Instructors

Mary Lechter

AFYP was founded by professional actress and teacher Mary Lechter. She received her B.A. in Theater from U. of MD, and has taught at the Kennedy Center, The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory, and is on the Theater Department faculty at George Mason University. A member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Screen Actors Guild, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Mary has performed regularly on local professional stages (Studio, Arena Stage, Source Theatre Company, among others), and in television (ABC’s All My Children) film (Avalon) and radio (NPR’s “Morning Edition”). She most recently portrayed Barbara Hoyle in Theater of the First Amendment’s Three Hotels.


Mary Lechter and the AFYP Faculty/Staff celebrate the company’s 10^th anniversary in 2007
Faculty
Brittany Bosak joined the AFYP faculty in Summer 2007, and is a Theater major at GMU. She is involved in many different aspects of the theatre; she has assistant stage managed, performed (Laramie Project, In The Dead of Summer), and designed props. Hailing from New York City, Brittany made her local professional debut in Theater of the First Amendment’s 2007 First Light Festival. She successfully completed NYU's CAP21 Summer Musical Theatre Program, and graduated from a Performing Arts High School on Long Island, where she went on a full scholarship given by the state of New York. Prior to GMU, Brittany spent 7 years performing at various regional theaters throughout Long Island with leading roles in Wonderful Town and Anything Goes (for which she received the BACCA award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Reno Sweeney).
Cameron Brenke currently studies Theater at GMU. He has studied with AFYP since summer of 2005, and appeared in the GMU Players’ 10-Minute Play Festival and with AFYP’s Advanced Actors Showcase in The Man in the Flying Lawn Chair.
David Burns is a former actor and acting teacher for AFYP, and is now the company's videographer and editor. A graduate of George Mason and former conservatory actor at DePaul University, David made the switch to videography two years ago and has since studied with the NYFA@Harvard and has become an Apple Certified video editor. Though his long-term goal is to produce documentaries, David now freelances around the DC area - mostly football games and rock concerts. David is proud to have been with the company for the last five years.
Mimsi Janis recently received her BA in Theater from Principia College. She has taught in AFYP’s after-school program as well as summer camp. She is currently working on her Masters degree in Education and Teaching at George Mason University. She is an actor in the DC area and has recently been seen in Much Ado About Nothing, Seussical, You Can’t Take it With You, Julius Caesar, and Godspell.
Patrick Magill is a theater major at GMU, where to date he has worked on several productions, including In The Dead of Summer (Ensemble), The Shape of Things (Asst. Stage Manager), James Joyce's The Dead (D'Arcy), Fefu and Her Friends (Asst. Stage Manager) and Marat/Sade (Polpoch/Four Singers). Most recently, Patrick appeared in The Cripple of Inishmann and will direct an upcoming production of The Boys Next Door for the GMU Players. He has directed four children's productions and worked at his hometown's summer theater camp for five years as both an assistant director and a director, and also teaches in AFYP's after-school programs.
Lisa Nanni-Messegee continues to work all over the country as a theatre director, actor and teacher. As a director, she won an LA Weekly Award for Tainted Blood, and a fellowship at the Kennedy Center for Tracers. Recent credits include The Dining Room for Highland Summer Theatre in Minnesota and An Ideal Husband for George Mason University. Lisa also worked in Los Angeles primarily as a Television Producer (Smart Solutions - HGTV, Good Day Live - syndicated), and Voice-Over artist (Main Floor - syndicated.) Currently, Lisa is an Adjunct Faculty member at GMU and Northern Virginia Community College. She welcomed her first child last fall.
Arthur Rowan is an experienced fight director (having choreographed fights for the Folger Theater, the Washington Shakespeare Company, and the Virginia Shakespeare Festival) and a recognized Actor/Combatant with the Society for American Fight Directors. He has worked with several weapon styles, including broadsword, quarterstaff, knife, unarmed, rapier, twin rapiers, and lightsaber.
Jay Saunders is a recent graduate of George Mason's Theater program and has completed classes in acting, movement, stage combat, and Linklater voice techniques. He has previously taught Stage Combat, movement and acting for AFYP and this will be his third year with the AFYP team. He is currently pursuing a career in both Stage and Film in the DC area.

