Ruthann Ardizonni has been the Director of the Gymnastics Program at the Cohasset Community Center for 30 years and has coached Cohasset High School varsity gymnastics since 1985, the Cohasset Middle School since 2001, the Hanover Varsity team since 2002 and the Norwell Varsity team beginning in the fall of 2009. She volunteers at the Bay State Games, and she is a member of the American Athletic Union and the Gymnastics Judges Association. Ruthann holds certifications as Meet Director and Skill Evaluator, and certifications in First Aid, CPR and Safety. Ruthann has been associated with Summer Arts since its creation in 1989.
Lee Benzaquin is currently attending Emerson College in Boston where he is studying writing, literature and publishing. He is involved in a comedy troupe called "Chocolate Cake City," which has gained fame across the Emerson campus and the country with sketch comedy. He is excited to be co-teaching Animation, Sketch Comedy, Newspaper and DSA Film Studio at Summer Arts.
Kate Burke has a recognized career in both public art and painting, listed in the Smithsonian Archives of Painting and Sculpture for “Bronze Bricks” in Boston to “Hail Minnesota,” artistic manhole covers in downtown Minneapolis. Predominantly a relief carver and painter, she has worked in cast iron, bronze and painted cast carvings. In painting, Burke has had her work recognized by Monsanto for her innovative use of Foam-Cor to create 3-dimensional landscapes. She has taught as a rostered artist through the Pennsylvania Arts Council and the University of Pittsburgh Generations Together program, conducting short term residencies in middle schools, high schools and senior care facilities. Other teaching experience has been through summer arts camps for kids, museum classes and college workshops. She has her degree from the Art Institute of Boston. Kate will be teaching Junior Art, Outdoor Art, Painting, Drawing, Printmaking and Sculpture at Summer Arts.
Mary Ann Carnes works for the Hingham Police Department and for the past eight years has been Derby Academy’s traffic supervisor. A multi-talented person, Mary Ann also works with Sage Dining Services, the company that manages food for Derby Academy throughout the year. She has lived in Hingham for 48 years with her husband and has three adult children. She is delighted to be teaching cooking classes and is looking forward to meeting Summer Arts camper chefs!
Scot Chandler teaches geography, science and athletics at Derby Academy during the academic year. He is the campus photographer and will teach Sports and Chess this summer. Scot holds a bachelor's of arts degree from the University of Richmond. His daughter, Kaelen, will be a Junior camper this summer.
Judy Coady Benzaquin is a gymnastics and sports instructor for the South Shore Community Center in Cohasset and the Norwell and Marshfield Recreation Departments. Judy is also a middle school special needs aide in Norwell, a private tutor and she is a devout yogi. Judy received her BA in art education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has been teaching at Summer Arts since 2003.
Kiri Cormack is a musical theatre major at Wagner College in Staten Island. She came to Summer Arts as a 10-year old camper, became a CIT and now co-teaches a Cappella, and Music and Movement for the Summer Arts Junior Program. Kiri will be the co-host of our daily Noon-time Show. She is a singer, songwriter and coordinator of musical theater performing events at her college. She also participates in dance, voice and acting classes throughout the year.
Christianna Daley received a BFA in illustration from The Art Institute of Boston in 1998. She has worked for over 10 years as a professional animator and illustrator in Los Angeles. Notable credits include both "The Simpsons" television show and "The Simpsons Movie." She is looking forward to working with the students at the Summer Arts program where she will be teaching Animation. She lives in Quincy with her husband and their son, Atticus.
Craig Davis is joining us for his fourth year in the Music and Sports Departments. He graduated from Stonehill College with at BA in History and received his master's degree in education from Eastern Nazarene College. He is a teacher of social studies and the assistant football coach at South Shore Vocational Technical High School.
Chip Dean’s passion is in all aspects of visual arts, with video production being at the top of his list. Chip has been active in video production since the mid-90s, serving as part of a large video team at his church in St. Louis. He produces video resumes, personal tribute videos for weddings and funerals and promotional videos. Chip is also a photographer, a graphic artist and runs a digital building modeling business. He lives in Marshfield with his wife Anna and daughter Kellie. He returns to Summer Arts for his sixth year.
