Bio Coming Soon!
Robbie joined the STAGES team as a Teaching Artist in 2022, and currently is the co-director of the 2023-24 Acting Ensemble production of THE CHERRY ORCHARD. They also keep office hours on the STAGES staff where they work on production oversight and program development.
Allison is a figure skating coach and choreographer, a filmmaker, and an activist at the intersection of sports and the performing arts. She grew up in Maine spending most of her time on the ice, practicing for competitions and (her favorite) ice shows. But she couldn’t resist the stage and also made time to perform in musicals and stage manage for community theatre and concerts.
Moved by curiosity, Allison has dabbled in yoga, politics, crisis work, mountain biking, and beyond but youth and community development has been a thread through it all. She studied Leadership at USM with a focus on performance artists as community leaders then spent most of her 20s in New York City working with social justice activists in the wellness industry. Allison went on to coach and direct figure skating programs in Brooklyn and Harlem, getting the chance to choreograph programs for Prospect Park, Rockefeller Center, and Reebok, before finding her way back to Maine.
She continues to sit on the Laureus: Sport for Good Leadership Council in NYC but Maine is her home and happy place. Allison loves the space to play with her dog, the community she’s found as a member of the PortFringe committee and Maine Film Association, coaching skaters aged 3-103 at the local rinks, and now teaching at Stages!
Allison joined the STAGES team in 2023. She is a Teaching Artist, co-leading The Hero’s Journey – the STAGES 2023-24 Young Performers Ensemble.
Tyler Costigan has been performing for stage and screen for over 30 years, most recently with Mad Horse Theatre in South Portland. Some of his favorite roles include Norman Dewars in Table Manners, Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest, and Felix Ungar in The Odd Couple.
In 2018 Tyler discovered his passion for teaching young performers and has since led workshops at True North Theatre, Ten Bucks Theatre, and The Grand. He served for one year as the theatre director at Ellsworth Middle School, and has just finished his second year as director at Jordan Small Middle School in Raymond. Tyler spent the summer of 2022 at the Celebration Barn Theater, training in Advanced Eccentric Performance under the instruction of Avner “The Eccentric” Eisenberg, and performed at the Barn’s 50th Anniversary celebration alongside some of the world’s funniest people. This summer he’ll be returning to the barn to study the works of Samuel Beckett with one of his favorite performers, Bill Irwin.
Tyler joined the STAGES team in 2023. He is a lead Teaching Artist and Curriculum Designer for our new PlayVenture role-playing programs for ages 8-9!
Lauren Murphy has loved singing for as long as she can remember! Her family was super supportive of her singing, leading to her participation in Maine District and All-State Festivals, taking private voice lessons, participating in Musica De Filia girl choir, Singing in operas, and touring Europe with the United States Youth Ensembles while in high school.
She went on to get a degree in Music Education at The University of Southern Maine in 2013. She has been teaching in public schools since then as well as performing when she can, including in Ogunquit Playhouse’s 2016 production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
At school, she directors multiple choirs, and group voice lessons. She also directs musical theater productions and does private voice coaching as needed. Her voice coaching students have gone on to the Maine District II festival, the Maine All-State Festival, Port Opera Chorus, The Nutcracker at Maine State Ballet, and many other exciting opportunities.
Lauren believes that all students can and should sing and that focused effort is the key to successful singing. She helps to foster individual vocal development by showing students the anatomy of their voices and how everything should work together to make sound through vocal warm-ups. She thinks music is at its best when it is used to tell a story. In her lessons, she includes acting coaching as well as vocal coaching.
Lauren joined the STAGES team in 2022. She is a director and music director for STAGES productions, and is now offering voice instruction in the STAGES private lessons studio!
I came into Stages by the side door when I said “I’ve got some free time this summer if you need a sub.” and they said “Yes!” Now I’ve choreographed and directed for Stages and I couldn’t be happier to have found this organization that shares my views on the creative arts and how important they are in a person’s life.
