JULIE BORSOTTIJulie Borsotti is a graduate from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies and Communication. She has been acting, singing and dancing for many years now, and has a passion for Musical Theater and Choreography. Recent credits include ECT's Guys and Dolls (Adelaide) and LTM's Legally Blonde (Brooke Whyndam). She has choreographed two professional ICCA a cappella competition sets, Musical Theatre dance intensives, a middle school drama production, and various camp showcase musical theater and hip hop numbers. She works at the Hartford Stage Box Office as well as runs various after-school and dance programs through the Glastonbury Parks and Recreation department. She is also a Theatre and Dance instructor at the Glastonbury Music and Arts camp. As a Teaching Artist, she hopes to be able to continue to inspire her students to continue to love and pursue the arts just as much as she does!
TARYN BALCHUNASTaryn Balchunas is an old soul with a youthful spirit who believes in creating safe spaces like the theater for individuals to be their full selves. Born for the stage but conditioned to conform to societal norms, a former ensemble member yet capable of a leading role, Taryn is returning to her theater kid roots as a teaching artist. A West Hartford native, Taryn fell in love with the stage through dance classes at Alyce Carella Dance Centre and Lisa Matias Dance Centre, through participating in elite singing groups in middle school and high school, and through participating in West Hartford Summer Arts Festival. Under the direction of Sean Harris, Taryn is an alum of the Hall High drama department where she took on a number of roles including costume assistant, props assistant, assistant stage manager, assistant to the director, and ensemble member. Taryn holds a B.F.A. in Writing, Literature & Publishing from Emerson College and volunteered and worked at Playhouse on Park in various roles when she returned to West Hartford in 2013. From post-grad onward, she has braved many stages in sharing her original songs or singing emo karaoke, the largest of which was at College Street Music Hall when she won a contest to sing onstage with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness in 2023. In adulthood, she has discovered the importance of inner child work and letting go of trauma through various modalities, one of which is the live arts! Taryn now works in special education and is thrilled to be back at Playhouse on Park, hoping to inspire others to use the stage as freedom of expression.
KEVIN CRONINKevin Cronin (née Barlowski) is a multidisciplinary creative artist and change agent committed to empowering individuals of all ages and abilities through education and the arts. Currently, as Director of Education and Outreach at Playhouse on Park, Kevin is enthusiastic about inspiring thinkers, dreamers, and doers with essential, transferable, 21st-century skills. A theatre educator with over 15 years of experience, he has taught with esteemed organizations such as Hartt School of Music, Hartford Performs, Bay Path University, The Miracle League, the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, Unified Theatre, and West Hartford Public Schools. As a director, music director, and actor, he has long focused on crafting and performing in productions that resonate with younger audiences, adhering to the belief that if they can see it, they can be it. His educational background is rich and varied, including an M.S. in Education Administration from Bay Path University, an M.A. in Shakespeare and Education from the University of Birmingham, a certificate in Musical Theatre Performance from Circle in the Square Theatre School, and a B.A. in Theatre Education and Directing from Emerson College. Kevin is a staunch advocate for creating brave and inclusive spaces, decolonizing curriculum, and promoting lifelong learning. He is committed to fostering a vibrant educational landscape where every learner feels empowered to explore their passions and realize their full potential. He looks forward to welcoming you into his “collaboratory” soon!
HILLARY EKWALLHillary Ekwall is an actor, dancer, gymnast, and musician with over 15 years of teaching experience in a wide variety of subjects. She holds a degree in elementary education from Skidmore College, accompanied by a minor in music. Her experience teaching ranges from public school classrooms to specialized science programs, music, dance, acting, and gymnastics coaching. During COVID, she safely created outdoor classes in gymnastics, birth-3 music and movement, and self-written plays. You may have seen her in many ways at Playhouse on Park! She has been involved with over 20 productions as a performer, director, and assistant choreographer. Her favorites are: SPELLING BEE, CHARLIE BROWN, NUNSENSE, and her professional directorial debut, CURIOUS GEORGE. She has also worked in the box office, as a house manager, off-site cabaret coordinator, and in the education department since the theatre opened. Additionally, she has performed professionally around the country in the Broadway National Tour of CABARET as Rosie and playing the cello and violin, and as brother Boo Who in the tour HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS as well as many regional houses. Most recently, she was seen as Rhoda in Music Theatre of CT’s WHITE CHRISTMAS. Hillary believes creative and dynamic play is essential to social-emotional learning and that theatre can be a multidisciplinary subject. She hopes that students grow in confidence, cooperation, listening, and authenticity in every class she teaches. Let's create together!
