About Us

Our Mission...

+ Olmsted Performing Arts is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and advancing the creative expression of the residents of our community through participation in different aspects of theater. Both on-stage and behind the scenes and presenting programs which their creative spirit through varied artistic experiences.

+ To create, develop and maintain a support structure that will provide the opportunities for interaction with others, develop self-discipline and master their presentation skills.

+ To promote self esteem through dedication to artistic discipline, to exercise, expand and channel the expressive capabilities.

+ To strengthen the value of friendship, team effort and a sense of community and help each individual learn the value of attaining a cooperative goal.

Director's Vision

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 in dance, voice, instruments, arts, crafts and other kinds of 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.

Interested in working with Olmsted Performing Arts? Please email résumé to Angela Boehm.

How to Contact Us

By email - click on any of the staff below to contact by email!
By phone - 440-465-3355
By mail - Olmsted Performing Arts, PO Box 38265, Olmsted Falls, OH 44138
Board of Director for Customer Service issues : Contact Toni Fenimore 440-465-3355

Our Staff

Angela Boehm (Director, Main Stage)

Angela Boehm is no stranger to the stage. She started young, performing in her high school theater program, at the Beck Center, and at Huntington Playhouse. She attended a college in Albany, NY and Tri-C in Parma. She has directed shows for Olmsted Performing Arts for five years. 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.

Christina Haviland (Assistant Director, Main Stage)

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.








Lisa Stanton (Operations Manager)

Lisa has been Front of the House Manager for the past four years, Operations Manager since 2006, as well as helping with many roles behind the scenes fund raising and improving the website. She was "Mrs Darbus" in High School Musical, and had fun performing as "Gladhands" in West Side Story. Lisa is a degreed accountant and has her CMA license.









Jillian Looby (Choreographer)

Jillian graduated from The University of Akron in 2005 with a Bachelors degree in Dance. During school she performed with The University of Akron Dance Company, Choreographer's Workshop, and studied with guest instructors in Master Classes. Since graduating, Jillian has worked as a guest teacher for Tap and Modern Dance classes at Midwest School of Ballet in Amherst, OH, and taught Ballet, Jazz, and Modern Dance at Olmsted Community Center (OCC). Most recently Jillian completed her third show with Olmsted Performing Arts' OPA) 2008 production of Annie Get your Gun, in addition to Aladdin in fall 2007 , and Beauty and the Beast in summer 2007. Jillian is excited to be choreographing her first youth show this summer along side with the summer main stage show. Jillian is also keeping busy by instructing OPA's Dance Curriculum at the new dance studio in the OCC.





Jason Falkofsky (Musical Director)

Jason is Director of Choral & Liturgical Music at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland where he directs the Men’s Chorus, Freshmen Chorus, Cat-o’-Tonics, and Liturgical Musicians and is vocal director for the spring musical. He also serves as Director of Liturgical Music at St. Martin of Tours Church in Maple Heights and is a proud member of the Baldwin-Wallace Men’s Chorus. Jason holds a Master of Music in Music Education degree from Kent State University and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin-Wallace College. Jason is listed in the 2006/07 edition of Who's Who in American Education and in the first edition of Who's Who of Emerging Leaders.







Cathy Hongosh (Stage Manager)

Cathy has worked with OPA since 2003, as a parent volunteer and then as stage manager on Guys and Dolls, Once Upon A Mattress, West Side Story, and Babes in Toyland, High School Musical, and Beauty and the Beast. 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 (Stage Manager, Graphic Designer)

Jacquelynn is proud to be a part of Olmsted Performing Arts' creative team. With Olmsted Performing Arts since 2003, she has stage managed over a half-dozen productions and has designed show posters and marketing materials since 2007. Other credits, with Grove City College and Olmsted Falls High School, include lighting design for Proof and William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and stage management for Little Shop of Horrors. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree from Grove City College and currently works for Oberlin College.




Jessica Trakimas Pauch (Fall 2008 Youth Stage Director)

Jessica graduated from Hope College (Holland, MI) in 2004 with a BA in Theatre. Her first love of theatre came through a show done in elementary school where she was a clown in the First Grade Circus. She has enjoyed working both onstage and backstage in the costume shop during her school years. Since graduating college, she has enjoyed performing in local community theatre in shows such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and Inherit the Wind. Jessica is thrilled to be added to the staff at OPA where she can combined both her loves of working with children and theatre.








Erin diLauro (Spring 2009 Youth Stage Director)

Erin R. diLauro graduated from Ashland University with a BA in Musical Theatre. Erin teaches acting, dance, and musical theatre classes all over northeast Ohio. In addition to starting her own "Triple Threat Training" program, she directs children and teen theatre productions, and is a performer. Visit Erin's theatre website.

History

Olmsted Performing Arts began in 2003 as theater classes held at Olmsted Community Center. The first production was The Sound of Music, in summer of 2003. After that, shows began to sell out, and it was obvious that a bigger place was needed. Four dedicated parents met to evaluate the situation, and try to find a solution that would benefit both the cast and crew, and the audience. Currently, auditions and rehearsals are still being held at Olmsted Community Center, and performances have been held at WorldView Community Church since summer, 2005. OPA is thrilled to be able to use WorldView's state of the art theater, which holds 1200 people.

Since its beginning in 2003, 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.