is a college audition coach with students in all of the top musical theatre schools, and has taught in training programs, universities, dance studios, and schools across the country. She has directed and choreographed many shows, founded the acting program at The School of Blessed Sacrament (NYC) where she also directed the dance program, created the Summer Theatre Project (CO), and has been on faculty at the Theatre Academy at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA). Andrea is also the Producing Artistic Director of Broadway Training Intensive in Denver, CO.

Hadley Cronk (Program Manager), is thrilled to return to Broadway Bound Kids after a stint at the University of Washington pursuing her Masters in Social Work. Hadley had a theatre-obsessed upbringing in Georgia, where she participated in as many local productions as she could. After high school she moved to New York to study Musical Theatre at NYU. Beginning as a Teaching Artist at Broadway Bound Kids, Hadley saw the impact our programming had on kids who were struggling, misunderstood, or just looking for a place to belong. She eventually joined Broadway Bound Kids' administrative staff to help support the programs she loved in a different way. Hadley is looking forward to applying the principles and values of social work to the incredible work already being done by our team in the communities we serve.

Katie Berger (Social Media Assistant), is a playwright, composer, and teaching artist based in Nashville. She received her BFA in Musical Theatre from Northern Kentucky University and immediately began performing and teaching in professional theatre companies around the country. Katie was a teaching artist for Broadway Bound Kids when she lived in NYC. She is the author and composer of Full the Musical, which was staged in NYC. She loves her ukuleles, the musical Spring Awakening, and the band Hanson.

Teaching Artists

Allie Marotta is a Brooklyn based arts educator and collaborative theatre maker. She is the executive director of Sitting Shotgun, an equitable and intersectional theatre production company for emerging artists. Allie attended Royal Holloway University of London (MA Contemporary Performance Practices 2017), as well as Pace University (BA Acting, BA Directing 2016). Allie is passionate about the intersection of art and academics and adores working with students of all ages to introduce them to the world of theatre. She also teaches with Girl Be Heard, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, and Treasure Trunk Theatre.

Ashley Martin is a professional dancer, singer and actor who has performed across the USA in musical theatre and dance. She fell in love with teaching at an early age when she ran a middle school drama program as her Girl Scout Gold Award project when she was just 17 years old. Now she loves to teach ballet, tap, theatre and beyond to a wide variety of ages and levels. She has studied a wide variety dance and theatre genres from the age of 2, and has since graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a degree in Theatre Performance and a minor in dance. She credits her love of connecting with others and the world through arts to all the wonderful teaching artists in her own life, and is honored to carry on that tradition through Broadway Bound Kids.

Brenna Hughes is so excited to be joining the Broadway Bound Kids team! Born in California but also having lived in Ohio and then Oregon, she found her passion for performing at a young age in the world of classical ballet. In middle school, her performance interests expanded to include theatre, largely due to acting classes in after school programs, choir, and musical theatre camp through Oregon Children's Theatre. However, Brenna never lost her love of dance and continued to grow as a dancer through training at The Portland Ballet, summer intensives, and as a member of The Portland Ballet's pre-professional youth company. She moved to New York at 18 to attend Marymount Manhattan College. There she was in many productions including: the devised theatre piece bobrauschenbergamerica, Tartuffe, the new Frank Wildhorn musical Zelda, and was the choreographer for Evita. She found her passion for teaching at Urban Stages Summer Theatre Camp, where for the past three years, she has been their dance teacher, assistant director, and head counselor. She graduated from MMC with a BFA in Acting and Minor in Musical Theatre in May and is looking forward to expanding her horizons as a teaching artist and performer!

