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ITDP Teaching Faculty
ITDP: Greece Intensive 2023 Welcomes
Marika Countouris (she/her) — Musical Theatre Vocal Performance
Marika is a musician, educator, and performer in the DC area. She holds a BM in Musical Theatre from The Catholic University of America and serves as Vocal Instructor & Area Accompanist for Howard University's BFA Musical Theatre Program. Some of her credits include: WOOLLY MAMMOTH: A Strange Loop (Pre-Broadway Run); ARENA STAGE: Ride the Cyclone; FORD'S: Grace (World Premiere); SIGNATURE: Passing Strange and The Color Purple ; FLYING V: We’re Gonna Die (Helen Hayes Nomination for Outstanding Music Direction); GREAT LAKES CENTER FOR THE ARTS: Godspell; CONSTELLATION: The Last Five Years; MONUMENTAL: Songs for a New World, Head Over Heels, Be More Chill, Daddy Long Legs, and Brooklyn; NEXTSTOP: Beehive; LEVINE MUSIC THEATRE: Matilda; CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY: 9 to 5; MONTGOMERY COLLEGE: Urinetown and Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play. Instagram: @marikanne
Laura Wayth — Acting through the Contemporary Lens
Laura received her MFA from the American Repertory Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University and the Moscow Art Theatre School Institute in Russia. Wayth has taught and coached contemporary and classical acting, voice, and musical theatre at Tufts University, the College of the Holycross, the University of Miami, the University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire, and Florida Atlantic University. She was a 2019-2020 Fulbright Senior Scholar to Poland, a 2011-2012 Senior Fulbright Scholar to Romania, and a 2002-2003 Fulbright Fellow to Russia. She has worked internationally as an acting teacher and coach in Italy, Morocco, China and the U.K. Wayth is the author of three books on Acting: A Field Guide to ActorTraining, The Shakespeare Audition (Applause books) and Breaking Down Your Script:A Step-by-step Process for the Actor (Nick Hern books). She is Professor of Acting and Coordinator of the Actor Training Program at San Francisco State University and a guest acting instructor at the American Conservatory Theatre. She lives in a not-so-sunny part of California with her husband and furry family.
Bryan Knowlton — Musical Theatre Dance
Bryan is a New York & London based director and choreographer. Bryan's extensive career has spanned from starring on Broadway in the most recent Revival of "A CHORUS LINE" to appearing in multiple National Tours, Film and TV. He is an award winning choreographer with credits that include: CABARET & CHICAGO (NH Theatre Award "Best Choreographer," ONSTAGE Theatre Award Nomination "Best Choreography"), MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD (Kennedy Center American College Theatre Award "Outstanding Choreography") BEEHIVE! (Berkshire Theatre Award nomination "Best Choreographer") SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER/MAMMA MIA (SALT Award nomination "Best Choreographer"), CURTAINS (BroadwayWorld Award Nomination "Best Choreography") among many others. At present, he is attached as Director/Choreographer to “In My Own Little Corner” starring Chryssie Whitehead in NYC and serving as choreographer for the new musical, “The Only Way Out” written by David Thatcher Maglione in London, UK. He is currently an adjunct professor at Montclair State University as well as on faculty at Broadway Dance Center, STEPS on Broadway in New York City as well as THE HUB and House of Jazz in London. For more information visit bryanknowlton.org.
Stephanie Mavrides (Founding Director)
Stephanie is the founding Director and Executive Producer of International Theatre & Dance Project (formerly Int'l Dance Project) and the Alexander Children’s Theatre School (ACTS). She also serves as the Senior Financial Production Advisor for Theater Uncorked, and as the Director for the Waltham Recreation Department’s Summer Drama Camp and Summer Dance Camp, a collaboration with IDP & ACTS. A graduate of Suffolk University and Emerson College, Stephanie has performed with Edward Villella, National Ballet of Greece, Athens Ballet, Dimitri Ivanov Ballet, Boston Chamber Dance Ensemble, Bay State Ballet, Copley Square Ballet Company, as well as numerous, musicals, cabarets, television specials, concerts and fashion shows, in the US and Europe. She has coordinated and produced many educational dance and theatre seminars, workshops, dance concerts and musicals both domestically and abroad. Ms. Mavrides is a recipient of the Capezio Award for Excellence for Choreography.
