Theatre and Dance Faculty

Randy Baker

Randy Baker is a playwright, director and the co-Artistic Director of Rorschach Theatre.

Robert Baker is a singer who has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, the Washington National Opera, the National Symphony, and with choral organizations across the country. In addition to teaching voice lessons and in the classroom, he is the current Program Head for Music.

Tonya Beckman

Tonya Beckman is an AEA/SAG-AFTRA actor and dialect coach.

Abby Bender

Abby Bender grew up in Shippensburg, PA and started working at her local performing arts center in high school.

Mary Buckley

Mary Buckley is Associate Professor of Dance and Director of the EJS Women’s Leadership Program at George Washington University.

Dana Tai Soon Burgess

Dana Tai Soon Burgess's work has tended to focus on the "hyphenated person" - someone who is of mixed ethnic or cultural heritage - as well as issues of belonging and societal acceptance.

Danielle Drakes

Danielle A. Drakes is equal parts artist and educator. She has been a professional theater practitioner in the DC area for more than 15 years.

Laurel Gray

Internationally recognized dance scholar, choreographer, performer, and costume designer, Laurel Victoria Gray specializes in women’s dances from Silk Road cultures and the Islamic World.

Carl Gudenius

In addition to teaching scenic and lighting design at GW and directing its Graduate Production Design Program, Professor Gudenius is an active professional designer.

Jennifer Hopkins

Jennifer J. Hopkins is a performing artist who spends her free time teaching fitness.

Leslie Jacobson

Leslie Jacobson has spent over 40 years producing, writing, directing, and teaching theatre committed to addressing societal challenges and to giving voice to people often marginalized by the dominant culture.

Sigridur Johannesdottir

Sigridur is a costume designer who specializes and focuses her teaching on reproducing historical costumes based on research as well as dance costumes.

Jodi Kanter

As a scholar, she has been trained to apply the theoretical lens of performance to everyday practices and so, while her methodology is consistent, the subjects of her work vary wildly—from, for example, end of life health care to contemporary dramatic literature to the American Presidency.

Bill Largess

Bill Largess has been a theatre artist in the Washington area for over 40 years.

Brandon McCoy

Brandon McCoy is a professional actor, director, playwright, and educator currently residing in Laurel, Maryland.

Toby Mulford

Toby Mulford is an expert in physical theatre, mask work, and Commedia dell'Arte.

Beth Oppenheim

Sarah Beth Oppenheim hails from the Wild Wild West where she never could cut on the dotted black line, so she read Steinbeck and became a modern dancer instead.

Erica Rebollar

Erica Rebollar was born in Madrid, began studies at Washington School of Ballet, and completed her BFA in dance at Cornish College of the Arts and MFA in dance at UCLA. As an undergraduate student, she received ACDA’s national award in choreography. With the founding of RebollarDance in 2003, Erica Rebollar created a modern dance collaborative where multi-genre artists can make innovative work.

Giselle Ruzany

Giselle Ruzany MA DTR LPC has been an artist and dancer for most of her life, performing internationally and collaborating with different artists around the USA.

Allyson Currin Stokes

Professor Stokes is the writer of numerous original plays, which have premiered on stages around the country.

Adalia Vera Tonneyck

Adalia Vera Tonneyck is the Instructional Technologist for the Costume Studio.

John Traub

John Traub currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Production Management and Technology at The George Washington University, Program of Theatre & Dance.

Cristal Chanelle Truscott

Cristal Chanelle Truscott is a playwright, scholar, educator, dialogue facilitator and founder of Progress Theatre (PT).

Tanya Wetenhall

A specialist in dress history, Professor Wetenhall’s teaching encompasses fashion and costume history, world dress practices, ballet design history, material culture and the decorative arts.

Matt Wilson

Matthew R. Wilson is a union actor, director, and movement/combat choreographer, as well as a published playwright and theatre scholar.

Maida Withers

Maida Withers was born in Kanab, Utah and was able to define her career with early experiences with legendary artists including Mary Wigman and Folkwangschule (Germany), Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Erick Hawkins, Anna Halprin, Welland Lathrop, Hanya Holm, and, most importantly, John Cage.