Director Team 2016
This page is in progress!
Keep checking in as we update our staff pages!
Keep checking in as we update our staff pages!
Emily Tinawi
Summer Camp Director
Co-Director: One-Act Intensive
Emily Tinawi, Ashland's Education Director, is glad to be back heading up camp this year as Camp Director. This is her fourth summer helping run camp and is glad to also be back as one of the directors for the One-Act Intensive! Over the past five years you may have seen Emily onstage performing or backstage as an ACT! director, Production Stage Manager, Parent Coordinator, OUTTAKE coach, or Create the Magic Co-Chair! Emily also works as a freelance director for schools around the Twin Cities! Emily holds her B.A. in Theatre Arts Administration from Oberlin College, has most of her M.A. in Elementary Education from Hamline University, and has completed her M.A. in Theatre Education from New York University. She is also a proud geek that plays lots of table top games and DnD in her free time!
Summer Camp Director
Co-Director: One-Act Intensive
Emily Tinawi, Ashland's Education Director, is glad to be back heading up camp this year as Camp Director. This is her fourth summer helping run camp and is glad to also be back as one of the directors for the One-Act Intensive! Over the past five years you may have seen Emily onstage performing or backstage as an ACT! director, Production Stage Manager, Parent Coordinator, OUTTAKE coach, or Create the Magic Co-Chair! Emily also works as a freelance director for schools around the Twin Cities! Emily holds her B.A. in Theatre Arts Administration from Oberlin College, has most of her M.A. in Elementary Education from Hamline University, and has completed her M.A. in Theatre Education from New York University. She is also a proud geek that plays lots of table top games and DnD in her free time!
Abby Anderson
Summer Camp Assistant Director Abby first became a part of Ashland as a camp counselor in 2010 and fell in love with our summer camps! She served as a counselor for two years while in high school and has returned as our Camp Counselor Coordinator, now for the third year in a row! Camp is not her only love; she has joined Ashland casts on stage in Bye Bye Birdie (2011), CATS (2011) and most recently as Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical (2015). Abby spent this past school year teaching 20 fabulous second graders at Tesfa International School in St. Paul, and she is thrilled to spend her summer back at Ashland! She is passionate about music, theater, and learning, and she loves combining all three in an exciting Ashland summer camp experience! |
Emily Jansen
Choreographer: Annie: Little Orphan Lion King
Director: The Grunch
Emily is thrilled to be working at Ashland this summer after spending an awesome year teaching dance classes and directing two productions of We Are Monsters with ACT! She has performed with many theaters around town- The Guthrie, Theater Latte Da, Minneapolis Musical Theater, Valleyfair Entertainment, Highland Summer Theater, Artistry/BCT as well as theaters throughout Colorado and Nebraska. When she is not onstage, she is teaching theater classes and choreographing for local high schools. BFA Musical Theater, Minnesota State Mankato. Upcoming: The Chaperone in The Drowsy Chaperone at Artistry.
Choreographer: Annie: Little Orphan Lion King
Director: The Grunch
Emily is thrilled to be working at Ashland this summer after spending an awesome year teaching dance classes and directing two productions of We Are Monsters with ACT! She has performed with many theaters around town- The Guthrie, Theater Latte Da, Minneapolis Musical Theater, Valleyfair Entertainment, Highland Summer Theater, Artistry/BCT as well as theaters throughout Colorado and Nebraska. When she is not onstage, she is teaching theater classes and choreographing for local high schools. BFA Musical Theater, Minnesota State Mankato. Upcoming: The Chaperone in The Drowsy Chaperone at Artistry.
