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214.969.SHOW (7469)

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FACULTY

Michael Abrams
Acting

Louise Bivins
Administrative Director

Beth Bontley
Acting, Lyric Interpretation

Elizabeth Bontley graduated from Trinity University with a BA in Speech/Drama; from the Circle in the Square Theater School in NYC; and recently completed her MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts through Goddard College.

While in New York, she performed extensively off and off/off Broadway with Willow Cabin Theater, Our Gang Theater, Circle in the Square Projects and Roundabout Stage II.

Locally, she appeared in Echo Theater’s Fefu and her Friends; in Theater Three’s The Women; The Memory of Water, as well as several staged readings at Circle Theater; Steel Magnolias at Artisan Theater; and has been active in Ft. Worth’s V-Day celebration.

She has directed for DFW Playwrights, the Texas Unbound Festival, Watertower’s Out of the Loop Festival, Unity’s Magdalene Festival, TCC, Bedford Onstage and was assistant director to Susan Sargeant’s Moon for the Misbegotten at Circle Theater.

She produced, directed and performed in The Guys. Recently, she has been focusing on creating original material including, 6 Women Who Have Found their Author at TCU, The Girlz2Women Quest, and her year long project 12 in 12 at the Firehouse Gallery.

She is an acting and performance coach and a speaker on holistic principles, earth connection and women’s issues. She taught acting at TCU and TCC. She currently teaches at Stage and Dallas Summer Musicals.

Kevin Cook
Director of Education

Kevin earned his B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Richmond in Virginia and his M.A. in Theatre from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Kevin spent many years touring as a professional actor before settling down to teach acting as well as to create and manage theatre productions. Kevin wrote the book for GET HAPPY one of the definitive works on the songwriter Harold Arlen and won Winter Haven’s National Playwriting Award for Best Musical for the children’s fantasy A DRAGON’S TALE! Kevin’s management includes productions with Penn and Teller, Kathy Bates, Farrah Fawcett, Gary Sinese, Lynn Redgrave, John Mahoney and Holly Hunter (all NYC), Sheena Easton (Las Vegas), David Cassidy (Las Vegas, National and International Tours) as well as one of the largest production shows in the world MGM Grand’s EFX (Las Vegas). As Director of Education, Mr. Cook oversees curriculum and manages the expansion of the school.

Mary Anna Austin Dennard
Acting

Mary Anna has also performed numerous roles at the Dallas Theatre Center , Theatre Three, The Water Tower Theatre, Stage West, Dallas Children’s Theatre, The Open Stage, Dallas Repertory Theatre, New Arts Theatre, and the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco , and the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles . Mary Anna has won the Dallas Theatre Critics Forum Award for outstanding actress for Reckless, best supporting actress for A House With Two Doors Is Difficult to Guard at Stage West and the 1998 Leon Rabin Award for outstanding performance by an actress for Marvin’s Room. For fifteen years Mary Anna was a casting director for feature films, television, and commercials. She has also been associated with the Kim Dawson Agency as Director of Talent Development. Mary Anna majored in theatre at Trinity University and was granted a scholarship to the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco . Mary Anna has been an instructor at the DSM School for seven years.

David Haskins
Musical Director / Voice Instructor

Known equally well for his skills as a pianist, David has a BA, MA and has completed his doctoral coursework in Music Education/Voice at the University of North Texas . David can wear two hats—either as a singer and vocal instructor, or as a pianist/musical director. David has performed operatic and musical theatre roles regionally as well as in Illinois , Massachusetts , Georgia , Florida and Louisiana , and you might also catch him tinkling the ivories at a private party, a local bistro or hotel, or for rehearsals at the Dallas Summer Musicals and elsewhere.

Reyn Longino
Dance Instructor / Choreographer

Co-founder and dance instructor of the DSM Kids Musical Theatre classes. Reyn received both a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Fine Arts-Dance from SMU in Dallas . While pursuing a more traditional “day” job in the business world, Reyn pursued various performing opportunities including the Delia Stewart Jazz Dance Company in Houston , the Dallas Reperatory Theatre, the Colorado Arts Festival, the Houston and Dallas Junior League Charity Balls, and the Dallas Summer Musicals Kick-Off shows. She has taught and choreographed for the Humphrey School of Musical Theatre with Theatre Under the Stars in Houston .

Vicki Squires
Artistic Director / Dance Instructor / Choreographer

Vicki is Artistic Director/instructor at the DSM School of Musical Theatre. Vicki has been teaching tap, jazz and musical theatre movement in the Dallas area for over 20 years. She has enjoyed working with Garland Summer Musicals, Irving Community Theatre, Lyric Stage, Contemporary Theatre of Dallas, The Dallas Summer Musicals Kick-Off Shows, the Miss USA Beauty Pageants and industrials for Mary Kay, 7-Up, Disney, Dr. Pepper, and Southland Corporation. Vicki has been nominated and has won both the Leon Rabin Award and The Column Award for her choreography. She was recently honored as the outstanding alumnae in the Dance and Theatre Arts Department at the University of North Texas.

Lynne Swafford
Voice / Musical Theatre

Lynne has enjoyed a varied musical career as a singer, teacher, coach and director, starring in over 20 operatic roles all over the east coast from South Carolina to Boston , Massachusetts . Lynn pursued her Master of Music in Vocal Performance at Boston University and completed it as Converse College . She was a soloist with the Columbia Philharmonic Orchestra, NATS Singer of the Year, regional winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, to name a few. After moving to Dallas, Lynne began to teach and coach for schools, churches and theaters all over the metroplex—HEB, PISD, RISD, Richland Community College, Northaven UMC, Spring Valley UMC, First Baptist Richardson, Plano Lyric Opera, and Spring Valley Fine Arts Series. She loves to teach on any level—adult or child.

Kevin DeRita
Videography

Kevin graduated from Tarleton State University in the summer of 1992 with a
B.B.A. in Marketing. By November of that year, Kevin was creating large scale video presentations for Casio, Sketchers Shoes, Tyr Sportswear, Kodak, Columbia Tri-Star and others. Kevin’s has produced original animation for such companies as The Lions Club, La Madeline, Pizza Hut, Chuck E. Cheese and Kallassy's Swing Magic. Over the past 16 years, Kevin DeRita has become known in the video industry for his engaging promotional footage, dynamic infomercials and eye-catching print work for companies large and small. Kevin is excited to lead Dallas Summer Musical students through the filming process of story boarding, sound setup, recording, lighting, shot composition, editing, manipulation and synchronization to the final delivery of student projects.