Phoebe Eskovitz is a multi-hyphenate theatre artist from Los Angeles, where formative programs like Applause sparked her love for the performing arts. She holds a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where she trained for three years in the Musical Theatre program at NSB, spent a semester in Film/TV acting at Stonestreet Studios, and studied Shakespeare in Performance at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. She also pursued a minor in Dramatic Literature and particularly enjoys collaborating on new works. Some recent credits include Antipholus of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors, Judy Turner in A Chorus Line, Jetsam in The Little Mermaid, Frankie in Balm in Gilead & Malvolio in Twelfth Night. As a director and choreographer, Phoebe has worked with various theatre intensives and community outreach programs including Broadway Bound Kids, Theatre 31, and Performing Arts Workshops.
Dianne is an actor, educator, and dialect coach based in NYC. Before coming to New York, Dianne spent a decade teaching theatre and performing in Nashville, TN and its surrounding areas. She obtained her BFA in Acting and Directing from Austin Peay State University with plans to eventually get her MFA in performance or theatre education. Dianne has a passion for Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) and has performed for thousands of students across the United States while touring nationally in Aesop’s Fables and Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs with Tennessee Theatre Company. Although Dianne holds dozens of credits in theatre and television, her pride and joy are the students she has had in her classrooms, workshops, and masterclasses throughout her career. She is excited to join the Applause team and continue teaching theatre to aspiring young performers!
Kaleb Wilkening (he/they) is a New York-based music director, vocal coach, and collaborative pianist. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2022 with a degree in Piano Performance. He was the vocal director for RENT in Concert at the Lied Center directed by Sammi Cannold. Favorite recent music directing credits credits include: Cabaret (Lincoln Community Playhouse), Come From Away (LCP), Anastasia (LCP), Fiddler on the Roof (LCP), The Prom (Nebraska Wesleyan University), and Urinetown (Nebraska Repertory Theatre). Before moving to New York, Kaleb worked as a middle school music teacher in Nebraska. Kaleb is the proud cat parent to Koda and Suki. Kaleb is excited to join Applause and teach theater!
Brett Thiele has been performing professionally in New York for 10 years. He has performed on Broadway in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Miss Saigon, and Escape To Margaritaville. Off Broadway and Regional credits include The First Wives Club, The Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of West Side Story, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Gypsy, A Chorus Line, and Stephen Sondheim’s Follies. Film and Television credits include Saturday Night Live, MTV’s One Bad Choice, America’s Got Talent, and Hamlet: Son of a Kingpin.
Amanda Dee (she/her) is a music director new to New York City! She was previously based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she music directed youth programming at Berkeley Playhouse and American Conservatory Theatre. She also regularly plays for shows and accompanies auditions. She received her BS in Bioengineering with minors in Music and Mathematics from Northeastern University, where she directed/music directed the first collegiate production of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 with her college theater group. When not rehearsing, she can be found rock climbing or reading.
Matthew Nassida is a music director, composer, playwright, and educator stationed in Brooklyn, NY. He received his MFA in musical theatre writing from New York University and his BFA in musical theatre performance from Northern Kentucky University. His musicals have been seen in New York (Story of a Daughter, The Machine Stops), Cincinnati (Cookie Cutters, Precipice), and Saudi Arabia (Upwards the musical/مسرحية أعلى الأعالي). He has worked on the music team for productions at Bay Street Theater, Theatre Untitled, Heights Players, and the James Earl Jones Theater. He is also the CFO and a founding member of the non-profit Autistic Theatremakers Alliance. MatthewNassida.com
Henry Walter Greenberg is an actor, filmmaker and teacher from Nashville, TN. As a stage performer, he’s worked with some of the finest theaters across the country, including La Jolla Playhouse, The Denver Center, Goodspeed Musicals, and various theatres populating the Chicago storefront theatre scene. His first two films, The Last Q-Tip and Hamlet in the Garden are set to debut early 2025. In addition to his work as an actor and filmmaker, Henry served as the Literary Manager at A Red Orchid Theatre (co-founded by Oscar Nominee Michael Shannon). Training: BFA, Baylor University. MFA, UC San Diego
Sophia Estes is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Musical Theatre and Directing with a passion for encouraging the creativity of young people. Originally from NH, Sophia grew up performing at the Ogunquit Playhouse and has worked as a Teaching Artist, Associate Director, and Choreographer for their summer Arts Academy seasons for the past three years. In addition to her time onstage, Sophia has taught multiple genres of movement and theatre to students ages 3-18, specifically focusing on creativity and collaboration, social-emotional learning, and bodily safety in training for long-term success. She is so excited to be a member of the Applause team!