Kristen Bark
Choreographer: Mary Mermaid, Les Wicked Kristen Bark is eager to be dancing back to Ashland this summer! Kristen is a choreographer throughout the Twin Cities. She is pursuing a Theatre and Dance Education (K-12) Licensure through the University of St. Thomas and Hamline University. Kristen has been a studio dancer since age two and is now a company member in Hamline’s Dance Ensemble. Her love of dance influenced her to join the magic of musical theatre. She has been a part of Ashland for eight years and is excited to work with the fabulous Ashland youth once again. Her passion for dance and mentorship is an asset to her teaching. She believes students of all ages should have an outlet for creativity and have a fun way to stay active. Kristen is looking forward to dancing with you at Ashland’s summer camps! |
Joan Fitch
Music Director: Legally Blonde, Les Wicked, The Grunch Joan has been a vocal director/pianist for Ashland for 16 years and the summer camps are one of her favorite things. Seeing what the campers can accomplish in such a short time, watching them go from camper to counselor, and having a blast doing it! She is also the accompanist for both the middle school and the high school at Mahtomedi as well as doing the musicals there and at other schools in the metro. Joan is married and lives in St Paul and enjoys fishing, golfing and napping! |
Paul Gutmann
Music Director: Annie Little Orphan Lion King, Mary Mermaid Paul Gutmann is a recent graduate from Lawrence University with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance. Paul’s theatre education began at Ashland Productions in 2003, and until 2012, he participated in not only main stage and summer camp shows but also the camp counselor and O.U.T.T.A.K.E. programs. Paul is ecstatic to be returning for his second year as a summer camp music director and is looking forward to continuing his relationship with Ashland Productions! |
Peyton McCandless
Co-Director: One-Act
Peyton McCandless is thrilled to be co-directing the One-act Camp for the fourth year in a row! It is always one of the best weeks of her year. Peyton has directed for the A.C.T. program at Ashland for four years, and has directed at St. Vincent de Paul school in Brooklyn Park (Little Mermaid, Jr., Seussical, Jr., School House Rock Live, Jr.) She is also a coach for Ashland’s youth leadership program, OUTTAKE. As an actor Peyton has worked with Theatre Pro Rata, Theatre Unbound, Transatlantic Love Affair, Freshwater Theatre, and Chameleon Theater Circle. She is also a certified Global Somatics™ practitioner.
Co-Director: One-Act
Peyton McCandless is thrilled to be co-directing the One-act Camp for the fourth year in a row! It is always one of the best weeks of her year. Peyton has directed for the A.C.T. program at Ashland for four years, and has directed at St. Vincent de Paul school in Brooklyn Park (Little Mermaid, Jr., Seussical, Jr., School House Rock Live, Jr.) She is also a coach for Ashland’s youth leadership program, OUTTAKE. As an actor Peyton has worked with Theatre Pro Rata, Theatre Unbound, Transatlantic Love Affair, Freshwater Theatre, and Chameleon Theater Circle. She is also a certified Global Somatics™ practitioner.
Kyle Schwartz
Director: Les Wicked, Mary Mermaid
Kyle has proudly been a part of the Ashland family for 8 years, and is honored to be returning this summer as Director of the Take Me to the Movies camp and Production Manager, Costume Designer, and Co-Director of 42nd Street (in partnership with his close friend Rob Sutherland). Kyle is a performer/designer/director/producer going into his third year of undergrad at Loyola University Chicago, in pursuit of a B.A. in Theatre. Recent Loyola performance credits include Oscar Wilde in Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and Sir Andrew in Twelfth Night; recent Chicago design credits include Sound Designer for This is Our Youth (Loyola), and Assistant Costume Designer for Juno and The Apple Family Plays (TimeLine Theatre Company). Upcoming credits include Producer/Costume Designer for Loyola’s first annual Dance Senior Showcase, and Stage Manager/Costume Designer for Loyola’s 2016 Dance Concert. In addition to these ongoing projects, Kyle is currently apprenticing the Managing Director of Loyola’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts. At Ashland, Kyle most recently appeared as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Cain in Children of Eden; last summer Kyle was Production Manager/Costume & Props Designer for All Shook Up.
Director: Les Wicked, Mary Mermaid
Kyle has proudly been a part of the Ashland family for 8 years, and is honored to be returning this summer as Director of the Take Me to the Movies camp and Production Manager, Costume Designer, and Co-Director of 42nd Street (in partnership with his close friend Rob Sutherland). Kyle is a performer/designer/director/producer going into his third year of undergrad at Loyola University Chicago, in pursuit of a B.A. in Theatre. Recent Loyola performance credits include Oscar Wilde in Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and Sir Andrew in Twelfth Night; recent Chicago design credits include Sound Designer for This is Our Youth (Loyola), and Assistant Costume Designer for Juno and The Apple Family Plays (TimeLine Theatre Company). Upcoming credits include Producer/Costume Designer for Loyola’s first annual Dance Senior Showcase, and Stage Manager/Costume Designer for Loyola’s 2016 Dance Concert. In addition to these ongoing projects, Kyle is currently apprenticing the Managing Director of Loyola’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts. At Ashland, Kyle most recently appeared as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Cain in Children of Eden; last summer Kyle was Production Manager/Costume & Props Designer for All Shook Up.
