Our Mission

Olmsted Performing Arts' mission is to instruct, develop, and advance acting, music, and dance skills, to edify and positively affect all individuals involved in our organization, and to motivate staff, students, and volunteers to work at their best ability. We seek to serve the community with quality and affordable entertainment and to create a safe environment. Our practices are designed to build character, build confidence, build relationships, and encourage creative expression. Our goal is to operate a successful organization without compromising our values.

History

Olmsted Performing Arts began with theater classes held at the Olmsted Community Center in 2003 culminating in its first production, The Sound of Music, that summer. Soon after, shows began to sell out, and it was obvious that a bigger space was needed. Auditions and rehearsals are now held at the Olmsted Performing Arts Center (OPAC).

Since its beginning, OPA has grown to attract over 100 youth at each audition, a staff of 12-15 people, a crew of wonderful volunteers, and a growing audience. Its focus has been, and will continue to be, a solid program that strives to focus on the kids who participate and to constantly provide them with an experience in keeping with its mission statement.

Contact

(440) 235-6722 · Olmsted Performing Arts · 6941 Columbia Road · Olmsted Falls · Ohio · 44138

Need customer service assistance? Contact Toni Fenimore.

Interested in working with Olmsted Performing Arts? Email your résumé to Angela Boehm.

Our Staff

Click on the name of a staff member to contact via email.