Brett Radke is an actor, director, and teaching artist based in NYC. He is a graduate of the Columbia University MFA Acting Program where he was the recipient of the Bob Hope Fellowship. Favorite Columbia credits include The Maids (Solange), Blood Wedding (Bridegroom), and Waiting for Godot (Estragon). Other favorite credits include The Comedy of Errors (Baltazar) at Classic Stage Company, Left in Ink (Tony) at Cleveland Public Theatre, The Pitmen Painters (Young Lad) at The Beck Center, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Alfred/Horatio) at Performance Network. Brett has performed internationally in Greece and Ukraine, and apprenticed with Jeff Daniels’ acclaimed Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, MI. As a teaching artist, Brett has worked with The Play Group Theatre, Classic Stage Company, Great Lakes Theater, and Baldwin Wallace University’s Conservatory Outreach Program.

Collin Meath is a Brooklyn based actor, producer and teaching artist. Selected credits include Phinny Sears on Steven Soderbergh’s The Knick, Law and Order: SVU, the award-winning indie feature Ovum, and appearances onstage at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and Labyrinth Theatre Company. Collin will be seen in the upcoming Netflix series Living With Yourself and is a frequent collaborator with Keep or Destroy Productions.

Courtney Rottenberger has been a Radio City Rockette for the last 7 years and has performed in various other theater productions as well as TV and film. Courtney began her dance training on Long Island at the Marianne Anderson Studio and also trained at the Joffrey School of Ballet. She went on to get her B.S. in dance performance from Skidmore College. She’s taught for the Roundabout Theater Education Program, Rockette summer intensive, and many dance studios in the tri-state area.

Craig Washington is a Dancer/ Choreographer/ Instructor who resides in New York City. He has training in various styles of dance such as Hip Hop, Jazz, African, theater and a variety of street styles. He enjoys performing, creating and teaching the youth.

Delia Kemph is an actor, director, choreographer, and teaching artist from Hoboken, NJ. She grew up performing in NYC and the tri-state area, and received a BFA in Drama from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. As an actor, she's worked with Smith Street Stage, Disney/iTheatrics, Music Theater International, and Mile Square Theater, among other companies. She has facilitated theatre arts classes for children, and has a background in collaborative and devised theatre. Delia's work with NYU's Reality Show, originally conceived by Liz Swados, can be seen in the short documentary Better to Live (official selection of the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival). Her passion for the arts and arts-based education is based in her belief that expression and creativity beget empathy, and vice versa. Delia is thrilled to be working with Broadway Bound Kids!

Elizabeth McGuire is a choreographer, performer and teaching-artist living in New York City. She is the Artistic Director, Co-Founder, and Resident Choreographer of ToUch Performance Art, a multi-media performing arts company specializing in immersive and unique production. She is also the Director of TPA's sister company, ToUch Events, dedicated to creating outstanding arts for events. Outside of ToUch, she has performed with artists such as Sidra Bell, Sinking Ship Productions, and BitterSuite: UK, at BAM. As a teacher, Elizabeth has taught at Manhattan School of Music, Columbia University, and the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University. BFA in Dance from the Boston Conservatory.

Emma Copp Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Emma came to NYC for her BA in music from Fordham University and never left! She considers her love for the arts and education inseparable and has worked with just about every age and performance discipline. Emma wrote her own musical for young audiences and is currently a member of the touring company of Vital Theatre's Pinkalicious and Flight School.

Esther Sanchez A kid at heart, Esther has always had a passion for teaching children. Esther recently graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with her B.A. in Dance, with a concentration in teaching. From thirteen years old, she has been assisting dance classes, and has always had a passion for working with children. Esther's vivacious and whimsical personality allows children to feel inspired, and she hopes that with her they feel uninhibited to use their imaginations and be themselves!

Ingrid Running is a New York based actress, children’s entertainer, and teaching artist who grew up in Spain, Thailand, and northern Virginia. She holds a BFA in Theatre from Pacific Lutheran University and is a graduate of AMDA. This is her second school year with Broadway Bound Kids! Ingrid also leads a weekly Storytime & Singalong for children 0-3 years old, has helped direct and organize a theatrical production starring public-school students with special needs, and she taught weekly science classes for two years at Kidville. She enjoys encouraging students’ creativity, as well as their curiosity about other people and the world around them.

