Laura Drake (Director, Founder)

Laura started Stage Struck in April, 2001 and is delighted to be celebrating this business’ 10^th summer of camps. She’s appeared in professional stage productions for 30 years in various cities, and in major films, television series, independent films, and national commercials. Laura has taught, directed and produced theater in several Seattle public schools under city, county and private foundation grants. She is a certificated full time Multi-Arts teacher at Highland Park Elementary in West Seattle, teaching drama, dance and visual art to over 400 students. This past year she became a National Board Certified Teacher with certification in young and middle childhood art.

Karen Kay Cody (Founding Teaching Partner, Writer)

Karen Kay Cody has been on the theatre scene in Seattle since the late 1970’s. She has performed at all the theaters in town as well as many productions at the Seattle Children’s theatre including Little Lulu, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Mr. Poppers’ Penguins, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, The Velveteen Rabbit and more. Karen originated the role of Sophie De Palma in the 1996 Tony Award Winning Play Master Class on Broadway and was awarded “Best Broadway Debut Performance”, by both the Theatre World Awards and the Outer Critics Circle Awards.

Mark Anders (Founding Teaching Partner, Musical Director)

Mark is a Seattle native actor in addition to his music directing duties for Stage Struck. He’s appeared at all the major professional theatres in Seattle, most recently in ACT’s Souvenir (a performance he recreated in San Jose and Chicago), and A Marvelous Party, a revue of Noel Coward’s words and music that he co-created, in which he will again appear in Walnut Creek, CA in May of this year. He has also had much success with 2 Pianos 4 Hands, performing it in Seattle and in many cities across the nation.

David Koch (Teacher, Director)

This year marks David’s fifth season directing for Stage Struck. He has been performing, directing and producing for the past 30 years for Seattle and regional theatres around the country. Among them, directing six premieres for Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and MetroStage in Washington DC. He created Seattle’s Cabaret de Paris where he produced over 65 musicals and was named Theatrical Entrepreneur of the Year by The Seattle Weekly. Most recently David directed Ham for the Holidays at Theatre Off Jackson, The Old-Time Holiday Show at Kirkland Performance Center and Offenbach’s La Perichole,  at Seattle’s Town Hall.

Jeffie Lou Thorn (Teacher, Choreographer)

Jeffie Lou has taught hip-hop and jazz dance in many Seattle/Metro area studios. Her Dance Teams Allure, JAMS and Smooth Elements have performed at Sonic games, Summer Jam, etc. She studied with the Dupree and Alvin Ailey Dance Companies, the New York School of the Arts, and finished her degree in Dance and Education at Washington State University. She has taught Dance Grooves at Allstar Fitness in West Seattle for many years and has been an instructor for Stage Struck since 2005. Recently, she opened a new dance studio, D & G Dance Company in Columbia city.  She teaches ages 6 years to adults.

Jayne Muirhead (Teacher, Director)

Jayne has lived and worked in Seattle for 32 years. She has performed at The Seattle Rep, ACT, Seattle Children’s Theatre, The Village, Seattle Shakespeare Company , The Empty Space, The Group and Tacoma Actors Guild. Last season she appeared in The Importance of Being Earnest at The Village Theater, Good Night Moon at SCT and The Salvation of Iggy Scrooge at Theater Northwest. She is the recipient of four Seattle Times Footlight Awards for Bunnicula, In Flagrante Gothicto, March of the Falsettos and Menopause the Musical. In 2008 she toured the US with the Montana Repertory Theatre as Big Mama in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. This is Jayne’s 5th year with Stage Struck.

Vernon Larsen (Musical Director, Pianist)

Vernon Larsen is delighted to return to Stage Struck for a 4th season! A native of West Seattle, Vernon moved to New York City in 1984, and spent almost 20 years musical- directing children’s theatre, cabaret revues, and an Off-Broadway show (Whoop Dee Doo!) while working regular gigs in Greenwich Village piano bars. He taught 2nd and 3rd grades in the South Bronx for 2 years before returning to Seattle to finish his Masters in teaching in 2006. He currently teaches Kindergarten for the Seattle Public Schools.