Staff Assistants

Andria Bacus is a student at Fairfax High School. She was among the first of AFYP’s students, and has worked on staff for our school-year and summer camp programs.
Molly Jacobson currently attends GMU where she studies psychology and theater. She has been seen in Providence Players’ production of The Women, and also appeared as Jenny the maid in The Man Who Came to Dinner.
Mark Ormesher is an actor, technician and graphic designer currently attending Northern Virginia Community College. In addition to appearing in Robinson High School’s award winning production of MORPH, Mark has appeared with AFYP’s Advanced Actors Showcase, most recently portraying The Man in the Flying Lawn Chair.
Jessy Timmins received her B.S. in Stage Management from Radford University and recently completed her Master of Arts in Arts Management from GMU.

Additional Faculty & Staff

Ryan Wright is a senior Theater major at GMU, and has performed in An Ideal Husband, Betty’s Summer Vacation, Mephisto, The Eccentricities of a Nightingale, and Trojan Women. Ryan has also performed professionally with Theater of the First Amendment, and will appear in the upcoming feature film The Visiting.
Jacquie Militano is an actress and singer with a Theater BA from George Mason University, where she received the honor of the Female Actress Excellence in Performance award for her graduating class. At Mason she performed in The Dead, Trojan Women, The Trial, Abstract Expression, The Heiress, The Measures Taken, and Marat/Sade. She also performed in Grease, Into the Woods, The Odd Couple: Female Version, and A Chorus Line in various studios throughout New Jersey. She works as a seasonal Character Performer for the Walt Disney companies.
Jennifer Harris is a graduate of GMU with a BA in Theater, where she appeared in The GMU Players’ productions as Moo and Betty’s Summer Vacation (as Betty), directed Women in Black, and was assistant director for Theater of the First Amendment’s Three Hotels. She has appeared in several musicals, including BigRiver, Grease, West Side Story, and Guys and Dolls. Jenn also teaches our after-school programs and summer camp.
Connor Dale has worked with Round House Education Center in Silver Spring, teaching acting for their Summer Destinations Theatre Camp. His lighting designs have also been seen in local theatres. A recent graduate of George Mason's Theatre Department, Connor studied acting, directing, and design.
Lisa Lias is a local actor who received her training at Northwestern University and the Goodman School of Drama. She has appeared at Source, Everyman, Horizons, Olney and Imagination Stage among others as well as productions for the New York International Fringe Festival and the first ever Capital Fringe Festival here in Washington. She is a former company member of The Stanislavsky Theatre Studio and a long-time member of Chicago's T.U.T.A. Theatre Company.
Jim Maiwurm recently finished his Masters’ Degree in Dramaturgy at SUNY-Purchase in New York. An actor, director and dramaturg, Jim has taught acting and improv with AFYP since 2002.
Taylor Coffman has appeared in film, TV and stage productions around the DC area. A graduate of GMU, Taylor has been honored with a Theater Department Award for Outstanding Performance, a fellowship at the Folger Shakespeare Library, a Virginia Arts Council Award, and an opportunity to sing the Rutter Magnificat at Carnegie Hall. She has also performed her own work at the Kennedy Center Page to Stage Festival.
Jessie Duncanson Crain has been working in the Washington, DC area as a theatrical technician since receiving her B.A. from GMU. She has designed lights, props and puppets for many local professional theater companies. She is currently the Master Electrician for Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, while working with Atmosphere Inc.
Kathryn Kelley is delighted to return to AFYP this summer. A professional actor who performs frequently in the DC area, her credits include roles in Heartbreak House, The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya, Our Town, Look Back in Anger (Theatre Lobby Award), The Glass Menagerie (Helen Hayes nomination), A Doll’s House, Grimm Tales, Sing Down the Moon, and many others. She is an Artistic Associate with Round House Theatre and holds an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Stephen Law recently finished classes at Northern VA Community College and will attend Boston University in the fall. In addition to working with AFYP, he also performing magic tricks and writing his own screenplays and poetry.