Angela Boehm Artistic Director, Main Stage Director
	Angela Boehm is no stranger to the stage. She started young, performing in her high school theater program, at The Beck Center for the Arts, and at Huntington Playhouse. She attended a college in Albany, NY and Tri-C in Parma. She has directed shows for Olmsted Performing Arts since 2003. She is passionate about musical theater and loves working with children and young adults. She would like to thank God for her family and for the many people who support her career. "I never imagined OPA would get so far so fast; it has been a wonderful experience! I love everything about our theater and am excited to see where we are going. Our biggest goal for the future is to have our own facility, where we can have main stage productions for youth and adults. We also hope to offer classes for instrumentalists and other fine arts. We have big dreams that may be a distance away, but we are determined to get there and to have fun in the process."
Jessica Cameron Dance Instructor, Administrative Assistant
	Jessica Cameron has been dancing since she was eight, performing in dance recitals, competitions and The Nutcracker. She has studied at Broadway Dance Center and STEPS (NY, NY), Edge Performing Arts Center (Los Angeles, CA), Dance Shoppe (Waterford, MI), and has taken master classes with the Rockettes and American Ballet Theater. She also participated in an international dance exchange program which allowed her to perform in Russia and Poland. Jessica is currently teaching tap and lyrical at OPA.
Abbi Cavanaugh Dance Instructor
Ken Cavanaugh Official Photographer of Olmsted Performing Arts
	Visit Cavanaugh Photography on the web at www.cavanaughphoto.com.
Barbie Chapin Education Coordinator, Gymnastics Coach
Judy Crandall Music Administrator, Vocal Music Director
	Judy Crandall has been a music educator in the public schools for the past twenty-eight years. She began teaching in Maple Heights before becoming the director of the Olmsted Falls Middle School choral program. Over the next nineteen years, she taught students in the building which is now the police station and community center. She then took over the High School choral program where she directs the Chorale, Treble Choir, Concert Choir, Mens Ensemble, and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Choirs under her direction have earned consistent high ratings at district and state level adjudicated events and several groups have been invited to perform at state music education conventions. She is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, the International Association of Jazz Educators and the Ohio Music Educators Association, and serves as an adjudicator for OMEA. She is listed in "Who's Who of American Teachers". She currently serves also as musical director for the Olmsted Falls High School Masquers. Her favorite thing about teaching and directing is watching cast members surpass their personal best time after time after time.
Toni Fenimore Kickboxing Instructor
Bob Foraker Technical Director, Scenic Designer
	Bob has been the Technical Director for Olmsted Performing Arts since 2007. Most recently, he has created the sets for Disney's Mulan, Jr., Les Misérables, and White Christmas. He took his current position as scenic designer during the production of Disney's Mulan, Jr. Bob has also built sets for Magical Theatre Company, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, Clague Playhouse, Mayfield Performing Arts, Fairmount Performing Arts, Chagrin Arts Academy, Dover Players and High School Show Choirs. Bob has degrees in Chemistry and Biology from Kent State University. He owns and operates Four Acre Woodworking, designing and crafting unique, custom cabinetry, in business since 1984. He also plays guitars and sings in the classic rock and country band "The Big Daddies." Olmsted Performing Arts is his home theatre. Meeting and working with such fine people has been wonderful journey. Plus, where else can a grown man build castles, flying carpets and palaces and not be thought strange?
Pat Harris Voice Instructor
	Pat uses music as a bridge to connect generations to the meaning behind the unique traditions and varied art forms of past and present, to perform, teach, mentor, and create with a sense of passion and pride to touch with song. She is a professional vocalist and Psalmist with a five octave range and forty seven years of music experience and varied levels of vocal expertise.
Christina Haviland Main Stage Assistant Director
	Christina's love of theater began with her first production at the age of 13, in Aurora Community Summer program's The King and I (Aurora, Colorado). After graduating High School, Christina received education at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in California. She has performed in community theaters in Colorado, California and Ohio, and finds the work greatly rewarding as it both deepens a "neighborly connection" and allows her to share her passion and talent for the stage.
Courtny Herrman Level 3 Gymnastics Coach
	Courtny Herrman is USAG certified and the head competitive coach at OPA. She is very excited about helping the OPA family begin the gymnastics program. She was a competitive gymnast and achieved level 7 in 7 years. Courtny loves the sport of gymnastics and has been coaching for 8 years. Over this time she has coached parent/tot classes up to adult classes. Her dream is to open her own gymnastics facility one day. Courtny is looking forward to coaching your child this year!
Cathy Hongosh Stage Manager, Main and Youth Stages