Lenni Stone (she/her) — Education Director & Program Coordinator/ Shakespeare & Text
Lenni received a BA in Theatre & Speech from Wagner College and a MA with Distinction in Shakespeare & Education from The Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham (UK). She is currently a contributing writer for Teaching and Learning Shakespeare Through Theatre-Based Practice being published by Arden Shakespeare (Bloomsbury) in 2024. Lenni will complete the terminal certification (of three) for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s classroom and professional rehearsal room practices in fall 2023. Currently only one other individual in the USA has this credential. Lenni currently serves as Theatre Department Chair for ICON—School for the Arts. Abroad, Lenni has taught Shakespeare and other theatre coursework in the Cayman Islands for CayStage. Lenni teaches speciality Shakespeare related acting workshops and choreographs productions at colleges and universities in the New England area. She is a former New York City and Boston based actor, singer, dancer, and a member of Actor's Equity Association. Lenni served as an equity dance captain and performer on the Reagle Music Theatre Mainstage for six consecutive summers. Additionally. she has worked with the American Repertory Theatre, the Daryl Roth Theatre, Lyric Stage Company, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Gloucester Stage Company, Seacoast Rep, Central Square Theatre, Underground Railway Theatre, Wheelock Family Theatre, Hanover Theatre, OBERON, and Metro Stage Company.
Eleni Moleski — Ancient Greek Theatre Scene Study
Eleni is an actress, dramaturg for theatre and dance and tutor of Greek Literature and Theatre History. Eleni graduated at 2006 from the Department of History and Archaeology (focusing on History), of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. During her studies she received two scholarships from A.G Leventis Foundation and Cypriot State Institution Scholarships. Eleni also studied acting at the Higher Private School of Dramatic Art ‘Embros – Theatrical Workshop.” At 2014 she was awarded her a master’s degree in Text and Performance with higher distinction from the University of London, Birkbeck College and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (focusing on Acting and Dramaturgy). From a very young age she received training in classical and contemporary dance and she holds an Award Degree from the Royal Academy of Dancing (with Honours).
Eleni has been working as actress since 2008 and she has collaborated with several directors, private and state theatre organisation such as Thanos Papaconstantinou (Hamlet, Venison, Pedestal, Colossus, Macbeth, Electra – National Theatre of Greece), Magdalena Zira ( Measure for Measure - Fantastic Theatre), Takis Tzamargias (Petros’ war - Cyprus State Theatre, Tribes- Stathmos Theatre), Efi Birba (Our beautiful hands – Res Ratio Network), Niketi Kontouri ( Trojan women - National Theatre of Northern Greece, Dancing at Lughnasa- Regional Theatre of Kozani and Regional Theatre of Ioannina), Dimitris Degaitis, Andri Theodotou, Zoé Lemonnier, Sophia Edlund, Betty Nikolessi, Marili Mastrantoni, Dimitris Karantzas, Stephanos Dregos and Filippos Filippou. She has also acted in the movies “Matriarchy” , directed by Nikos Kornilios, “Slay”, short film, directed by Christos Mouroukis and “And God created… the Greeks”, directed by Giorgos Karypidis, Dimitris Makris, Thanassis Scroubelos and Vasilis Vafeas. On television she has worked for Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation for the series “Footsteps on the Sand” and “At the Edge of Paradise”.
Eleni has also worked as a dramaturg in different theatre and dance projects and collaborated with the directors Thanos Papaconstantinou, Niketi Kontouri, Takis Tzamargias, Filippos Filippou and the choreographer Charis Kousios. In 2014 she directed a performance that combined theatre and dance based on Puskin’s “A feast in time of plague”, at Backford Studio του Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She has thought Greek Literature and Theatre History at Higher Private School of Dramatic Art ‘Embros – Theatrical Workshop” (2010- 2013). The last two years she has led seminars and organised theatrical workshops for educators as well as teenagers for the public schools of Marousi in Athens. The workshops led to a theatre festival of school performances with the title, “Theatropedagogia”.
McCaela Donovan — Acting for Musical Theatre Vocal Performance
McCaela Donovan is an Elliot Norton and IRNE award-winning actress, arts executive and consultant, and has served as Associate Artistic Director and founding member of Bridge Repertory Theater of Boston. She has performed Off-Broadway and in various regional theaters, including Primary Stages, NYMTF, ArtsEmerson, Huntington Theatre Company, American Repertory Theatre, SpeakEasy Stage, Gloucester Stage Company, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Lyric Stage Company, New Repertory Theatre, Company One, Stoneham Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Reagle Music Theatre, and Children’s Theatre of Sioux Falls, SD. Donovan has worked and taught at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Boston Conservatory, Emerson College, Dean College, Emmanuel College, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, and for eight years served as Assistant Director of the BU School of Theatre, where she was head of Admissions and Recruitment for performance and taught in the areas of musical theatre and career opportunities. She is currently the Director of Training & Education at the White Heron Theatre Company in Nantucket, MA.
Cindi Trent — International Adviser/Ancient Greek Chorodrama & Movement
Cindi was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She began her professional training in dance and musical theater at the Boston Conservatory of Music and then went on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts, where she majored in Dance Performance and Theater Education (concentration in Musical Theater). She is a faculty member of the Frances Rich School of Fine and Performing Arts at Deree – The American College of Greece where she has created and teaches Dance and Musical Theater courses such as Body Awareness and Movement, Jazz Dance Technique, Tap Dance, Introduction to Musical Theater, Choreographies of the American Musical, Musical Theater Performance Skills. She currently resides in Athens and teaches for DanceOnStage.