SHANNEN HOFHEIMERShannen Hofheimer is thrilled to be on the educational staff of Playhouse Theatre Academy! She graduated from The Hartt School of Music with a B.M. in Vocal Performance, and served as the Director of Theatre at The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury for 8 years until she departed to make her Off-Broadway debut this past summer in Winesday: The Wine Tasting Musical at The Jerry Orbach Theatre. She has toured nationally, performing stage adaptations of classic literary works for school groups with Chamber Theatre Productions, and also starred alongside Marie Osmond in The Sound of Music, which toured with NETworks productions in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, and Korea. Shannen has performed at The Milton Theatre in Anything Goes, as well as with Playhouse on Park in their production of A Charles Dickens Christmas. She has also had the privilege of teaching various summer theatre classes with PTA for the past two years. Additionally, Shannen teaches private voice and acting lessons to students of all ages. Students have received callbacks for Goodspeed Opera House, performed in mainstage productions at Hartford Stage, received full scholarships to NYU Steinhardt's Vocal Performance program, and have advanced to final round callbacks for the prestigious opera program at Juilliard. For news about Shannen's upcoming performances and educational endeavors, you can find her on Instagram (@shannenraevocals), or visit her website www.shannenhofheimer.com
CORINNE KRAVETZCorinne recently retired as acting teacher and theatre director from Conard High School, where she joyously taught acting to and directed hundreds of talented and diverse young people, all the while having the privilege of seeing theatre change their lives. Career highlights include: Volition, a world premiere student-written production selected by American High School Theatre Festival to perform at Fringe Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland; collaborating with Tectonic Theatre Project (NYC) to guide students in the writing and staging of the groundbreaking piece The Chieftain Project, and the direction of numerous musicals and plays. Corinne was on the board of the CT chapter of the International Thespian Society and has also taught musical theater classes for graduate students through the HARTT School Summer term. She was a founding member of Acts Factory Players of Collinsville, where she directed and wrote the annual youth show for many years. In another lifetime, Corinne spent summers performing around CT with the professional theater group Honeybee Theatre. Corinne has directed/taught in a variety of different venues with young actors, including Simsbury High School, Avon Summer Theatre, West Hartford Community Theatre, Playhouse on Park (Charlotte’s Web), Goodman-Banks visiting artist at Kingswood-Oxford School, King Philip Middle School, CT Inclusive Arts, Miracle League/Playhouse on Park collaboration, and W.H. Unified Theater, as well as various summer workshops and classes for young performers. Corinne holds an M.A.Ed and was among the first in CT to acquire the CT Theatre Arts Teaching Certification. Corinne is passionate about working with young actors and takes great joy in their growth and success. Corinne has a strong belief that in theatre, there is a place for everyone.
MATTHEW PRICEThis year will mark Matthew’s 30th year in education and his 20th as a theatre teacher in Madison, Connecticut. Learning the techniques essential for any performer, students in his program have explored the world of Greek Mythology, performing a Spoon River-style play featuring the Greek Gods. Under his direction, they have performed in junior versions of the musicals such as 101 Dalmatians, A Year With Frog and Toad, Jungle Book, The Wizard of Oz…Sort Of, and various musical revues. His students use scenes based on the Peanuts characters to develop scene study skills. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Arts in Theatre from Roosevelt University in Chicago. In his time as a teacher, Matthew has been nominated for the Distinguished Teacher Award while working for the Greenwich Public Schools. He was also named the Teacher of the Year for the Madison Public Schools, and the Theatre Teacher of the Year for the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Excellence in Education Program.
DARLENE ZOLLERDarlene is the co-founder and co-artistic director of Playhouse on Park where she has directed PIPPIN, NUNSENSE, CHICAGO (Best Director of a Musical/Broadway World,) PINKALICIOUS, ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE,SWINGING ON A STAR and THAT HOLIDAY FEELING, SAY THINGS FUNNY, and choreographed; PIPPIN, INTO THE WOODS, THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, IN THE HEIGHTS, A CHORUS LINE, HAIR, CABARET, PASSING STRANGE among others. She is the founder, director and choreographer of stop/time dance theater, the resident dance company of Playhouse on Park, now in its twentieth year. She was voted Best Director of a Musical/Broadway World for I’D RATHER BE DANCING. CT Critics Circle nominee for Best Choreographer for HAIR, ROCKIN’ THE FOREST and IN THE HEIGHTS. She IS Mama D of MAMA D’s OUTRAGEOUS ROMP; a grown ups only music, dance and comedy event-exclusive to the Playhouse. Social media followers know her as "the driveway lady" for having taught 450 consecutive days of WE'RE BETTER WHEN WE'RE DANCING dance classes online during the pandemic where she gathered a loyal following. Darlene is a former adjunct professor at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School where she directed and choreographed CHICAGO and did the choreography for ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, SMILE, CURTAINS and NUNSENSE. She also teaches dance classes for adults at The 224 ECOSpace and is a dance/fitness instructor at Big Sky Fitness in Vernon.