Lisette LeCompte studied acting at Carnegie-Mellon University and GMU. Working in the DC area for the past several years, she has performed at The Source Theatre and Toby’s Dinner Theatre, among others. In addition to teaching for the past 5 years with AFYP, Lisette is a member of the faculty at BAPA’s Imagination Stage. She recently appeared in their productions of The BFG, Trickman: A Spell of Cold Weather, and Aladdin and the Cave of Dreams.
Ryan Mulkay graduated from GMU in 2004 cum laude and performed in many GMU Players productions. Ryan had leading roles in two recently released independent films, and is currently working on the independent feature film “11”.
Kevin Murray is Managing Director of Theater of the First Amendment at GMU. He teaches audition techniques for stage and camera for GMU's Theater Department, and works frequently as a freelance actor, having appeared in TFA's production of Three Hotels, The Memorandum, Paramount's Runaway Bride, several episodes of NBC's Homicide, HBO’s The Wire, and two TNT Original Movies, The Day Lincoln Was Shot and The Hunley.
Frank Robinson, Jr. (Wednesday Workshops) is a local professional actor and writer who has performed nationally and locally at Ford’s Theatre, FolgerTheatre and Church Street Theatre among others. His version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit was produced by The Birmingham Children's Theatre, Birmingham, Alabama in 1995. His short film, “A Time to Sow” won numerous awards both in the US and Internationally. He holds a BFA in Theatre from Catholic University and an MA in Film & Video Production from American University.
Bryant Sullivan studied acting at Indiana University. After spending a year abroad teaching English in Japan, he currently appears in film and theatre productions around the Washington D.C. area. Recently he has worked on Theater of the First Amendment's production of Lift: Icarus & Me, and an independent horror film called The 8th Plague.
Madeleine Mager has worked extensively in the Washington, D.C. market, as well as Chicago and New York City. Credits cover all aspects of performance, but include feature films such as “For Richer or Poorer” and “Riding in Cars with Boys” and television appearances on “Early Edition” and “K Street.” She has also taught drama for Fairfax County Public Schools' summer program. Madeleine holds a B.A. in Theater from George Mason University and has studied at H.B. Studios in New York.
Kimberley Cetron worked for over 15 years as an actor, singer, director, and producer in NYC, Washington DC, Boston, and Chicago. She has a master’s degree in early childhood/elementary education (Fordham) and is a doctoral candidate in education at GMU. She taught general music and musical theater in the New York metro area before re-locating to Northern Virginia, where she worked for the Fairfax County Public Schools (elementary/secondary). She is also a published writer, and serves on the board of directors of Theater of the First Amendment.
Rebecca Pepper is an honors graduate of GMU where she studied Theater and Music Education (Voice). She has an active freelance career as professional actor, singer and costume designer, most recently appearing in Broadway Musicals: 1938 and The Robber Bridegroom at American Century Theatre.
Jesse Schwartzman currently attends George Mason University. A regular member of AFYP’s school year and summer camp faculty, Jesse spent several summers teaching at Camp Hazen in Chester, CT, where he collaborated on the creation of their popular drama program. Jesse has also taught for The Rainbow Company and coached the Improv team for Fairfax High School.
Kelly Thomas was born and raised in Washington DC, and is a recent graduate of GMU, where she earned her degree in Theater. Her recent performances include Look Homeward Angel and Lion in the Streets, for which she was commended in the Washington Post. Kelly has studied dance, drama, and music up and down the east coast. She wishes to share her love for the arts by teaching children of all ages about the performing arts.
Christy Denny is a Senior Theater major at GMU, focusing in the areas of directing, stage managing and acting. In addition to teaching several of our after school classes, she is recently directed Reckless for the GMU Players. Christy has worked professionally in New York with The Irish Rep and New York Theater Workshop, and locally with Theater of the First Amendment.
Megan Thrift, a Theater major at GMU, brings with her a great deal of onstage, backstage and classroom experience. With an extensive background in dance, she has performed at the Folger Theater, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Cappies National Theatre. Megan teaches our after-school classes, teaches acting and movement for our summer camp, and works professionally with Keegan Theatre in Washington, DC.