Rebecca Raskin (she/her)

Rebecca has been refining her skills as a choreographer for the past 12 years, beginning with the Stowe Theater Guild, and building her  experience and repertoire as a teaching artist with the Flynn Theater Show Choirs. In between, she has worked on productions with Lyric Theater, Essex High School, Champlain Valley High School, Girls Night Out Productions and more. She trained and performed with the Berkshire Ballet for 12 years and though ballet was her first love, musical theater has given her access to a fuller range of movement and expressiveness; the power of connecting performers and audience members through storytelling never ceases to move and inspire her. A former attorney, Rebecca now holds a degree in clinical mental health and school counseling, and finds her work in those fields both helpful and illuminating in her artistic work with students.  

Emily Robbins (She/her)

Emily Robbins is an experienced arts educator, human development specialist, and emergent strategist. Emily holds a Master of Education in Human Development & Psychology (Child Advocacy) from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education (K-5) from the University of Vermont. Informed by both her formal scholarship and her years as a street-level bureaucrat interacting with children, families, and colleagues, she believes we build and cultivate community through simple, positive interactions that encourage self-efficacy and a deeper understanding of lifespan development. Emily loves to be a part of Full Circle Theater Collaborative, where that belief in the importance of community is considered a fundamental truth. She has directed, produced, and music-directed shows with The Flynn, Belmont Dramatic Club, and Hinesburg Community School, and has been a vocal coach for 12 years. Born in Burlington, raised in Charlotte, and currently residing in Vergennes, Emily enjoys spending her free time with her husband, son, and two dogs!   

Leila Teitelman (She/her)

Leila is a teaching artist and practitioner from New Hampshire. She holds a B.A. in theater from Connecticut College and an MFA in theatrical writing from Lesley University where she presented her thesis, Mother of all Monsters: How Horror Became a Feminist Genre, on the intersection of femme bodies and the grotesque. Plays include: Awful People Pray (National Playwrights’ Conference Semi-Finalist, Princess Grace Fellowship Semi-Finalist, Table Work Press recommendation, Working Title Productions, Clauder Competition NH Winner), Baby Cakes (B-Street Theater New Comedy Festival, The Hearth Theater Co.), and A Place for Us (The Kennedy Center, Boston Theater Marathon). Leila was a 2017/2018 resident playwright at Athena Theater and a 2019/2020 resident playwright of the Inkubator writers group. As a performer, she has worked with Vermont Stage, Middlebury Acting Co, David Dorfman Dance, The College Light Opera Company, The Hearth, Roundabout Theater, NYC Fringe and NYC Musical Theater Festivals. Leila has worked in Education and Literary offices at Manhattan Theatre Club, New Dramatists, The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Keene State College, Barrington Stage Company and UVM where she currently serves as theater faculty.

Randal Pierce (he/him)

Randal Pierce is a Burlington-based performer, composer, teacher, and music director. He has a degree in piano performance from McGill's Schulich School of Music and spent six years performing in Montreal's vibrant music and theater scenes. Randal has toured internationally with the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts and played at major music festivals throughout the US and Canada. He has been commissioned to write theater and film works for VT Stage Company, The Flynn Theater, Main Street Landing, The Green Mountain Film Festival, In Tandem Arts, BCA, Big Picture Theater and The Festival of Fools. He is thrilled to be music directing for Full Circle Theater Collaborative!

Andrea Maas (She/her)

Prior to her return to Vermont, Andrea served as Assistant Professor of Music Education at the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam where she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in music education and performance. Her work is informed by broad experiences in PK-12 music education in general music, vocal and instrumental ensembles, musical theater, and music education technology. She developed valuable relationships with Vermont music educators while teaching at Waitsfield Elementary School and Union 32 Middle and High School. During her doctoral work, she served as the Director Student Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she advised pre-service music educators in diverse teaching settings from Brooklyn to the Bronx. These experiences drive her to challenge students toward more meaningful musical encounters, prioritizing culturally sustaining teaching approaches and flexible musicianship.

At the University of Vermont, Maas teaches foundational and capstone courses in music education, and facilitates field experiences in general, instrumental, and choral music. She also directs the Catamount Singers and Concert Choir.