Ellein began her dance journey with ballet at the age of five, and discovered her true passion during high school when she immersed herself in Hip-Hop, Locking, Popping, and House training. When studying at Carnegie Mellon University, she choreographed and danced for the school’s semi-annual Dancers Symposium and their annual fashion show Lunar Gala, while co-captaining the school’s Hip-Hop dance troop, International Freestylers. After graduating, she continued training at StudioDanz Hong Kong, where she was recruited to join an all-girls dance team called SIS, and invited to participate in the Dazzle Live showcase in Osaka as a guest performer. In recent years, she has pivoted her career into the field of data science, but continues to pursue her love for movements through dancing and choreographing for DanceWorks NYC since 2016. She enjoys practicing a growth mindset in every aspect of her life, including motherhood, tech career, and artistic creativity.
Blaze Dalio is a New York based teacher, music director, and performer. He graduated from Rowan University with a BM in Music Education, and is currently a music teacher at Jersey City Global Charter School. Recent theatrical credits include West Side Story (Tony), Pippin (Pippin), Jagged Little Pill (Phoenix), Ragtime (Music Dir), and In the Heights (Music Dir). Blaze is excited to continue sharing his passion for music with all of his students.
Domenica Passio is a New York based performer and teaching artist who was raised in Philadelphia, PA. She graduated from Temple University with a BFA in Musical Theater and Minor in Dance. Her recent performance credits include performing and understudying in The Walnut Street Theatre’s Elf The Musical and Broadway Theatre of Pitman’s Legally Blonde. She has taught numerous classes at The Philadelphia Dance Academy and has directed camp performances and classes at The Walnut Street Theatre. Domenica is very excited to share her experience and love of theater with the young artists at Applause.
Bridget is a recent graduate of the Boston Conservatory, where she earned her BFA in Musical Theatre with an emphasis in acting. While in Boston, she served as a choreographer for Spotlight Theatre Workshop, teaching dance and theatre to students ages 5–18. She is thrilled to join the Applause family!
Savannah Devlin is an educator, director and actress from Rochester, NY, and has been living in Manhattan since graduating from college. She received her BFA in Acting from Syracuse University, where she was also a member of the Renee Crown University Honors Program. Some favorite credits include directing Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice and playing Gerty Fail in Failure: A Love Story. She is passionate about working with young performers and some of her favorite youth theater experiences include directing Something Rotten! Jr., Seussical Jr., and The Addams Family: Young@Part. She has choreographed Beetlejuice Jr., Freaky Friday Jr., and Knight at Dawn Kids, among others. In her free time, Savannah volunteers with CO_LAB Theater Group as a supporting artist. She is thrilled to join the Applause team and continue educating the next generation of theater artists!
Kaelin Elizabeth Fuld is a born and raised New Yorker and has been working as a stage manager in the city since 2019 after graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Equestrian Studies. She has been the stage manager for the Waterwell Drama Program for five seasons and stage managed with the MCC Youth Company, NYU Tisch and Grad Acting, The Tank, and Next Door at New York Theatre Workshop, among other credits. She is thrilled to be part of the vibrant Applause team and is so excited to help young performers shine onstage!
Emily Goggin is a New York-based music director, pianist, teacher, and performer with a B.A. in Music from George Washington University. Emily has a passion for bringing new musicals to life, most recently workshops of Raymie Nightingale; a production of a new opera, The Project by Peyton Marion, at Lincoln Center; and two runs of The Eleventh Hour, written by Dave Seamon. She has music directed countless shows and cabarets in and around New York City; some of her favorites include productions of Assassins, Newsies, and Next to Normal. One of Emily’s joys is bringing the light and magic of theater to young people. She has music directed many youth productions, including Into The Woods Jr., Bring It On, and Fiddler On The Roof Jr., devised new musicals and theatrical pieces with students, works as a teaching artist in New York City public schools, and teaches private voice and piano lessons. Emily is absolutely thrilled to join Applause in their mission to bring theater and music to young people in NYC!
Graduate of Cornish College of the Arts & North Carolina native, Theresa is an NYC based choreographer, performer, and educator. She has choreographed & performed regionally in productions of Flashdance, Curtains, and Flora the Red Menace, & is a member of Forager Theatre Company. She continues to work with NYC based artists and choreographers, including her fabulous students!
Annelise has taught dance for several years, working at studios including Fancy Feet in the Bronx and New Canaan Dance Academy in New Canaan, CT. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and absolutely loves teaching all ages! As a performer, Annelise made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Jagged Little Pill in 2019. Her previous credits include Opera: The Merry Widow (The Metropolitan Opera and The Lyric Opera of Chicago) directed by Susan Stroman. Regional: Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Merry-Go-Round), Chicago (Riverside), Oklahoma (Paramount), and West Side Story (Drury Lane).