Isaak Olson is originally from a small town you've never heard of in central California; after graduating from the University of California, Irvine, he moved out to NYC to pursue a career in the arts. As a performer, Isaak has had the fortune to cruise the world with Norwegian Entertainment/Regent Cruises, dance in parades at a Disneyland theme park, and perform in over 30 different theaters across the US. Some of his favorite musicals he's performed in include: Les Miserables, Oklahoma, Footloose, Beauty & The Beast, and RENT, just to name a few. In addition to performing, Isaak has worked teaching music and theater to children of all ages all across the country. He teaches everything from music for infants and toddlers, to musical theater to children and teens. Isaak is so excited to get to share his love and passion with all the kiddos of Broadway Bound Kids!

Jackie Kraft is currently working towards her BFA in Acting at Marymount Manhattan College. She is originally from Glen Mills, Pennsylvania and is so thrilled to have the opportunity to study here in NYC. Back in Philly, Jackie interned at People’s Light Theater and performed at the Walnut Street Theater. Jackie also greatly enjoys comedy and is an actor and writer for her school’s Sketch Comedy team. Jackie’s favorite childhood memories were made during theatre classes and camps, and she hopes to help create that same wonderful experience for her students at Broadway Bound Kids.

Jacob Zeranko is an actor, playwright, dramaturg and producer from Baltimore, Maryland. Having recently graduated from Towson University with a BFA in Acting, he spent his time teaching high-school and BFA students, working closely with various directors and department administration, and producing his original play, The Voyager, as part of Towson's 2018/19 Season. New to the city, Jacob is excited to see what’s to come!

Jazmin Luperena is an artivist (artist + activist) who makes a positive impact on others through art. She is currently teaching and performing with the Oscar nominated Impact Repertory Theatre Company. Commercials include Bank of America, and plays include Roundabout Theatre Company's SPW For Those We Thought We Loved. She recently filmed an appearance as Tweaky, on Marvel’s Netflix Original Series, AKA Jessica Jones. Jazmin is an eccentric, longboarding artist working towards creating a platform of influence to change the world.

Joel Knopf is an upbeat singer-songwriter, teaching artist, and educator based in New York. He has recently transplanted from California, where he designed science games at Leapfrog Toys and had excerpts of two original musicals premiered at the Musical Cafe New Works Festival. He has performed with Agile Rascal Bicycle Touring Theater and San Francisco Opera Guild. Joel is thrilled to be working with Broadway Bound Kids, City Center and Wingspan Arts this year!

J.R. Whittington is thrilled to join the Broadway Bound Kids family! JR has directed and choreographed over 20 different Broadway jr. productions from Los Angeles to New York City. He is a current teaching artist for Disney Theatrical Group, Riverdale Children's Theater, and New York Edge. His Broadway and National tour credits as an actor include; A Chorus Line Revival, Mamma Mia, Bombay Dreams, Annie Get Your Gun Revival and Starlight Express. Favorite TV Credits include; General Hospital, Gossip Girl, The Temptations Mini-series, All My Children, and Every Little Step Documentary.

Katie Galuska is pursuing acting, singing, and musical theatre in NYC. She graduated from Chapman University in California, with a BA in Theatre. Two years ago, Katie moved to New York to chase after theatre and discovered her love of teaching in the process. She loves being able to see children grow and fall in love with theatre, as she's done, since she was their age. A chance to inspire, laugh and learn with them is amazing! Her past credits include: various NYC cabarets including the 2017 So You Think You Can Belt competition, Daisy Hilton in Side Show, Margot in Legally Blonde, Lauren in Crazy, Just Like Me (Chapman University) and Sonia's Voice in They're Playing Our Song.

Katie Palmer is a choreographer, theater maker, teaching artist and theater advocate. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Drama, she serves as the Founding co-Artistic Director and resident choreographer of THEATER IN ASYLUM. Most recently she directed the workshop production of The Brontës, an original musical she is co-writing. Katie also works with numerous arts education programs teaching Theater and Dance in New York City, including Disney Theatrical Group, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and New York Theatre Workshop. She is thrilled to be sharing the magic of the performing arts with Broadway Bound Kids' students!