	Cathy has worked with OPA since 2003, as a parent volunteer and then as stage manager for Guys and Dolls, Once Upon A Mattress, West Side Story, and Babes in Toyland, High School Musical, Beauty and the Beast, Annie Get Your Gun, Singin' in the Rain, The Sound of Music, High School Musical 2, the reprise of Beauty and the Beast and It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. She feels blessed to be able to combine two of her favorite things, kids and musical theater. Cathy is an RN working as a school nurse, and lives in Olmsted Township. She is married to Ron, and is mom to 3 beautiful daughters who also love to be involved in musical theater.
Jacquelynn Hongosh Communications Director
	Jacquelynn is proud to be a part of Olmsted Performing Arts' creative team. With Olmsted Performing Arts since 2003, she has stage managed and designed lighting for over a dozen productions, designed show posters and marketing materials from 2007–2012 and served as OPA's webmaster beginning in 2009. Other credits, with Grove City College, Olmsted Falls High School, and Oberlin College include lighting design for Proof, and Oberlin's 2010 Student One Act Festival, direction for William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Dorothy Parker's Here We Are and stage management for Little Shop of Horrors. She currently works for Oberlin College.
Megan Hyde Youth Stage Director, Youth Stage Choreographer, Homeschool Fine Arts Instructor
	Megan Hyde is 20 years old and has a passion for the stage! Megan teaches the younger children in classes such as My First Dance Class and Pre-Ballet. She also is a certified Zumba teacher and teaches all the Zumba classes offered at OPA. Along with dance, Megan is also the Youth Stage Director and Choreographer. Shows she has directed and choreographed include The Aristocats Kids (2009 Choreography), Into the Woods Jr. (2010, Direction/Choreography), Mulan Jr. (2010, Chroeography), Sleeping Beauty Kids (2011, Direction/Choreography), and The Jungle Book Kids (2012, Direction/Choreography). Megan also loves to perform and has been in many OPA shows including High School Musical 2 (Sharpay Evans), Beauty and the Beast (Babette), and White Christmas (Judy Haynes).
Samantha Johnson Recreational Gymnastics and Level 4 Coach
	Samantha Johnson has been a gymnast for 14 years and competed through level 8. She has coached various ages, classes, and levels for five years. Samantha ran several classes at the Olmsted Community Center including pre-school and intermediate tumbling, pre-school and intermediate gymnastics, and cheerleading classes for all ages. She has also coached private lessons with gymnasts and cheerleaders to help them successfully reach their personal goals. Samantha is currently attending school for her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, specializing in large and farm animals.
Jayne Kacik Piano Instructor
	First and foremost, music is Jayne Kacik's passion and her goal is to instill an appreciation and love for music in her students. She started her own piano lessons at the age of five and has been teaching piano privately for over 25 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music at The University of Toledo and later attended Ashland University for further graduate work beyond her Bachelor's degree in Education. She taught general music for over 23 years for schools in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.
Melaina Kampf Ballet Instructor
	Melaina Kampf began her ballet training at the age of four with the School of Cleveland San Jose Ballet, under the direction of Dennis Nahat and Gladisa Guadalupe, performing in Cleveland San Jose Ballet's performances of Toreador, Coppelia, and The Nutcracker. In addition to her classical ballet training, Ms. Kampf also studied Modern and Contemporary Dance under the tutelage of dance luminaries such as Tom Smith, Sabatino Verlezza and Tom Evert. At the age of sixteen she joined Dancing Wheels, America's premier physically integrated dance company, as the youngest Trainee in their history. She quickly rose through the ranks to become their Principle Dancer, performing featured roles in company works by world-renown choreographers such as Sabatino Verlezza, May O'Donnell, Hernando Cortez, Michael Medcalf, Rosalind Newman, David Roussseve, and Pilobolous Dance Theater, to name a few. In addition to dancing in over 120 performances across the country annually, Ms. Kampf served as an instructor and the School Administrator for the School of Dancing Wheels where she conducted weekly dance classes, workshops, master classes and summer camps for students with and without disabilities. As well as working working with Dancing Wheels, Ms. Kampf has taught Ballet, Pointe and Contemporary Dance for students of all ages extensively throughout the Greater Cleveland area and has choreographed award wining pieces for ballet companies and soloists at numerous dance competitions.
Caroline Kane Hip Hop Instructor
	Caroline Kane has been dancing for fourteen years. She has been classically trained in Cecchetti Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, Ballroom, Contemporary, and Hip hop. She has been a member of five nationally competing dance teams and has been the captain of the hip hop teams at Lisa Whilhelm Academy of Dance for eleven years. She has danced with the Civic Youth Ballet of Ohio for four years. Caroline was the "Fame Dance Icon" of Hollywood Dance Competitions and Conventions in 2010. She has also taken from Jay-Jay, Torence Reeves, Twitch, Desmond Davis, Tucker Barkley, and Jessica King for further Hip hop training. She is delighted to be instructing Hip hop at Olmsted Performing Arts.
Colleen Kane Yoga Instructor
Sharon Knaggs Marketing Manager
	Sharon has been involved with OPA since its inception as a parent-volunteer. Sharon has been doing OPA's marketing for four years. She has a B.A. in Business Administration from Baldwin Wallace College and a J.D./M.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University. She is a former member of the Olmsted Falls Parks and Recreation Board and a Brownie Girl Scout leader. She is married to Mike and her children are involved with OPA as well: Timothy (Stage Crew); Allison (actor, member of the OPA dance team, and Marketing Assistant); Jonathan (audience); and, Emily (Level 4 gymnast with OPA Gymnastics Academy, actor, dance classes).
