School of the Arts Faculty and Staff

Stephen Ursprung is the dean of the School of the Arts and Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance. Outside his work as an educator, Ursprung is a skilled arts administrator and serves on the staff of the American Dance Legacy Initiative (ADLI) and is a member of the Artistic Advisory Board at Green Street Studios in Cambridge, MA. He holds an M.F.A. in dance from Smith College and a B.A. in economics and Italian studies from Brown University.

Ali holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting & Movement from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. She has taught, directed and performed at various Theaters and Universities throughout the country, some of favorites include, Arena Stage, Pioneer Theatre Company, Festival56, Virginia Repertory Company, Stagedoor Manor, The Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Virginia Repertory Company, Bay Colony Performing Arts Academy, Berea College, Westfield State University, Stonehill College and The University of North Dakota. Ali has also served as a preliminary judge for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival: Region 5 and as the Vice-Chair of Respondents for Region 1. Ali has had the extreme pleasure of studying under Alexandra Beller & Anastasi Siotas at the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies in NY over the past ten years and with Intimacy Director's International. 

Timothy Ayres-Kerr is a tenor, voice teacher, composer, producer, researcher, amateur guitarist/Lutenist, and real-life Bard. As Assistant Professor of Music at Dean College, he teaches voice & music theory, directs the vocal ensemble, and coordinates the applied music program. His students have gone on to work in regional musical theater, national tours, and Broadway. Tim performs in opera, oratorio, recitals, musical theater, early music, original compositions, and liturgical music as choirmaster at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation. Tim is critically acclaimed to have “…a tone that blended the force of operatic singing with the naturalism of musical theater,” and to have “…fully realized both aspects of the phrase ‘musical theater.” by the Boston Musical Intelligencer. His own opera ‘A Game of Werewolf’ has been performed in 4 states. A BM (Vocal performance) & MM (Vocal Pedagogy) from New England Conservatory, he was the Grand Prize Winner of the NEC low-latency project grant to create BardQuest—the interactive musical adventure. Guided by eclectic taste, Tim hopes to continue challenging established beliefs, singing old songs, and making things that you’ve never seen before. In the summer months you can find Tim and his wife Elizabeth bobbing about on their small sailboat. See and hear more at www.TimSingsThings.com.

Jim Beauregard is an Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance at Dean College. Jim has served on the Executive Board for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and has also served as the Artistic Director for The Medieval Manor Theatre in Boston, Ma. Jim is entering his 23rd year at Dean College where he continues to create as a Director and choreographer, both on the boards and behind the scenes for Dean College and theatres throughout the region.

Rebecca built her career in Boston as a theatre director, producer, educator, casting director, and advocate. She has directed productions for the Huntington Theatre Company, Kitchen Theatre Company, Lyric Stage, The Nora Theatre Company, SpeakEasy Stage, Greater Boston Stage Company, A.R.T. Institute, Emerson College, Bridge Rep of Boston, Central Square Theatre/MIT, Weston Drama Workshop, The Umbrella Center for the Arts, Fresh Ink Theatre, among others. Bradshaw spent eight seasons producing at the Huntington Theatre Company, where she handled line producing, casting, theatre management and developing new work. She is a part of the Affiliated Faculty of Emerson College teaching directing and producing and has taught casting and producing seminars at Harvard University, Suffolk University, Boston University, Brandeis University, Lesley University, and Boston Conservatory. She is now the Producing Artistic Director at Gloucester Stage after acting as the Producing Artistic Director at the Kitchen Theatre Company in Ithaca, NY. Bradshaw is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers union.

Angela Brazil has been a member of Trinity Rep’s Resident Acting Company since 2000. Favorite roles include Becky Nurse in Sarah Ruhl's Becky Nurse of Salem, Sugar in tiny beautiful things, Scout Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird; Heidi Holland, The Heidi Chronicles; Elizabeth Proctor, The Crucible; Emilia, Othello; Mathilde, The Clean House. Rhode Island directing credits include Trinity Rep, Burbage Theatre, and The Wilbury Group. She has been a member of the Bread Loaf Acting Ensemble since 2006. Other theaters include Dallas Theater Center, Berkeley Rep, and The Long Wharf Theatre. She has an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa, and has been recognized as one of its notable alumni. She teaches a graduate course on using theater in the classroom at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English, and has also taught at Brown/ Trinity Rep (where she also served as Director of its MFA Programs in Acting and Directing), Clark University, URI, and The ArtsLiteracy Project. She has narrated numerous audiobooks. 

