Brave and Strong and True

Donata Cucinotta joined Summer Stage in 1994. She was a student Waldron Mercy Academy in Merion Station and during her summers enjoyed performing in the casts of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, where she played Scotty the Scottish Dwarf. She remembers the heat and humidity of the Beverly Hills summer of 1995,and 1996’s No One Will Marry a Princess With a Tree Growing Out of Her Head. In 1997, she was in the mainstage cast of Jose...

Ellie Dormond is an original Summer Stager. She was encouraged to join the inaugural season in 1976 while she was a student of Cathy Pregmon at Upper Darby High School.  While claiming to have lived at the Performing Arts Center, she never once appeared on stage. She is a diehard techie who enjoys working off-stage and backstage. As a mother of two boys and a nurse specializing in elder care, Ellie has depended on the principle of ...

Jess Coulter sat in her car parked outside the Performing Arts Center as we recorded this conversation.  She grew up in Havertown but now lives in Perkiomen Valley, over an hour away. She is a Summer Stage alumnus and the mother of three children, all of whom are current members.  Jess joined the apprentice program in 1990. Her first children’s theatre show was Freedom, directed by Harry Dietzler. She proudly claims that she has se...

I visited Summer Stage on Tuesday, July 22.  Artistic Director Chris Luner selected small groups of “friends” for me to interview. In this episode, you will hear from four students from the theatre tech program. They are Quinn Williams, Ava Bowser, Remy Lazur, and Han Ahmed. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . .

We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard here.

Welcome to Brave and Stron...

I visited Summer Stage on Tuesday, July 22.  Artistic Director Chris Luner selected small groups of “friends” for me to interview. In this episode, you will hear from four cast members from The SpongeBob Musical Youth Edition, which opens on August 5. They are Nate Quillen, Kalia Hayman-Brown, Amina Peters, and Malayna McCarthy. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . .

We all have stories to tell...

I visited Summer Stage on Tuesday, July 22.  Artistic Director Chris Luner selected small groups of “friends” for me to interview. In this episode, you will hear from four cast members from Annie, Jr.,which opens on July 29. They are Ava Mast, Ariel Weber, Leah Repino, and Myles Boanes. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . .

We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard here.

Welcome to Bra...

Lansdowne native, Steve Eberle, attended Saint Philomena’s grade school, Monsignor Bonner High School, and DeSales University. He joined Summer Stage in 1990 and participated as an apprentice for two seasons. His first show was 1992’s Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tara Urban. One of Steve’s memorable roles was Gandalf in The Hobbit. He was in the Main Stage production of Me and My Girl in 1996. After living in Baltimore for a fe...

Vicky Mahoney is a second-generation Summer Stager.  That doesn’t mean she’s from the second decade; it means her father was a member of Summer Stage. She is also the first post-Gala guest I interviewed, and we both are riding high on the crest of that wave from last weekend. Vicky started Summer Stage in 1999 and participated in the Apprentices and Children’s Theatre programs. She is a graduate of Merion Mercer Academy and Catholi...

Marie Eife, a native of Drexel Hill, joined Summer Stage in 2003. After graduating from Archbishop Prendergast, she attended Syracuse University. Eife moved to New York City and has been a part of Wicked professionally since 2019, leading to her understudying and performing the role of Elphaba. This episode was recorded two days before the 50th Anniversary alumni show and gala on June 27. I just met Eife last week at rehearsal. She...

Drexel Hill native Lauren Hoffman joined Summer Stage in 2006 and participated in Children’s Theatre for four summers.  A graduate of Upper Darby High School, she attended Delaware County Community College and Rosemont College. She is now Lauren Glover, a mother, wife, and an Autistic support teacher at Drexel Hill Middle School. We recorded our discussion the day after the first two rehearsals for the 50th Anniversary show. I hope...

Part 2 of my interview with Julianna Schauerman and Ed Robins continues with a conversation with Ed. Ed Robins came to Summer Stage in 1981 and worked there until 2015. Ed is a jack-of-all-trades tech wizard, working in designing, lighting, electrical, carpentry, painting - you name it; Ed does it. He directs and stage manages as well. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . .

Conversations with M...

Julianna Schauerman spent every minute of her adult life working in theatre. She came to Summer Stage in 1977 and continued to work there until 1995. She is producing the 50th Anniversary show, just like she did for reunions 25, 30, and 40. Julianna also produces special events for Summer Stage, such as Harry’s Retirement Surprise Event. She runs her own production company and still finds time to perform. With us is Ed Robins who p...

Lizzy Lunardi and Anna Rudegeair first met each other while auditioning for Annie, Jr. in 2012. They were cast as Molly and Annie and began a lifelong friendship; they collectively became known as “Lizzanna.” These amazing young women speak so fondly of each other and what Summer Stage means to them. I enjoyed my time with them. I even learned about Dorkus Dietzler. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun...

Gina Giachero is the musical director of the 50th Anniversary Gala. She joined Summer Stage in 2007 as an accompanist. She was the musical director for Ragtime, My Favorite Year, The SpongeBob Musical, and many other mainstage classics. Her vibrant personality shines through in her hilarious Summer Stage stories. So, come along and have some fun!

We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard here. Welcome to Brave and Strong an...

Allie Steele comes from Radnor. She joined Summer Stage in 2000. She worked her way up the ranks from  Rising Stars, Children Theatre, Mainstage, and staff, before settling into the role of Stage Manager. She is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University and works as a teaching artist. Currently, Allie is the 50th Anniversary Administrator for our upcoming reunion and gala, which she will discuss some details about. I hope you enjoy o...

Jack McDonnell is a Springfield native who began as a Rising Star in 2009. In 2010, he started his Children’s Theatre career. This summer, he will continue along with the Mainstage program. Jack embodies the spirit of Summer Stage as he shares his enthusiasm for the arts, his appreciation for his mentors, and his life on the Autism spectrum. He shares amazing stories and performs some awesome impressions along the way. I hope you e...

Tim Sweeney remembers riding bikes to Summer Stage with his brothers and sisters from the Aronomink section of Drexel Hill. At one time there were four Sweeney’s at Summer Stage: Kate, Joe, Mike, and Tim. Tim fondly remembers meeting folks who became his lifelong friends friends while creating magic on the stage. Tim just became a father at the age of 46.  He works as an insurance agent and owns and operates Turkey Trivia, a compan...

David Cregan came to Summer Stage in 1982 after his freshman year at Bonner. He fondly remembers Nancy Santamaria influencing his love of dancing, claiming that West Side Story was a remarkable experience.  He went on to major in Musical Theatre at Villanova University. David received advanced degrees from Catholic University and Trinity College. David lived in New York City and performed professionally until he felt called into th...

Danny Bradley joined Summer Stage just before his eleventh birthday. He remembers taking Nancy Sanatmaria’s dance class and joining the cast of Nancy’s Children’s Theatre production of The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore in 1978. He performed in many Children’s Theatre shows and took on many roles such as Michael Banks in Mary Poppins (1979), Woodstock in Charlie Brown and Friends (1980), and Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka an...