Deane Tasler
Director: Legally Blonde, Jr
Choreographer: The Grunch
Deane’s first love was musical theatre. He has appeared on the main stage at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres in Anything Goes; Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; as Bernardo in West Side Story; Singin’ in the Rain; 42nd Street; and Swing. He also had the great pleasure of joining the Metropolitan Ballet’s productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Agnes DeMille’s ‘Rodeo’ at the Historic State Theatre. He continues in musical theatre as a choreographer/director for Ashland Productions and has choreographed for Maple Grove Senior high, where his work has been recognized at the annual Spotlight Awards.
Since he fell in love with tap dancing, he’s had the pleasure of taking class with tap greats Yukiko Misumi, Grant Swift, Jimmie Payne, Jr., Mark Yonally, Chloe Arnold, Jason Samuels Smith, Randy Skinner, Everett Smith, Derick Grant, Jay Fagan, Dianne Walker, Dormeisha Sumbry-Edwards, Star Dixon, Nico Rubio, Jumanne Taylor, Guillem Alonso, Sam Weber, and others.
Deane has won several choreography awards and remains on staff at a handful of local dance studios.
Director: Legally Blonde, Jr
Choreographer: The Grunch
Deane’s first love was musical theatre. He has appeared on the main stage at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres in Anything Goes; Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; as Bernardo in West Side Story; Singin’ in the Rain; 42nd Street; and Swing. He also had the great pleasure of joining the Metropolitan Ballet’s productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Agnes DeMille’s ‘Rodeo’ at the Historic State Theatre. He continues in musical theatre as a choreographer/director for Ashland Productions and has choreographed for Maple Grove Senior high, where his work has been recognized at the annual Spotlight Awards.
Since he fell in love with tap dancing, he’s had the pleasure of taking class with tap greats Yukiko Misumi, Grant Swift, Jimmie Payne, Jr., Mark Yonally, Chloe Arnold, Jason Samuels Smith, Randy Skinner, Everett Smith, Derick Grant, Jay Fagan, Dianne Walker, Dormeisha Sumbry-Edwards, Star Dixon, Nico Rubio, Jumanne Taylor, Guillem Alonso, Sam Weber, and others.
Deane has won several choreography awards and remains on staff at a handful of local dance studios.
Shari Tasler
Choreographer: Legally Blonde, Jr.
Shari has been working with Ashland for 6 years, as camp director and choreographer and as a director for the ACT Program. She has 15 years of dance training and has worked as a dance teacher for the past 5 years at Select Dance Academy in Shakopee. She graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Television Broadcasting. She is originally from Michigan and has also lived in Chicago and Los Angeles. Together with her family, she owns and manages the Amazing Mirror Maze in the Mall of America. She currently resides in Burnsville with her husband, Deane and their awesome new baby, Brock!
Choreographer: Legally Blonde, Jr.
Shari has been working with Ashland for 6 years, as camp director and choreographer and as a director for the ACT Program. She has 15 years of dance training and has worked as a dance teacher for the past 5 years at Select Dance Academy in Shakopee. She graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Television Broadcasting. She is originally from Michigan and has also lived in Chicago and Los Angeles. Together with her family, she owns and manages the Amazing Mirror Maze in the Mall of America. She currently resides in Burnsville with her husband, Deane and their awesome new baby, Brock!
Technical Staff
Dietrich Poppen
Lighting Design
Dietrich is back for his second summer of of Ashland fun. He has been lighting designer for numerous productions, including Damn Yankees, Urinetown and Oklahoma, as well as scenic designer for a few (Wizard of Oz, What A Fine Day). Dietrich earned his theatre degree from South Dakota State University where he focused on lighting design and acting. Since moving to the Twin Cities in 2005 he has designed lights, sound and sets for Theatre In The Round, Chameleon Theatre Circle, Lakeshore Players, among many others. His idea of a day job is being a scenic artist for the Guthrie, and composer/recording engineer for recording artists, commercials and film.
Lighting Design
Dietrich is back for his second summer of of Ashland fun. He has been lighting designer for numerous productions, including Damn Yankees, Urinetown and Oklahoma, as well as scenic designer for a few (Wizard of Oz, What A Fine Day). Dietrich earned his theatre degree from South Dakota State University where he focused on lighting design and acting. Since moving to the Twin Cities in 2005 he has designed lights, sound and sets for Theatre In The Round, Chameleon Theatre Circle, Lakeshore Players, among many others. His idea of a day job is being a scenic artist for the Guthrie, and composer/recording engineer for recording artists, commercials and film.