Brit flynn (She/her)

After graduating with a BA in Theater and Creative writing from the University of Vermont, Brit studied Commedia dell'arte and divisive theater with Ruotalibera Teatro in Rome, Italy. Inspired by this new way of creating, exploring, and making people laugh; she joined the Chicago comedy scene. While studying at The Second City, Chicago conservatory she began performing all across the city and country with her comedy music duo Evan & Mary-Jane. Brit originated the ensembles for improv and sketch comedy groups Huggable Riot, Adults, and Sleepover. Writing for and performing on The Annoyance Theater Mainstage in a slew of dark, original, comedic musical productions including Hey Peter-Bye Peter, Bite-sized Broadway and Grease 3: Grease and Desist. She originated the cast of Queer Eye the Musical Parody and understudied at The Second City in She The People. During the pandemic, Brit hopped back to Vermont where she joined VCC Tour Co. and became the Theater Program Director at Essex High School. After directing James and The Giant Peach, Jr. with Full Circle last summer, she is thrilled to be welcomed back for the 2024 summer season as Berthe in Pippin and the director of SpongeBob The Musical.

Vonnie Murad (She/her)

Vonnie has trained extensively in ballet, musical theater, jazz, and contemporary dance. After graduating from Harvard College, she moved to NYC where she took classes regularly at Broadway Dance Center and STEPS. She also served as the Dance Captain and Assistant Choreographer for Broadway choreographers Patti Wilcox and Joey McKneely.

Carissa bellando (She/her)

Carissa is originally from New York and holds a MFA in Contemporary Dance from Case Western Reserve University and a BA in Theatre and Speech with a concentration in Musical Theatre and a minor in Dance from Wagner College.  

 Carissa performed professionally for thirteen years in Concert Dance and Musical Theatre throughout the US, Taiwan, and at sea with Norwegian Cruise Line and Aida Cruises before moving into teaching and choreographing full-time. Some of her favorite performance roles include Tumblebrutus in “Cats”, the Carpet in “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”, and Die Hexe (The Witch) in “Es War Einmal” (Once Upon a Time).  

Carissa has taught and choreographed in the US and Germany for colleges, conservatories, theaters, dance companies, and numerous studios.  Most recently you may have seen her choreography in “Tick Tick…Boom!” for Vermont Stage, “SpongeBob: The Musical” for Shelburne Community School, and “ Little Shop of Horrors” for Essex High School as well as numerous dance studios in the Chittenden and Washington counties.

Kyle Ferguson (he/him)

Kyle is a Philadelphia native who moved to Vermont 2018. He studied theater at The College of William and Mary in Virginia and received additional training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and The Tom Todoroff School in Los Angeles. Kyle has written and directed plays and musicals for youth and adults, most recently at Camp Dudley in Westport, New York. Onstage in Vermont, Kyle appeared as Trent in The Prom (Lyric Theater Co.), Caliban in The Tempest (Vermont Reperatory Theater), and Lancelot in Spamelot! (Vermont Reperatory Theater).

hELEN wESTON (SHE/HER)

 Having been in the performing arts since the age of 7 years old, Helen recognizes the breadth of connectivity this type of activity brings to the neighborhood and looks forward to MORE SHOWS!  Helen has been a part of many aspects in theater-in the pit orchestra as pianist/director/percussionist and even a cow tipper (feel free to ask her about this job!), on stage as thespian and backstage as a bossy cow. Her favorite shows include “West Side Story”, “Les Miserables”, “City of Angels” “Chicago”, “Little Shop of Horrors”! Her favorite on-stage roles were the comedic roles of Ruth of “Pirates of Penzance” and Ado Annie of “Oklahoma” and also being a part of the dance company, “Pathos”, directed by Sophia Morris-Pittman of Dance Theatre of Harlem.  During the day, she is continually digging in the dirt alongside her husband Mike Isham, at the Isham Family Farm.  Helen holds a BA in music, with a focus on piano performance and holds a degree in Piano Rebuilding Technology from the North Bennet Street School in Boston, MA. She would like to thank the most influential people in her life-her parents, Ken and Vivian Weston-the best people EVER.  

Laura Wolfsen (She/her)

Laura studied musical theater at Circle in the Square Theatre School in NYC. She has since lived and worked here in VT with her husband, children, and their fluffy friends. She has most recently directed for VT Stage Co. in their fundraiser production of True West. Some of her favorite recent roles include Liz in Women in Jeopardy, Sylvia in The Thin Place and Lieserl in Relativity with VT Stage Co., the Witch in Into the Woods with Lyric Theatre Co., Belle/Mrs. Fred in Christmas Carol with Middlebury Acting Co., Anne in A Little Night Music, and Rosa Bud in The Mystery of Edwin Drood with Skinner Barn Theater. Laura has had the pleasure of teaching with Full Circle’s Show Choir team, choreographing FCTC’s James and the Giant Peach, Jr., and playing the Adult Women in Spring Awakening. Thank you, Amy and Gina, for welcoming me into this beautiful theatrical family!