Josh Landis Dance Instructor, Boys' Gymnastics Coach
	Josh has been performing, teaching and choreographing for over ten years. His passion for the performing arts can be seen through meticulous care for his students as well as how he shines on and off stage. His award-winning choreography (The Music Man, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, Annie, Fiddler on the Roof) has been seen from churches and high schools to professional stages. Josh holds a B.A. in Dance from Eastern University, where he specialized in theatre as well. He loves taking the time to perfect his own craft by being on stage, taking class and dancing around and singing in his living room with his two boys, Gabe and Eli, and his wife, Melissa.
Michelle Mannino Dance Instructor
	Michelle graduated from Hope College (Holland, MI) with a major in Dance Performance/Choreography and a minor in instrumental music. While at Hope, Michelle studied modern, period, and social dance in addition to ballet, tap, and jazz. She also enjoyed performing in many of the dance concerts put on by the Hope Dance Department each year. Michelle began dancing at the age of three and has been teaching for about nine years. She also served as a choreographer with Kids Healing Kids for two years. Currently, she enjoys performing with the Duffy Liturgical Dance Ensemble here in Cleveland. Michelle is excited to join the dance department of OPA as a ballet instructor.
Jacquelyn Mouritsen Voice Instructor
	Jacquelyn Mouritsen (soprano) is a CIM graduate with a Master of Music in Vocal Performance. Her recent credits include Madmoiselle Silberklang in The Impresario and Announcer in Gallantry at Great Lakes Light Opera (GLLO), Sprite in Cendrillon and Counsel for the Plaintiff in Trial by Jury at CIM, Abdus in The Other Wise Man with Utah/Idaho Performing Arts Company, and Henny Penny in Chicken Little at BYU. Her roles in opera scenes include Adina in L'Elisir d'amore, Ugly in The Ugly Duckling, Così fan tutte (Dorabella), and Hansel and Gretel (Hansel). Mouritsen is the General Artistic Director of GLLO.
Rebecca Nicklos Dance Instructor
	Rebecca J. Nicklos only recently returned to Cleveland, after pursuing training and performance opportunities on the East Coast. Rebecca studied Vaganova and Graham techniques at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts in Connecticut and supplemented her degree with courses at STEPS on Broadway, the Alvin Ailey School, School of American Ballet and the Harkness Dance Center. She developed her performance skills under the mentorship, direction and coaching of dance masters Eleanor D' Antonio, Theresa Capucilli, Kevin Martin, Victoria Mazzarelli, Alexi Tchernivchov and Doug Varone. Rebecca was honored to qualify to the final round of the NYC Youth American Grand Prix and enjoyed working and performing with the Kirov Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ohio Dance Theatre and MOMIX Dance Theatre. In 2009, she had the amazing opportunity to perform Fraulein Maria with Doug Elkins and Friends as presented by DANCECleveland. She has been a performer with MorrisonDance since 2008. In addition to performing Rebecca is currently teaching dance throughout NE Ohio area. Rebecca debuted with Verb Ballets in April, 2010. Rebecca is also the artistic director of The Movement Project a new modern dance company in Cleveland along side her sister Megan Nicklos.
Karen Pattee Theater Administrator
Elizabeth Radachi Dance Instructor
	Elizabeth Radachi is a former member of Oberlin-based Ohio Dance Theatre where she had the privilege of dancing in theatres around the Cleveland area, including the Allen Theatre at Playhouse Square and the Cleveland Playhouse. Highlight roles for her include the Sugar Plum Fairy and Arabian solo in The Nutcracker, Spring Fairy in the full-length production of Cinderella, Fairy Godmother in the shortened version of Cinderella, and her favorite role: a praying mantis in artistic director Denise Gula’s La Petite Mort. Before leaving the company to begin her career as a classroom educator, Elizabeth was also a member of the faculty of the School of Ohio Dance Theatre where her students ranged in age from three to 50. Elizabeth’s background is in early childhood education, which over the years has led her toward her current profession as an autism and behavioral consultant. Elizabeth holds her teaching license and is also a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst. Elizabeth is excited to be returning to the ballet studio where she can continue her passion for teaching ballet and is thrilled to be joining the OPA faculty.
Janet Strukely-Dziak Dance Administrator, Dance Instructor
	Janet Strukely-Dziak has been dancing professionally for 10 years and has over 9 years of teaching and choreography experience across the Midwest. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Mercyhurst College with a B.A. in Dance in 2004, she joined the Saint Louis Ballet under the direction of Gen Horiuchi. Her career highlights include the Sugar Plum Fairy in "The Nutcracker," the title role in "Cinderella," and Waltz Girl in Balanchine's "Serenade." As a teacher, Strukely brings a strong sense of technique, anatomical knowledge and artistic presence to the classroom. She is also trained and certified in Jacques D'Amboise's National Dance Institute and has experience teaching dance in public elementary school programs. In addition to being on faculty at Olmsted Performing Arts, she also teaches at Jillian Rian Dance School and conducts various master classes throughout the midwest. Janet is thrilled to have the opportunity to direct OPA's first full-length ballet, "The Nutcracker", opening December 2012.