ROCKY MOUNTAIN THEATRE FOR KIDS - Key Persons
Barry lives in Broomfield with his partner, River, after living in the mountains for over twenty years. He holds a Masters in Comparative Religion and brings fourteen years of Waldorf School administration experience to his responsibilities at RMTK/AAPA. Barry also brings to RMTK/AAPA enormous expertise in technology interface design and management, executive administration, parent relationships, and more. Pottery, antiques, photography, hiking and traveling are some passions. When not at the theatre, he teaches adult ceramics classes.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Program Director, Boulder Senior / Ensemble Company Show Director & Theatre Lab Teacher / Denver Senior / Ensemble Theatre Lab Teacher
Carrie Colton is an actor, director, and choreographer hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah, where she was born and raised. Carrie holds a BFA in Classical Acting from Southern Utah University and her MFA in directing from Florida State University. As an actor Carrie has performed in two international tours: My Fair Lady (Eliza) and Annie (Miss Hannigan), as well as several regional theatres around the country. Some of her favorite directorial credits include Hairspray with the Fusion Academy of Hong Kong, Peter Pan with the Jacksonville Opera Theatre, Twelfth Night with the North Dakota Shakespeare Festival and The Tempest with Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival. A world traveler, Carrie has studied at the Moscow Art Theatre, Regents College in London, holds her 200 hour yoga certification from Guru Mahi's Ashrum in India, and is a certified Advanced Combatant in Stage Combat with the British Academy of Dramatic Combat and Dueling Arts International. Before moving to Colorado, Carrie served as the Artistic Director of Cast Kidz and The Shakespeare Project in Anniston, Alabama before taking a job at Metro State University of Denver as an Assistant Professor of Movement and Directing.
Job Titles:
- Boulder Munchkins Assistant Teacher, Junior Theatre Lab Teacher, Junior / IPC Acting Major Teacher, & Afterschool Class Teacher / Denver Junior / IPC Theatre Lab Teacher
- IPC Company Show Choreographer, Musical Theatre Major & Afterschool Class Teacher
- IPC Company Show Music Director
- IPC Theatre Lab Assistant Teacher
McKensey Struzik is going into her fourth year at Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids. She has directed, music directed and choreographed various productions for AAPA as well as for RMTK summer. She graduated from The Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University where she received her BA in Acting with a minor in Musical Theatre. In addition to teaching, she has performed in numerous musical theater productions. Her favorite roles include "Ensemble" in The Sound of Music National Tour at Wolf Trap, "Mary Poppins" in Mary Poppins and "Truly Scrumptious" in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She is so excited to be a returning staff member here at RMTK/AAPA. She is looking forward to continuing her time with RMTK, while also taking advantage of the many performing opportunities Colorado has to offer.
Kari is a 2020 graduate of Carthage College, where she graduated with a BA in Music Theater and Public Relations. She was an AAPA student for 10 years and is so excited to be back and teaching for the program she grew up in. Additionally, she taught younger company summer camps for 7 years and counting! Kari's recent acting credits include Sister Act (Sister Mary Patrick), Flora the Red Menace (Esther), and The Adam's Family (Ancestor/ Ensemble). While performing is her passion, Kari loves sharing her knowledge and teaching young artists the beauty of theater. When she is not on the stage or in the class room you can find her taking pictures and running the AAPA and RMTK social media or planning a wedding or event! Kari is so grateful to back and work with the Actors Academy!
Wilson is thrilled to begin his teaching career at Actors Academy for the Performing Arts! Wilson is currently pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Born and raised in New York State, Wilson has loved performing ever since 2013. Some of his favorite credits include Into the Woods (The Baker), Fiddler on the Roof (Motel), and Godspell (Jesus). When not going to school or teaching at AAPA, Wilson loves hanging out with his brothers and his Husky/Black Lab Mix Ghost. "Anything you do, let it come from you. Then it will be new.
Bethany has been performing for over 20 years all over America, from New York to Anchorage, AK. She graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Music Theater. Her most recent performance was in Empire Lyric Players' A Christmas Carol as a Ghost of Christmas Past. Her favorite roles include Ursula in The Little Mermaid and Vivienne in Legally Blonde. This is her second year working with RMTK and is excited to teach musical theatre.
Job Titles:
- Assistant and Afterschool Class Teacher
Mallory is a performing artist who grew up in Colorado! She is so excited to be a part of the RMTK/AAPA team! Mallory is currently in her senior year at Metropolitan State University of Denver getting her Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. Mallory has also been teaching/choreographing children's theatre for four years and has been performing for fifteen years. Some of Mallory's credits include: The Servant of Two Masters (Clarice), Legally Blonde (Margot), Lewis Carrol: Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast (Alice), and Suessical (Mrs. Mayor). When Mallory is not performing or teaching, she enjoys traveling to new places as well as old to visit family and to go on adventures.
Job Titles:
- Boulder and Denver Acting Major Teacher, Junior / IPC & Senior / Ensemble Company Show Hair, Makeup and Props
This is Halima's first year with AAPA. She teaches the Acting III Majors classes in Denver and Boulder. Halima is currently professional career Nanny specializing in Infant Care. She has worked closely in Children's Theatre since 2017. She started as a Theatre Education Intern and Child Wrangler with CAST Kidz in Anniston Alabama. In her time at CAST, she has appeared in numerous children's shows and designed the hair and makeup for each production. She was the Drama Director for 2 summers at a sleep away camp in New York, where she directed 4 shows over 2 summers. Halima is an artist and runs a small business in her spare time. She is skilled in wig construction, hair and makeup design, and mask/head piece design and painting. She will be designing the hair and makeup and props for the AAPA shows this season! If you ever see her around the theatres, please do not hesitate to say hello!