Kristin Wetherington first discovered theatre at the age of 11 in her local children’s theatre production of The Princess and the Magic Pea and was immediately hooked. Originally from North Carolina, Kristin dreamed of the big city which led to over ten years of professional work as a performer including tour, numerous Off-Broadway credits and appearances all over the regional theatre circuit. She has been working with The Stanley Issacs Community Center for the past two years on their Beacon to Broadway Program. She has a BFA in Acting and Musical Theatre from East Carolina University where she graduated with honors, continued her training at The Neighborhood Playhouse in Manhattan and Moscow Art Theatre School and received her MFA from the American Repertory Theatre Institute at Harvard University.

Kylie Fletcher is thrilled to be joining the Broadway Bound Kids team as a dance and drama educator! Born and raised in Seattle, WA, Kylie earned her B.A. in Theatre Arts with Minors in Music and Management from Boston College. She is a Brooklyn-based Director/Choreographer who recently served as one of the Directing Fellows at Barrington Stage Company. As a dancer, Kylie has performed at Yankee Stadium as a member of the Golden Eagles Dance Team, and has been a student of Physical Theatre workshops in France and Italy. She has taught children in Boston and Seattle, and loves to bring the words in stories to life onstage.

Mara Jill Herman is an actor, educator, and producer based in Astoria. Her developmental highlights include The Band’s Visit (Playwrights Horizons) and Sam’s Room (Theatre Barn’s Impact Award). As a soloist, she has appeared at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Feinstein's/54 Below, and with the Orchestra Japan in Disney On Classic. Favorite productions include On The Town (Hildy), Rent (Maureen), Guys and Dolls (Adelaide), and Jesus Christ Superstar (North American tour). Mara directs/produces concerts including Stronger Than Hate: A Benefit for Tree of Life Synagogue and Changemakers: A Celebration of Women and StateraArts, the national organization devoted to female mentorship. Mara is a proud alum of the National YoungArts Foundation and gives in-school presentations on their behalf to inspire high school applicants and a future generation of artists. She is a coauthor of So You Wanna Be A Superstar? The Ultimate Audition Guide (Running Press Kids).

Meg Kiley Smith fell in love with performing as a kid growing up in California, and is so excited to join Broadway Bound Kids and the next generation of theater kids here in NYC. Favorite acting credits include work with Punchdrunk and Everyday Inferno in NYC, The Other Voice and HartBeat Ensemble in Hartford, and regionally and on tour with the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Montana Rep, The Gamm, and MaineStage Shakespeare, among others. Proud Equity member and National Theater Institute alum.

Michael Axelrod is an actor and teaching artist based in Brooklyn. He has taught acting and improv for three years in NYC public schools, as well as abroad in Ecuador, Tanzania and Slovakia. He recently finished a two year run as a swing in the Off Broadway play Puffs at New World Stages. He has performed at The Signature Theatre, The Flea, Dixon Place, HERE Arts Center, New York City Center, among others. He is very excited to join Broadway Bound Kids!

Natalie Jones is a freelance theatre artist based in Astoria, Queens. A South Jersey native, Natalie first discovered her love for theatre as a shy five-year-old back in 1996 through the Our Gang Players, a community theatre group in her hometown, and she hasn’t stopped since! Since receiving her BA in Theatre (Performance) from Stockton University in 2013, Natalie has worked with numerous companies throughout New York and New Jersey as an actor, director, teaching artist, stage manager, dialect coach, and more. Her theatre work has also brought her to places like Long Island, Chicago, and Greece (on two separate occasions)! In addition to Broadway Bound Kids, Natalie currently works as a teaching artist and workshop coordinator for Story Pirates.