I grew up playing make believe and never stopped; it turned into acting and dance. In addition to countless plays and dance shows, both school and professional; I worked at summer arts camps, founded Sticky Tape Theater company in Bangor, lived in NYC to dance, earned a BA in theater from USM, founded and still work with Vivid Motion Dance in Portland, direct the drama club at Lincoln Middle School, teach dance at Scarborough High School, choreograph for local groups, design and create costumes, and have recently found myself back onstage as a performer with Lyric Theater and Portland Players.
As a young person I had phenomenal teachers and mentors that encouraged me to love the process of performing, to be creative, and who gave me a voice. I try to honor that legacy and help my students to create, to speak out, and to be proud of themselves.
When I’m not doing something directly related to the performing arts I can be found planting native species of plants, researching and trying out edible flowers, recreating the middle ages with the SCA, or trying my hand at coding “choose your own adventure” games.
Brigitte joined the STAGES team in 2022. She is a director and choreographer for STAGES musical theater productions, and is a Teaching Artist in our after school programs across multiple locations!
Thalia Wolff (she/her) is a dancer, director, playwright, and teaching artist from the Pacific Northwest captivated by the unique capacity of the performing arts to enable individuals to boldly, playfully imagine and embody new worlds together.
She has taught and supported classes with Seattle Children’s Theatre, the Central Stage Theatre of Central Kitsap, Reed College, and Portland Stage Company on topics ranging from collaborative playwriting to movement-based acting, from creating for the camera to devised dramatic play.
She is thrilled to be working with the wonderful teachers, staff, and student-artists at STAGES this year!
Thalia joined the STAGES team in 2023. She is a Teaching Artist and on the directing team for the ACTING ADVENTURES program for 8-9 year old students!
Makenzie, who also commonly goes by Max, is currently an amateur performer with a dream of directing and performing professionally. She is studying at the University of Southern Maine, and is one year away from earning her B.A. in Theatre with a Double Concentration in Technology/Design & Performance.
She has done most of her performing in educational spaces, but she hopes to branch out and work with theaters around southern Maine very soon!
Zoë is super excited to join the STAGES team! She loves connecting with young people and seeing them grow both on and off the stage.
Zoë studied American Sign Language Interpreting and Theatre: Stage Management at the University of South Florida -Tampa. After graduation, she moved to Maine for an internship at Portland Stage, loved the area, and decided to stay. Zoë has been blessed to work on productions in many different roles in Florida, Massachusetts, and Maine.
At STAGES, Zoë is a teaching artist and director – and recently joined the STAGES Board of Directors! When not at STAGES you can find Zoë planning weddings, fundraising/planning events for numerous non-profits, and hanging out with her family and friends.
Mary Kate is an actor and an artist based in Portland. She studied Theatre at the University of Southern Maine, and joined the STAGES crew in 2021. Her first ever job was in children’s theatre and she’s thrilled to be back!
When not teaching young people or stomping around the stage herself, Mary Kate enjoys hiking, embroidering, and spending time with her partner and their three wonderful pets.
Mary Kate joined the STAGES team in 2021. She is a Teaching Artist working in all STAGES locations, a costume designer, and a co-director of the Acting Ensemble program.
Campbell (Cami) Gibson is a performer/director/theater educator in the Portland area who currently holds a B.A. in Theater and minor in Dance from the University of Southern Maine.
She has performed and directed at various venues across Maine including: Waterville Opera House, Deertrees Theater, Lakewood Theater, USM, Mad Horse Theater Company, Monmouth Community Players, and School House Arts. In the past couple years Cami has also performed with Lime Arts Productions in LA, performing virtually with other artists nationwide.
When Cami is not performing, directing, or teaching at STAGES, she is currently working on writing her one woman play or reading scripts. She is very excited to be working at STAGES and teaching improv and other forms of storytelling!
Cami joined the STAGES team in 2021. She is a Teaching Artist, and has been on the directing team for our Freeport IMPROV Ensemble since it began!