Cindi served as Coordinator of the Deree Dance Program for over 10 years and directed the Deree Dance Company. Since 1995 she has been teaching dance, movement for actors, and musical theater at the Veaki School of Dramatic Arts where she also directs and choreographs the degree-granting examinations for dance and musical theater. Her extensive teaching experience also includes a ten-month course for the Alumni Organization of the University of Athens Theater Department, seminars in Musical Theatre at the Ionian University of Music in Corfu, and numerous seminars in Cyprus and Thessaloniki.
Cindi is the founder and director of “STAGEDOOR” An Open Platform for Musical Theatre Performance, located in Athens, Greece. She has staged, lighted, directed and choreographed numerous musicals, dance and music productions at the Herod Atticus, Athens Concert Hall, and the Pallas Theater. She is also a certified Pilates instructor and a Certified Autism Movement Therapy Provider: www.autismmovementtherapy.com
Joe Short — Suzuki & Heightened Text
Joe is a professional actor, teacher, and production artist. He has performed in numerous theaters in Boston, New York, Rhode Island, Washington DC, and elsewhere. Joe was a founding artistic associate of two successful New England theatre companies: Bridge Rep of Boston and The Wilbury Theatre Group, in Providence, RI. He has also directed both professionally and at the university level. Joe has taught acting at numerous universities in the area, and has been an instructor of acting, voice, and movement at the University of Rhode Island since 2010. He worked in the production support capacity for the newly created Theatre, Dance, and Media concentration at Harvard University, and as production manager of the Gloucester Stage Company, a 176-seat professional theater in Gloucester, MA, since 2013. Joe earned his B.F.A. at the University of Rhode Island, and is an M.F.A. graduate of the Brown University/Trinity Rep Consortium. Acting roles at various theatres: Public Theatre/NY Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Theatre of DC, Gloucester Stage, Bridge Rep of Boston, The Gamm Theatre, Wilbury Theatre Group, Lyric Stage, Greater Boston Stage Company, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, and Trinity Rep.
Paul Bronisław Kmiec — Program Co-Coordinator/Acting for Film
Paul is an award-winning filmmaker and educator from Massachusetts & Vermont. He graduated cum laude from the SUNY Purchase Film Conservatory with a BFA in Filmmaking and earned his Master's in Film & Television from the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece. He was a returning Film Instructor at the SUNY Purchase Pre-Baccalaureate Film Institute for five years.
Paul's films have screened at festivals and events in Hollywood, Northern California, Florida, New Mexico, Texas, Michigan, France, Italy, Romania, Greece and at the Jacob Burns Film Centre in New York. Recently his short film, Stay for Tea, was awarded Best Fiction Film at the 2021 Vermont International Film Festival (Made Here Festival) and was featured on Vermont PBS Television. Stay for Tea also won the Audience Favorite Award and the Gondry Award for Best Surrealist Film at the Austin Arthouse Film Festival (2020) and Best Cinematography at the Peekskill Film Festival in New York (2021). In 2019 Paul's film, Skye, won Best Direction for Short Film and for Best Actress at the Symi Int'l Film Festival in Greece. In 2013 & 2014 Paul was awarded The Joan Potter & Miriam Arsham Award for Directing Actors from SUNY Purchase College and is a two-time recipient of the Harriet Irsay Scholarship from the American Institute of Polish Culture. Paul also studied acting in his time at Purchase, performed in live theatre and film upon and prior to his graduation and is an actor's equity membership candidate.
Portfolio: www.paulbronislawkmiec.com
Evangelia Thalassini — Ancient Greek Drama & Rhythm
Evangelia studied Theater Acting at the Veaki Drama School, Stage Direction at the Royal Superior Academy of Drama (RESAD) of Madrid, and continued her studies as a postgraduate research student on Master Stage Arts at the University of Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid. In 2022 she was admitted to the Masters degree course, "The Ancient Greek Drama and its reception" at the Department of Theatre Studies of the University of Patras. She has directed 15 works in Greece and Spain. She has presented ancient Greek tragedies in the original ancient Greek language, while researching the musicality of the speech in Greek drama and the relation of the triptych music – speech – movement in Greek tragedies. She organized workshops of ancient Greek drama as a teacher at the Institution of Ancient Greek Music Seikilos.
See her work here.
Stelios Papagiannis — Athens Activities Assistant Coordinator
Stelios is completing his final year at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki at the School of Cinematic Arts. Previously, Stelios studied acting and theatre performance before deciding his place was behind the camera. Stelios produces short films and music videos, including advertisements for the Greek business sector. Having attended an IB International School combined with consistent world traveling has developed Stelios into a fully fluent English speaker and a competent real-time translator.