Natalie Myrick is a musical theatre artist from North Carolina who made her onstage debut under a chandelier of toilet paper rolls in her sisters’ homemade production of Phantom of the Opera. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she majored in Dramatic Art and Global Studies, with a minor in Vocal Performance. While at UNC, she performed in musicals such as Spring Awakening (Wendla), The Last Five Years (Cathy), and Legally Blonde (Margot), as well as in improv shows and original plays. After graduation, she spent a year in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, where she wrote, designed, toured, and performed in educational musicals with English Musicals Korea. More recently, she has performed at regional theaters and festivals in North Carolina and New York, and she is especially interested in original musicals in development. She is thrilled to make every day a masterpiece with Broadway Bound Kids!

Owen Scott is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the NYU Steinhardt Theater Education program. Hailing from MA, he's been an actor and teacher for many years, and is very excited to be joining Broadway Bound Kids. You may have seen him pop up on HBO's "The Deuce" or "Law & Order: SVU." Performing and teaching are his passions, but in his free time you can find him hosting trivia nights around Brooklyn or working on his podcast, "Controller Freak." Owen is thrilled to be working in a group of such talented educators and artists!

Sam Blain is a proud Broadway Bound Kids teaching artist. She is also Co-Artistic Director of Hit The Lights! Theater Co., which has performed Off Broadway and is the current Company in Residence at Ars Nova. She has been seen in numerous Broadway workshops and readings in NYC. Samantha has a B.F.A. Musical Theater degree from Emerson College and was awarded a scholarship to attend Atlantic Acting School of which she is now an Alum. She is a teaching artist for several organizations such as Broadway Classroom and Atlantic Acting School to name a few.

Samantha Parrish found the stage in high school when she performed in her high school’s first ever musical, Grease. After growing up in Forney, TX, Samantha obtained a bachelor's degree in Musical Theatre from Ouachita University in Arkansas. Immediately after graduating she hit the road with Missoula Children’s Theatre. She toured with The Frog Prince and The Little Mermaid across 38 states. Teaching and directing shows each week, Samantha introduced theatre to underserved areas across America reaching over 2,000 students. Samantha then worked professionally in the Dallas theatre circuit before touring with Dallas Children’s Theatre in The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. Since moving to New York in 2013 she has had the honor of teaching with Broadway Bound Kids, a company whose mission mirrors her own, to inspire and empower kids using the performing arts. She currently teaches six classes, including our free Saturday Program for middle schoolers who don't have access to the performing arts in their schools schools. Samantha also teaches in our partnership with the Department of Education's Broadway Jr. Program, as well as their Arthur Miller Grant Program. This year Samantha is taking the reins of our new assisted tuition program for high schoolers, Broadway Bound Workshop.

Sarah Naughton is an actress, singer, teacher and Audie-nominated audiobook narrator living in New York. Some favorite credits include: New York Theater: REAL (The Tank) Death Comes for the War Poets (The Sheen Center) Romeo and Juliet (Lincoln Center - Clark Studio Theater), Diamond Alice (Roundabout Underground), and Summer and Smoke (Access Theatre). Regional Theater: Mame (Human Race Theater Co), AcousticaElectronica (A.R.T. Oberon), and Meet Me In St. Louis (Mt. Gretna Playhouse). Proud member of actors equity and Assistant Teaching Artist with CO/LAB Theater Group.

Savanah Knechel is a teaching artist, playwright, choreographer, mask maker, and puppeteer based in New York City. Currently she is finishing up a masters in Educational Theatre in Colleges and Communities at NYU. Previously, she has taught in Philadelphia and Sarasota, FL.

Stephanie Torns is a born and raised New Yorker who has always loved to sing and dance since she can remember. Growing up on Long Island she danced competitively since she was 10 years old, till she left for college. She is a proud graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC. After graduating she has been seen on stage across America and on Broadway in Wicked and most currently Waitress. She hopes to help inspire kids who are the new and exciting chapter of the arts.

Taylor Morgan Marsh is thrilled to be a part of the Broadway Bound Kids family! Her most recent credits include the 2nd National and International tours of Sister Act the Musical, and Off-Broadway's Totally Tubular Time Machine (Debbie Gibson). She is a proud graduate of New York University and Atlantic Acting School.