ABOUT US
STAFF
George H. Croom (Show Choir, Acting) As an actor: National Tours: Evita (Peron U/S), Purlie (Gitlow) and Godspell (Lamar). Off-Broadway: Celebration (off Broadway revival), The Wind in The Willows (Mr. Toad), The Elephant Piece (Buzz), and Sweethearts (Sir Algernon Slingsby). Regional: Cats (Gus/Bustopher Jones), Ain't Misbehavin (Ken), Blues In The Night (The Man), You Can't Take t With You (Donald), As You Like It (Charles/Amiens), Bat Boy (Roy/Mrs. Taylor/Rev. Hightower). Local: Sweeney Todd (The Beadle), Children of Eden (Father), Midsummer Night's Dream (Bottom), Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), Swing!, A Little Night Music (Mr. Erlandson). As a director: Hairspray, Sweeney Todd, Bloodbrothers, Dreamgirls, Company, On The Twentieth Century, The Odd Couple, Once On This Island, Me And My Girl, Assassins and Into The Woods. As a musical director: NY Premieres of The Scarlet Letter and Shakedown Street (and arrangements), European Premiere of Myths And Hymns at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Regional credits include: 42nd Street, Titanic, Sweeney Todd, Nine, Gypsy, Peter Pan, Hairspray, The Producers, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Personals, Crazy For You, City of Angels, West Side Story, The Secret Garden, Urinetown, A Little Night Music, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Honk!, Aida and Songs For A New World. He has composed music for Off Broadway productions of Suicide in B Flat, Moby Dick and Twelfth Night. George is currently writing the book and score for Beautiful Dreamer (musical based on the lives of Stephen Foster and Solomon Northup). He will be directing and music directing the Westchester premiere of 9 To 5 at Irvington Town Hall Theater in the fall and has worked for many years with Actor's Conservatory Theatre.
Susan Courtney (Acting I, Creative Dramatics) is a professional actress (Equity, SAG, AFTRA) playwright (Actors Studio Playwright/Directors Workshop), director and acting teacher. At Westchester Community College, she taught Acting and Theater History. At the Harvey Cavaliere Camp in Katonah, she taught Advanced Acting, Basic Technique, Creative Dramatics, Improv, Playwriting, as well as writing and directing over twenty plays for children ages 6-14. At Sleepy Hollow H.S., she directed You Can't Take It With You, Anything Goes, June Moon, and My Fair Lady. At the Chappaqua Community Center, she directs the North of Broadway Players in a series of shows and dinner theater. Her play, Girl In Blue Armchair, (about Mary Cassatt) was produced last summer through a grant from NYFA. Susan has a Masters degree in Theater from NYU and lives with her husband, daughter, and dog in Valhalla.
Rory Scholl (Improv) lives in New York and has been an improviser and entertainer for over 12 years, and is currently a teacher for and member of the touring improve troupe, Chicago City Limits (www.chicagocitylimits.com) In addition to teaching corporate comedy and workshops to such companies as Disney, Time Warner, and Nokia, Rory is the lead guitarist in the all improvised rock-n-roll storytelling band, the BTK Band, who start touring in the summer of 2011. He is co-director of The Creative Outlets, promotions and events company that uses comics to assist agencies in campaigns (www.thecreativeoutlets.com) He eats almonds to lower his cholesterol.
Jonathan Riedel (Dance) was a member of the Limón Dance Company from 1996 to 2006, performing works by Doris Humphrey, Antony Tudor, Donald McKayle, Murray Louis, Lar Lubovitch, Jiri Kylián, and Doug Varone as well as many of Jose Limón's masterpieces including Chaconne, Orfeo, Psalm, There is a Time and The Moor's Pavane. He has restaged Limón and Humphrey works for the Juilliard School, Purchase College, Brown University, LABAN, Il Balletto di Puglia and Wylliams/Henry Dance Theater. In 2003 he founded Riedel Dance Theater which presents original dance works annually in NYC including: Ukrainian Eggs, The Divine Comedy, and The Four Loves. He has choregraped works for the Limón Dance Company, the Purchase Dance Company, and the Yard and developed choreography and character movement for the video games, Godessia, produced for Artware. His solo The Angel was integrated into AHRC's curriculum of dance for students with autism. Jonathan holds an MFA in Dance from Purchases College and is on faculty at Westchester Community College. He and his wife reside in Pleasantville, NY with their dog, Ozzie. For more information on RDT and Jonathan's work - www.riedeldance theater.org.
JeanMarie Buccellato (CONNECTIONS) shares her passion for technical theatre production and the arts by bringing it to children. She provides professional technical services to the Westchester area for over a decade. JeanMarie is a registered member of the Arts in Education program offered by Northern Westchester BOCES.
Dan Large (Media) studied theatre and drama at the university of Wisconsin, Madison and was a member of the comedy improv group "Batteries Sold Separately". In Pittsburgh he wrote and performed on the weekly comedy radio show, "Lackzoom Acidophlius Comedy Hour". Dan performed stand up throughout NYC and was a member of "The Manhattan Punchline".
Jessica Butts (Zumba and Zumbatomics) is a NYS certified teacher of Health education for over a decade. From middle and high schools to college campuses, her career has focused on inspiring others to live healthy, happy lives. After taking many Zumba classes, Jessica decided to expand her teaching from the public school classroom into the fitness world. Jessica became a certified Zumba and Zumbatomics instructor and began teaching both Zumba and Zumbatomics in 2011. Zumba has changed her life! Working out has never been so much fun!
MISSION STATEMENT
The Croton Academy of Arts, located in Westchester County, New York, provides unique programs for children, teens, and adults that foster creativity, communication, self-awareness, confidence, and social interaction.