Katie Croyle is a New York & Boston based actor and teacher. Selected acting credits include: The Geffen Playhouse, Williamstown Theater Festival, Gloucester Stage, Trinity Repertory Company, The Arden, EgoPo Classic Theater, Theater at Monmouth, Theater Workshop of Nantucket, White Box, On the Verge, Philly Shakes, New Paradise Laboratories. Katie has developed new plays in New York and regionally with Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Concord Theatricals/Sam French, New Dramatists, The Tent, The McCarter, Williamstown, Conch Shell Productions, Rites & Reason Theater and Writing is Live at Brown. She is a co-founder of the devised dance-theater company, Ninth Planet, based in Philadelphia. As a teaching artist, Katie has taught acting, voice/dialect and audition technique at Williamstown, Ping Chong & Co, Bryn Mawr College and others. She holds an MFA in Acting from Brown/Trinity and a BA in Theatre & Russian studies from Bryn Mawr College. She is a proud member of Actors Equity. www.katiecroyle.com

Amanda is a certified athletic trainer with over 15 years-experience working in the performing arts. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Northeastern University and her master’s degree in kinesiology with a focus in motor control from the University of Illinois Champaign – Urbana. She has worked with the performing art students at Dean College since 2013 and has represented the college by presenting her work at both national and international conferences. In addition to her work at Dean College, she has interned with the Radio City Rockettes athletic training staff, as well as worked with professional organizations such as Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program, NeuroTour, and the New England Patriot’s Cheerleaders. 

Holly Faust is a native of Boston and has been working in education and professional theatre for close to a decade. She holds a dual Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance Performance Studies (focusing mostly on modern and contemporary dance styles) from Roger Williams University and a Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from the Boston Conservatory. In addition to teaching at Dean, Holly is also on the musical theatre dance faculty at Boston Conservatory and teaches in the voice department at Berklee College of Music. In addition to teaching, Holly can also be seen performing at theatres in and around Boston.

Richard Gamble holds a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Texas Tech University where his major areas of study were arts administration and performing arts production.  He retired from Florida Atlantic University where he served as the technical director, lighting designer and department chair.  In addition, he represented the university as an officer and member of several state and regional professional organizations dedicated to advancing the arts and theatre education.  He has taught college-level courses in arts management, history, design, and technology and as a member of the United Scenic Artists he has designed and directed over 300 productions in a variety of academic and professional settings.  He is currently working as a consultant and is very pleased to be a part of Dean College.

Violet Joy Hansen is a dedicated and passionate educator, performer, and vocal technician. With a diverse background in music and theatre, she holds an MFA from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, as well as dual degrees in Acting and Music from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Violet currently teaches throughout the greater Boston area, offering expert instruction in musical theatre and vocal performance. She is committed to guiding the next generation of performers with a student-centered, dynamic approach, fostering growth in every lesson.

Caitlin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Arts in English, with a concentration in Composition and Rhetoric, from Rhode Island College. They are a published journalist and creative writer, with work spanning plays, creative nonfiction, poetry, short stories, and numerous bylines in magazines and journals. Beyond their writing, Caitlin has built a career supporting historians, genealogists, and arts organizations through their consulting business, Caiki Creative, which focuses on digital marketing, content strategy, and public relations. Their work has included producing and editing long-running podcasts, launching successful marketing campaigns, and helping authors and organizations expand their audiences. As an educator, Caitlin serves as adjunct faculty at Dean College, where they teach courses in writing, rhetoric, and arts marketing. They are particularly passionate about helping students connect their writing and communication skills to professional and creative opportunities in the arts. Caitlin is also a committed traveler, having visited 41 states and six countries, and they bring this spirit of curiosity and cultural exploration into their teaching and consulting work. They define themself as an Oxford comma enthusiast and spend their free time immersed in words, media, and the company of their pug, Winston. They are currently based in Providence, Rhode Island.

Eva Conley Kendrick is a Teaching Artist, Vocalist and Composer. Students of hers have performed on Broadway (Les Miserables, Tuck Everlasting, Matilda), and on National Broadway tours (Annie, The Sound of Music, White Christmas, Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, A Christmas Story). She currently has a student playing Young Cosette on the 2023 National Broadway tour of Les Miserables. Other student achievements include 1st and 2nd place at the National NATS Student Auditions in the Musical Theatre Division as well as many other regional and local voice competitions. Her students have participated in the Jimmy Awards, the American Songbook Academy, and regional theatre, including Papermill Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera, Ogunquit Playhouse, Wheelock Family Theatre, Umbrella Stage Company, North Shore Music Theatre and much more. As a composer, she has written musicals and operas, and her choral works have been performed in dozens of states across the country. In addition to teaching at Dean College, Prof. Kendrick runs the Eva Kendrick Voice Studio and is Director of Music at First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Medfield. 

Tracy Lane is the Director of Performing Arts Operations for the Schools of Performing Arts. 

She received her BA in Theatre Education from Emerson College where she also trained in musical theatre, dance and voice. Tracy has been a teacher of English, musical theater, acting and dance as well as a performer, director, choreographer, costumer and producer.

Lindsay Caddle LaPointe is a dancer, teacher, choreographer, videographer and video editor.  She received her bachelor of arts degree in Dance/Performance from Roger Williams University and her master's degree in dance and technology from The Ohio State University’s department of dance. Currently, she is a dance company member in Public Displays of Motion with Peter DiMuro.