Nancy Donovan, head of visual arts, is a visual artist and educator. During the academic year, she is the Lower School art teacher at Derby Academy and teaches glass fusing, pottery and sculpture in the Upper School. In the spring of 2009 she taught glass fusing classes at the Menino Art Center in Hyde Park. At Summer Arts she has taught clay, painting, drawing and quilting. She was the costumer for the musicals "Working," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Honk!," "Les Miserables," "Music Man," "Once on this Island" and "Guys and Dolls." Nancy designed a quilt to commemorate Boston’s 375th birthday, which hung in City Hall in 2005. Her picture quilts hung at Logan Airport in 2006. Nancy has participated in Summer Arts for 19 years. Her undergraduate studies in applied art were completed at Northeastern University, and she earned an M.Ed from Lesley University.
Mary Bess Engel worked for Simon and Schuster Publishing Company for 10 years as an art director and graphic designer of book covers. Her designs are seen on cookbooks, coffee table books, business books and fiction and non-fiction texts. Mary Bess is a graduate of the University of Delaware and the mother of two Summer Arts campers, Devon and Reese. She will be teaching Fantasy Furniture, Batik and Prints, Beading and Journals II.
Gingy Grimes is excited to be back at Summer Arts for her fourth year as the Musical Director of Little Shop of Horrors. She is the music director at First Parish in Norwell, accompanies the Quincy Choral Society, and teaches and is an accompanist at Milton Academy. She has been music director for "The King and I" and "Seussical" at Pierce Middle School in Brookline and pianist for "Into the Woods" at Weston Middle School. Her 2009-2010 accomplishments include music-directing "Annie, Jr." for the Pierce Players in Milton, accompanying "Amahl and the Night Visitors" for the First Parish in Bedford, and accompanying for The Quincy Choral Society on their concert tour of Germany. She also enjoyed accompanying "Alice in Wonderland," "Oklahoma" and the holiday programs at Derby Academy this year. She is a graduate of Duke University and lives in Milton with husband Frank, son Brandon, dog Martin and cat Quid.
Verna Hampton is a performer, artist/educator and an entrepreneur. She is a native of Boston and lives in Brooklyn, NY. The 2009/2010 season has been busy for her; she toured "The Lonely Soldier Monologues" throughout New York and Connecticut. In June she was the narrator for the play, "My Boyfrriend is a Zombie" at Theatre for the New City. She also performed in "Sister F.M.: Diva at La Mama E.T.C." and at The Cell, an off, off broadway theatre. Verna’s radio talents were shared with the East River Tenants Association’s New Community Radio Intergenerational Project in the spring of 2010. She is happy to be back with her Summer Arts family for her eighth year—“Let’s have a parade!”
John Higgins has recently retired from the Hingham Public Schools, where he taught drama for 35 years. He was the advisor/director of the Hingham High School Drama Club, where he directed many musical productions such as "Les Miserables," "Guys and Dolls," "Anything Goes," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Crazy for You" and "West Side Story." His non-musical directing credits include "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," "Our Town" and "The Laramie Project." He is currently working for Lesson One, Inc., a non-profit corporation which provides educational consulting services for schools all across the country. He is a past president of the Massachusetts High School Drama Guild and a past recipient of the Massachusetts Alliance for Arts Education’s “Outstanding Arts Educator Award.” He has taught in summer arts programs for high school students at Bridgewater State College, American Idol Camp, Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and for many years at Derby Summer Arts. John is a graduate of Boston College, where he earned a degree in drama and English, and he holds a master's degree from Catholic University in speech and drama.
Liz Hilt is a graduate of Northeastern University, where she majored in photography and minored in East Asian Studies. She manages a Davis Square café. She has taught visual arts classes at Camp Pittaway in Virginia and at the Mattakesett Resort in Martha’s Vineyard. Liz will be teaching in our Photography Department for her seventh summer.
Lindsay Jagodowski, a graduate of Smith College, majored in theatre with a minor in philosophy. She has been performing since she was a child, both singing and acting. In high school, she was part of an award-winning acting troupe that traveled throughout North America to perform everything from children’s theater to more serious performances aimed at raising awareness of issues facing teenagers. She continued her studies in college and became involved with productions throughout the Pioneer Valley. Lindsay began acting professionally at the age of 20 and has been involved with more than 40 productions, taking on roles ranging from female lead, stage manager and director to tech crew, hair and make-up, costumes, props and set building. She also served as a modeling coach in Boston. Lindsay has taught theatre at independent schools in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, including Phillips Exeter Academy. She has worked with children of all ages and enjoys inspiring them to tap into their inner creativity and embrace the world of theatre. She joined the Derby Academy staff in fall 2009 and is excited for her first year with Summer Arts.
