Theater Instructors
Bernadette (Rini) Choura
Musical Director (B.S.M.Ed. – College of Wooster)Rini has been at the Center for over 20 years as a ballet accompanist and teacher of Musical Theatre and Special Actors’ Musical Theater classes. She has also taught elementary school and music in area schools and directed numerous musical performances. She holds a B.Mus Ed. from the College of Wooster, a Certificate in Orff-Schulwerk Music from West Chester University, as well an M.S.Ed.from Duquesne University.
Jill Jeffrey
(BFA – Dennison University, BA – Carlow University)
Jill recently appeared as Ariel in Gemini Theater’s The Little Mermaid. She has taught 8th grade English and has worked as an actress, director and theater teacher throughout the area. Jill is the Artistic Director for Gemini Theater.
Kelly Trumbull
Kelly has a B.F.A. in Acting from SyracuseUniversity(2003) and a M.A. in Educational Theatre from New YorkUniversity(2010). She has worked as a theater teaching artist with numerous arts organizations and performing arts schools in New York City,Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh. She has also worked in casting for various theater, television, and film projects both locally and inNew York. She is a member of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education and the Association of Teaching Artists
Lorraine Serra
(University of Southern California)
Lorraine has been with the Center for 6 years, as Music Director for the Pathfinder School program in Bethel Park. Originally from Los Angeles, Ca, she attended University of Southern California, then worked as a musician and singer for 20 years in recording sessions, touring Europe, working in nightclubs and with Big Band Orchestra. Lorraine appeared in numerous productions as a member of the Burbank Civic Light Opera in Los Angeles. She currently enjoys her role as a teacher with special needs students, as well as teaching private students piano, guitar, and voice, and leading worship and choral groups. She is happily married to John and they have 3 sons.
Gwyneth Welling
(B.A. – Point Park University)
Gwyneth Welling has been performing in Pittsburgh for the past 20 years either on stage or on camera. Her most recent roles are that of Math teacher, Mrs. Triggle, and other characters for PA Cyber’s Lincoln Interactive program. She is a full time faculty member of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, where she teaches a variety of Theater courses for grades 9 – 12.
She has been a part of The Center for Theater Arts for the last 15 years, where her teaching experiences included teaching acting, singing and dancing, directing and script development. She has also taught at schools such as Point Park University, The CLO Academy, Chartiers Valley Middle School, and several local pre-schools. Her students range in age from 4 to 64 and in abilities from pre-professional to special needs. She is a graduate of Point Park University with a B.F.A. in Musical Theater and a Post Bac. in Education. She has three children, all of whom are fabulous entertainers.
Alivia Vereb Owen
Dance Faculty (B.A. Point Park University)
Alivia, a former Center student, has taught dance at Carnegie Mellon University, South Fayette High School and Dance Etc. Performing Arts Studio. She has performed throughout the area for the Civic Light Opera, The Pittsburgh Playhouse and West Virginia Public Theater. In New York City, she has performed with the Vissi Dance Theater. Alivia has worked as an actor in numerous commercials and films including As the World Turns, Wonder Boys, and Sophia for Now. Recently, Alivia landed a national print ad for the PUR water campaign.
David Pressau
David has been teaching Musical Theater classes at the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts for 20 years. He has musically directed Parade, Runaways, Guys and Dolls, Once on This Island Ragtime, and award-winning productions of Weird Romance, Chess, Children of Eden, Secret Garden, Violet and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. David has been Music Director for Don Brockett Productions, CLO Mini-Stars, Ken Gargaro’s Good Vibrations, Davis has has taught Musical Theatre for The Performing Arts faculties of The Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) and The Pennsylvania Governors School for the Arts David is also the founder and Director of the Christian Vocal Ensemble “ONE VOICE”.
Jennie Lynn Gorton,
Musical Theater Faculty
(B.A. – Eastern Nazarre College, M.F.A. – Boston University)
Jennie has taught voice at both the high school and university level and served a musical director for Children of Eden, Godspell, The Music Man as well as performances at Carnegie Hall and Olympic Games in Australia in 2000. She has also been a member of both eh Nashville Symphony Chorus and the Tanglewood Chorus with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Erin Caldwell Kesser
B.A. Interdisciplinary Fine Arts (Voice, Theatre, Dance and Piano) Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Erin is a proud alumna of The Center for Theatre Arts! She has been professionally performing on stage, in commercials, films and in voiceover for over 20 years. She has performed all over the country from New York City to Las Vegas, and in college, sang throughout Europe. Erin is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Recording Artists and Actor’s Equity Association. Erin is proud to be a part of the faculty at the Center, where great beginnings truly do last a lifetime.
Laura Beth Daniels
Laura Beth Daniels, a Pittsburgh native has a varied background as a musician, teacher and actress. She taught for 14 years at Kids Theatre Works and is currently teaching musical theatre classes and classes for special needs actors at CLO Academy and Center for Theatre Arts in Mt. Lebanon. Laura was a rostered artist for Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. She currently appears with Odyssey in “City of Steel—An American Musical Melting Pot” for Gateway to the Arts school assembly programs. She has appeared in several films and commercials including “Guilty Until Proven Innocent”with Martin Sheen and USA Network Film “10 Million Dollar Getaway”.
Laura has been a music director/accompanist for 20 plus productions at many area theaters including Robert Morris, Little Lake, Carlow, Saltworks, CLO Academy and Summers Dreamer’s Academy. Favorite acting roles include Miss Preen in “The Man Who Came to Dinner”, Daughter in “Pirates of Penzance”, Tzeitel in “Fiddler on the Roof” and Lady Nijo in “Top Girls”. She enjoys performing a variety of music including jazz, klezmer, rock, pop, folk, gospel and oldies. Laura is the co-music director of Temple Sinai’s Mostly Musical Shabbat. She has performed with Gary Racan and the Studio E Band, The Hot Matzohs, Algo Latino, The Bridge, Asbury Daze, Jazz East, Mike Stout, Brass Impact and Cayenne. In addition, she has several recording credits including John Hayes’ Midnight Cabaret and Mike Stout’s American Dreams, on which she helped arrange and sing back-up vocals.
…The world is a stage… The stage is a world of Entertainment!
Reach for a star – it’s worth it.
Since 1981 the halls of the CTA have been filled with the songs from Musical Theater classics. Our well attended Musical Theater program allows a highly qualified team of teachers the opportunity to explore and develop children’s abilities in singing, dancing, and acting.
Through a series of scenes and selected songs from a Musical Theater Library that dates back three decades, our students and instructors proudly focus on skill development in a fun, creative and expressive way. Not all Musical Theater classes result in a year end performance but they certainly provide the kids with life long experiences. It’s because of our 30 year arts education philosophy that kids of all ages can be released onto the stage allowing them to soar and reach higher than they could have every imagined.
Yes Pittsburgh
It’s really us
The Center for Theater Arts
All the kids at the theater arts center are feeling great and look spectacular!
What a chance
We learn how to sing and act and we learn how to dance
We’ve got elegance, if you ain’t got elegance you can never, ever carry it Off!!!