Mike Lounsbery holds an M.F.A from The University of Memphis and is also a proud graduate of Saint Michaels' College in Vermont. He has designed sets, lights and sound for a number of theaters in New England as well as in New York City. 

Rebecca earned her Master of Science in Athletic Training from the post-professional athletic training program at Ohio University and her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Bridgewater State University. During her time at Ohio University, Rebecca spent countless hours in the body donor lab, assisting in five gross anatomy and neuroanatomy courses for physical therapy and athletic training students. Her graduate research explored the benefits of foot strengthening exercises on flat-footed individuals, a topic about which she remains passionate. As an athletic trainer at Dean College, she especially enjoys incorporating her knowledge of anatomy into the evaluation and treatment of performing arts injuries. 

Max Mondi is a writer and teacher based in Boston. His play, MAYBE TOMORROW, recently had it’s Off-Broadway debut with the Abingdon Theatre Company. His other plays include NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS, HOUSE OF KAREN, and PERSONHOOD.  He has developed work with Orchard Project, HERE, The Tank (NYC), SoHo Playhouse, and Project Y Theatre.  Max holds an M.F.A. in Playwriting from Columbia University and a B.A. in Theatre History/Criticism from the University of Vermont. 

Paul M. Patinka lives in beautiful Providence, RI, working as a voice pedagogue, independent researcher, and freelance musician. They are on the faculty of Dean College, Providence College, and Ensemble Performing Arts Studio, an Associate Editor of the “Diverse Voices” column in the Journal of Singing with Zipporah Peddle, and the New England Region Governor of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. See paulpatinka.com for more. Paul is a part of the Barbara Doscher pedagogic lineage and studied with John Nix during their Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy and Performance degree at the University of Texas at San Antonio. They earned a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Delaware and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Hartwick College. Paul completed additional studies at the Vocal Pedagogy Professional Workshop (Boston Conservatory at Berklee) and is an alum of the NATS Intern Program (2023, West Chester University) mentored by Cindy Dewey. They have also finished their Certificate in Vocology (National Center for Voice and Speech) and Certificate of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace (University of South Florida) with additional studies at the CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute (Shenandoah Conservatory). Paul’s collaborative and independent publications appear in the College Music Symposium, InterNos, Journal of Singing, Journal of Voice, Studies in Musical Theatre, and publishes original datasets on Mendeley Data. They are the first author of the “Developmental Selection of Vocal Music” chapter in the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Voice Pedagogy and regularly present research at the National Association of Teachers of Singing National and Regional Conferences, Voice Foundation Symposium, Pan American Vocology Association Symposium, and others.

Maggie Pitts is an actor, writer, director and choreographer originally from the Boston area. Over the past two decades, Maggie has worked professionally around the United States and United Kingdom performing in musicals, revues, solo vocal concerts and dance performances. She holds a Masters with Distinction in Musical Theater from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and has served on the theater faculty at Wagner College and Walnut Hill School for the Arts.

Bahareh Safarani, is an interdisciplinary artist whose creative practice exists at the intersection of visual art, new media, and performance.
Formally trained in painting at the University of Tehran (BFA, 2013), Bahareh Safarani started
working together with her sister Farzaneh after their undergraduate studies. Later they moved to Boston, Massachusetts, and secured their graduate degree in studio art at Northeastern University (MFA, 2016), during which they began to incorporate video projections into their work.

Her signature "video-paintings"-video overlays of choreographed movement projected onto figurative oil-on-canvas paintings- and new works that reflects the fluidity of her approach has been shown nationally and internationally in numerous solo and group exhibitions around the US (e.g., Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Florida) and abroad (e.g., Paris, London, and Beijing, Istanbul, Dubai). Her collaborative exhibitions have received extensive promotion and press coverage, including features by NPR, The Boston Globe, and WCVB Channel 5, among many others. Moreover, nine of her major art pieces have been recently collected by prestigious institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Morris Museum in New Jersey, Akron Museum of Arts in Ohio, Tank Shanghai Museum in China, and Accor Academy in Paris.

Mike Sartini is an adjunct instructor and percussion accompanist for tap and modern classes for School of Dance. He teaches percussion lessons and is the program coordinator for the Applied Music program. He also serves as the music contractor for musicals in the School of the Arts.

Dustin earned his BFA in Costume Design and Costume Construction from The Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University in St. Louis , MO. Before coming to Dean, he served as a Costume Technician and Wardrobe Supervisor for Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, RI. His work has been featured on stages at Trinity Rep, The Wilbury Theatre Group, The Texas Shakespeare Festival, and The Rep St. Louis. He works closely with Rhode Island Latino Arts' theatre program Teatro en El Verano; A touring summer theatre that brings Spanish/English bilingual theatre to local parks around Rhode Island free of charge. In his time at "RILA" he has served as costume designer, playwright, and production manager. Dustin is a fierce advocate for body inclusion and understanding in costuming and in the arts as a whole. You're not just wearing clothes; you're wearing your story.