Peter Kates has been directing, designing and performing in plays with area schools and community groups for well over a third of a century. This past year he performed in "Assassins" and built the set for "Asassins" and "Moon Over Buffalo." He also served as a lighting/sound technician for "The Sisters Rosenswieg" and designed lights for "The Children’s Hour." This will be his tenth year at Summer Arts.
Allison Kelley, for the past 14years, has been the owner of Shoestrings Studio in Hanover, where she teaches tap, jazz, ballet, pointe and hip hop. She is married and has two wonderful little girls who will be attending Derby’s summer programs. Allison is also working on becoming a certified fitness instructor.
Robin Kelley is a gifted seamstress and musician. She began teaching sewing for Summer Arts in 1994 while she was an academic year music teacher at Derby Academy. Currently she teaches elementary music, chorus and instrumental lessons in the Rockland Public Schools and plays the piano for elementary school musicals. Robin sings in the Pilgrim Church choir, plays the clarinet in the South Shore Bay Band and is professional development coordinator for the New England Orff Schulwerk Association. Her children, Michelle and Brian, are first year CITS. Robin earned a BA in music education from the Crane School of Music at the State University of NY, Potsdam and an MS in music education from Central Connecticut State University. She will teach sewing this summer.
Kathi Lesko is a potter and educator who lives in Hingham. She has her own line of porcelain jewelry and pottery and recently has been involved with soft sculpture wall hangings. At Summer Arts she has taught Advanced Clay, Soapstone Carving and Quilting to students of all ages. During the academic year, she works with special education students at Norwell Junior High School. This will be Kathi’s seventeenth year at Derby Summer Arts.
Maye Magner has 31 years experience as a pediatric nurse. She has been the Derby Academy academic year nurse for three years and began working as the Summer Arts nurse in 2008. Previously, she worked in the Brookline Public Schools for nine years as a school nurse. She lives in Duxbury with her husband and three children.
Thalia McMillion, the director of Summer Programs at Derby Academy, joined the faculty of Derby Academy in 1988 after a 10-year career of performing, directing and teaching at Boston University, Pine Manor College and as the education director of Boston’s Next Move Theatre. She is the director of Summer Arts, Summer Fun and Young Explorers. She holds an MA in theatre direction from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and a BS in theatre and BS in social welfare from Middle Tennessee State University. She loves helping children to discover their creative gifts.
Markie Mello is returning for her twelfth summer. This year Markie will be teaching Miniatures, Fantasy Furniture, Animal Art and Jewelry. She is a senior in the Interior Design Department at Syracuse University and spent her spring semester in London, where she studied design.
Sally Mello, a visual artist, is returning for her twelfth summer at Summer Arts. In December of 2008 she was chosen to paint an ornament for the White House Christmas Tree. She has been the education coordinator at the Art Complex in Duxbury since 2002. She paints in her backyard studio and paints at least one flower a day! Visit her blog at: http://sallydean365flowers.blogspot.com. She is a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University. Sally will be teaching Mosaics and Landscape Painting. Under Sally’s direction, Summer Arts students have produced the many lovely mosaics in Derby’s Roy Campus Center. She is also the head of our CIT Program.
Adam Norcott is pleased to return for his second season with Summer Arts. Adam will be teaching an eclectic mix, including the Broad Cove study, Robotics, and Mini-Musical Tech. His theatre credits include national tours of "Footloose," "The King and I," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Peter Pan," "Three Mo' Tenors" and "The Male Intellect (An Oxymoron)." During the school year, he teaches Robotics, Bridge Building, Wood Shop and 4th grade science at Derby. Adam lives with his wife and two year old son, Conroy, in Quincy.
Susie O’Brien returns for her twelfth summer. She will be teaching Hathi Yoga and leading the Summer Arts Juniors. Susie has taught pre-school and beginner gymnastics at the Massachusetts Gymnastic Center in Hingham. She works part-time as a home health aid and volunteers at the Cohasset Council on Aging. She enjoys most sports and looks forward to the games played with the campers this summer. Her BS degree is in Environmental Science from North Adams College.