Job Titles:
- Junior / IPC Company Show Music Director
Job Titles:
- Boulder Munchkins Assistant Teacher, Junior Theatre Lab Teacher, Junior / IPC Acting Major Teacher, & Afterschool Class Teacher / Denver Junior / IPC Theatre Lab Teacher
Kari is a 2020 graduate of Carthage College, where she graduated with a BA in Music Theater and Public Relations. She was an AAPA student for 10 years and is so excited to be back and teaching for the program she grew up in. Additionally, she taught younger company summer camps for 7 years and counting! Kari's recent acting credits include Sister Act (Sister Mary Patrick), Flora the Red Menace (Esther), and The Adam's Family (Ancestor/ Ensemble). While performing is her passion, Kari loves sharing her knowledge and teaching young artists the beauty of theater. When she is not on the stage or in the class room you can find her taking pictures and running the AAPA and RMTK social media or planning a wedding or event! Kari is so grateful to back and work with the Actors Academy!
Job Titles:
- Boulder IPC Theatre Lab Teacher, Ensemble Theatre Lab Teacher / Denver Junior / IPC & Senior / Ensemble Theatre Lab Teacher, Senior / Ensemble Company Show Choreographer
Katie graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder's program with a BFA in Acting, and they trained extensively in improvisation at the Bovine Metropolis Theatre in Denver. Katie has taught at AAPA/RMTK since 2019, and some of their favorite directorial credits include Puffs at the Denver AAPA location and Peter and the Starcatcher at the Boulder AAPA location. Katie dearly loves choreographing, directing, acting, improvising, and teaching and has a passion for helping young actors discover the joy of being weird! After all, life is much better when you aren't worried about what other people think about you! During the day, Katie teaches 7th grade social studies.
Job Titles:
- Artist
- Junior / IPC Theatre Lab Assistant
Job Titles:
- Founding & Acting Artistic Director
Michelle grew up as a performer in New York City. She holds degrees in Theatre and Dance with a secondary emphasis in Film and Multimedia from Southern Oregon University, Hunter College in NYC, and Naropa University in Boulder, CO. She has extensively studied acting pedagogy, improvisation, and vocal technique in New York City at La Mama, Circle in the Square Theatre, HB studios, and Theatre Sports. She has been fortunate to have had the opportunity to study with such renowned acting teachers as Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, Peter Goldfarb and Ruth Zaporah among others. In 1996, she founded Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids, an award-winning youth theatre where her mission was to create highly creative, innovative, and fresh children's theatre for the community. Michelle has directed over 70 plays in all genres of theatre from well-known musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof and Oliver to dramas such as Eve Ensler's Necessary Targets and most recently Sarah Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone.
Job Titles:
- Senior / Ensemble Company Show Assistant Director
Rachel Brooks is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), New York City, and a newcomer to Colorado! After graduating, she started her theatre career in her home state of Wisconsin where she spent many years performing, directing, choreographing, and teaching dance and theatre in the Midwest. Some of Rachel's favorite credits include Evita (Eva Peron), Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), Noises Off (Director), The Addams Family (Director/Choreographer), and Mama Mia (Director/Choreographer). When she is not working in the theatre, she spends her time as a content and digital creator! Rachel is really ecstatic to be part of the AAPA/RMTK family and working with these bright young actors as they start to develop their artistic passions!
Sofia Malin is a recent graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University with her BFA in Stage Management. Before graduation, Sofia was the Production Stage Manager and 1st Assistant Director for She Kills Monsters, which was the university's first virtual production. Other previous credits include Machinal, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Three Musketeers (VCUarts Theatre), This Bitter Earth and Times Square Angel (Richmond Triangle Players), and Red Velvet (Quill). Outside of theatre, Sofia was the Production and Logistics Coordinator for the 2020 Menuhin Competition (postponed due to COVID-19) and spent 2 summers working in production at the Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado. A big thank you to the amazing artists for their work on this production. Enjoy the show!
Stuart has been working with Actors Academy for The Performing Arts and Rocky Mountain Theatre For Kids since its inception over twenty years ago. He has worked in small business administration, production management, the technology sector, and public school education. A state licensed secondary school teacher, he has worked with children in the educational arena for over twelve years. He has a great passion for helping children succeed on stage and in life, to launch children's self-esteem to new heights. He brings a wealth of educational, business, and production management experience to Rocky Mountain Theatre For Kids. Stuart is also a novelist, playwright, and non-fiction writer.
Vin Ernst graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a BFA in musical theatre in the Spring of 2021. They have only been working with RMTK and APPA since the summer of 2020 but have found a passion in fostering the skills and creativity of their students. Although they have trained in many areas of theatrical performance, Vin specializes in all things voice and speech, with a specific focus on voice acting and accent acquisition. Vin believes that one's theatre education never truly ends and believes that they learn as much from their students as much as they learn from them. When not in the theatre, Vin can either be found recording audio for various podcasts in their closet, or out in nature annoying their friends with plant facts.
Job Titles:
- Junior / IPC Theatre Lab Assistant