Rebecca Sharp (Teacher, Choreographer)

Rebecca is a recent graduate of Pacific Lutheran University where she studied Psychology and Theatre. Through PLU, she was involved in many dance and theatre productions including Cabaret, Night of Musical Theatre 2009, and Dance Ensemble 2007-2010 as both performer and choreographer. In addition, Rebecca has over 15 years of dance experience in ballet, jazz, hip-hop, modern, contemporary, and ballroom. She has been a staff member of Stage Struck since 2007.

Rachel Teigen Brackett (Teacher)

Rachel is the K-6 General Music Teacher and Choir Director at Lakeview Elementary in Kirkland.  Rachel is in her 8th year of teaching and has been with Lake Washington School District for the past 5 years. Previously she taught in the Bethel and Seattle Districts.  She also teaches “General Music Methods” to perspective teachers at Northwest University.  In addition, Rachel instructs private voice, piano, and guitar lessons.  She received her Bachelor of Music Education from Pacific Lutheran University and her Master’s in Creative Arts and Learning from Lesley University. This past year she completed her National Board Certification coursework in Early and Middle Childhood Music.  Rachel has been singing and acting her entire life and working with children in the performing arts since her teen years. This is her 5th year with Stage Struck.

Scott Farrell (Musical Director, Pianist)

Scott Farrell, a Northwest native, has been a professional actor, singer, music director and teacher for almost 40 years.  As a featured singer he has appeared on cruise ships, in theatres and nightclubs in New York City, Miami, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, London and Bermuda. For sixteen years he was music director for Greg Thompson Productions, where he arranged and directed over 50 world-class revues.  He is a former music faculty member of The Evergreen State College, where he directed the college’s choral group, The Evergreen Singers.  Scott now teaches singing full-time with private voice studios in Olympia and Seattle, where his students range in age from 9 to 84.

Stephanie Merrow (choreographer)

Stephanie received her MA in Acting and Dance in 1999 and has been teaching drama and dance, directing and choreographing for all ages since 1997. Currently, Stephanie teaches/choreographs for Village Theatre, The Young Players, Mt. Si High School, Stage Struck, Valley Center Stage and Pathfinder school.  Some of her credits include; Choreographing- “THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE” and “KISS ME KATE” at Mt. Si High School and “SUESSICAL!” at Youth Theatre Northwest, Directing- “INTO THE WOODS” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Oak Hill School, as well as leading and performing with several dance and improvisation troupes in California, Oregon and Washington.  Stephanie has acted with Live Girls!, Macha Monkey, Valley Center Stage and Northwest GOGA.

Gemma Clarke (Teacher)

Gemma has been with Stage Struck since the summer of 2001. Currently, she’s studying for her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Acting at the Theatre School of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. Aside from performing in Stage Struck and studying at Pacific Northwest Ballet when she was younger, she was seen in Hair at ArtsWest in 2007 as well as numerous High School Productions. Recent plays she’s been in at DePaul include The Lady in the Van, Story Theatre, and Boy Gets Girl.

Amber Hughes (Teacher)

Amber is a senior at Catawba College in North Carolina where she studies Theatre, Sociology, and English. She plans to pursue an MFA in Acting after graduation. She has been performing in plays and musicals for over 8 years. She appeared as Hailey in When Grace Comes In at The Seattle Repertory Theatre and most recently at Catawba College as Crystal Allen in The Women, as Electra in Electra, and as Cass in Wonder of the World. She loves to travel and looks forward to what the future holds. This is Amber’s second season with Stage Struck.

Joanne Klein (Teacher)

Ms Klein is currently an Acting teacher at John Robert Powers.  She has performed at almost every theatre in the Northwest, and has toured much of the West Coast, the Mid-west, as well as performing in Costa Rica, Paris and NYC.  Ms Klein got a chance to work in Disneyland at the Fantasyland theatre as the Queen and Hag in Snow White.  Joanne loves teaching the Arts to kids, and is very proud to be working with Stage Struck.  You can see more about Joanne at www.joannekleindiva.com.