Dan Perrault is an actor/comedian and co-winner of "America’s Funniest College Student of 2008." This fall Dan will star in CBS’s "House Rules" as Eric McCadams and in 2010 will appear in "The Company Man" opposite Ben Affleck. Dan is a graduate of Emerson College and is currently living in New York City while pursuing a career in film and theatre.
Susan Ploss has a BA in history and music history from Rider University in Princeton, NJ. She holds certifications in history, social studies and music from UMass Boston. She taught in Boston and on the South Shore prior to joining Derby Academy 22 years ago as Summer Arts assistant director. She is also the coordinator of the Summer Fun and Young Explorers programs, which take place throughout the summer. Susan and her husband immensely enjoy hosting international students from Tufts University by giving them a sense of home life in the U.S.
Kara Protulis has worked with Ruthann Ardizzoni at the Cohasset Community Center for many years and will be teaching gymnastics this summer. Her son, Joseph, attends Summer Arts.
David Ruggiano is returning to the Music Department for his ninth year. He has spent 20 years playing and teaching guitar and is a third grade teacher at the Martinson Elementary School in Marshfield, MA. David has a master's degree in elementary education from Bridgewater State College. David will teach Jazz Ensemble and Rock Band this year. He and his wife and their two daughters, Sophia and Caroline, live in Hingham. Both children attend Summer Arts.
Caitlin Sanchez is a graduate of UMass Dartmouth. She has loved and participated in gymnastics since the age of three. At age five she was asked to become a member of Gymnasts in Motion Level Four Team. She continued as a team member and AAU participant until high school when she changed to cheerleading and became Varsity Co-Captain for three years. Once again, she will be teaching Gymnastics and Cheerleading at Summer Arts.
Erin Sanguiliano is currently a student at Bridgewater State College and will soon graduate with a degree in elementary education. She started gymnastics at age six and cheerleading at eight. Erin was on the gymnastics and cheerleading team at her high school in New Jersey and has been nationally recognized as an All-Star Cheerleader. She enjoys choreographing gymnastics and cheerleading and is looking forward to working with Derby’s gymnasts this summer.
Ed Sorrentino is no stranger to Derby Academy. For the past two decades he has played percussion for more than 20 shows, including Summer Arts productions. Ed is also a busy freelance percussionist, performing in different venues throughout New England and is a certified drum circle facilitator. He is on the faculty at South Shore Conservatory and chairs the Jazz and Rock and Percussion Departments. Ed will be teaching drumming and playing for the musical and mini-musical this summer.
Brooke Stanton is a costume designer who has worked in film, stage, dance, opera and television. Between tours she enjoys teaching childrens’ art classes to pass on her enthusiasm for discovery and creativity. She studied costume design at NYU and has a degree in textiles from the California College of Arts and Crafts. Her son, Skye, is a Summer Arts camper. Brooke will be teaching Fashion Design and creating costumes for the Summer Arts theatre productions.
Shawn Verrier graduated from Emerson College in 2009 with his BFA in musical theatre. He was selected to attend the Springboard NYC program with the American Theatre Wing over the summer. His favorite roles while attending school include Edgar in "Bat Boy," Cat in "Honk!" and Dennis in a new work called, "The Rubiks Cube." He also directed a 20-minute production of "Hairspray" and created a gala performance for Equity Fights AIDS week in Boston (Emerson College is ranked number one as a collegiate donator to the fund). He recently played the role of Angel in The Company Theatre’s production of "Rent" in Norwell, MA, and has been a part of Derby Summer Arts for six years, teaching dance and theatre courses. He will be directing this year’s musical, "Little Shop of Horrors," and will once again be co-hosting Noon-time Shows. He is excited to be coming back and can’t wait to create pieces that challenge our sense of dance, musicality and play.
Dick Williams teaches fourth grade sports and provides academic support to students in Grades 4-8 at Derby during the academic year. Last summer he was the instructor for "Gone Fishing," a one week camp that was part of the Summer Fun Program at Dervt. Dick will be writing head at Summer Arts, where he will teach and coordinate the publishing of "The Weathervane." He holds a BA from Brandeis University and an MA from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.
Sarah Williamson has taught Photography at Summer Arts since 2002. She received her BFA from Northeastern University in 2003 with a double major in English literature and fine arts. She is also a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, where she received an MFA in video and photography.
In addition to the above staff members, there are 18 Counselors-in-Training, ages 16-18, who will be assisting the staff. |