Melissa Bernstein
​Artistic Director

Melissa Bernstein holds a BA in Theatre from SUNY-Binghamton, an MFA in Playwriting/Theatre Education from Emerson College and a Ph.D. in Theatre from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She founded the Newton Youth Players in 2006 and since then has directed over fifty productions involving close to one thousand youth actors. She is the Artistic Director of The Newton Theatre Company, and directs two to three shows with her adult troupe each year.  Her favorite part of Newton Theatre Kids is hearing her young casts sing the scores to all the musicals she loved as a child. 

Alex TayLOR
​Music Director

Alex Taylor is a musician and actor with experience in songwriting, theater, film scoring, and sound design. He aims to bring a well-rounded, student driven approach to Newton Theatre Kids by fostering an accepting space where all students can discover their creative side. Alex holds a B.M. in Music Composition & Production and an M.A. in Music Business from Berklee College of Music.

Abigail Strayer
Director

Abby Strayer has worked in educational and regional theatre for over a decade, and has recently discovered the joys of teaching children! She has worked on multiple productions with Newton Theatre Kids, and hopes to work on more in the future! She holds a BA in Theatre and History from Bucknell University, and is working towards a Ph.D. in History from Boston University. 

Hannah Jacuzzi
​Director

Hannah Alexandra Jacuzzi is a theatre artist, performer, and educator originally from Memphis, TN. She holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Loyola University New Orleans, and an MFA in Theatre Education and Applied Theatre from Emerson College. As an educator and activist, Hannah uses theatre arts to build community, create a sense of belonging, and promote creativity among youth in Memphis through The Orpheum Theatre Group’s Education and Community Engagement programming; in Boston with The Chestnut Hill School where she teaches music and drama; and at Newton Theatre Kids as director of the Friday class.

Margaret Remensnyder Scenery Designer

Margaret Remensnyder earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Master of Fine Arts degree in graphic design from Boston University School for the Arts. She has many years of experience teaching art to children in a variety of settings from after school programs, to art centers, schools and museums. She loves working with Newton Theatre Company Kids as Set Designer because it's so much fun to make two and three dimensional set pieces for the plays with the kids! She is a painter who works in watercolor and gouache.

Marlene Yudelman
​Scenery Teacher

Marlene Yudelman has always enjoyed the arts and being creative. After immigrating as a preschool teacher from South Africa, she opened her own school, Saplings, in Newton. She is now enjoying new projects including working with the kids on scenery after joining Newton Theater Company last year.

Jesse King
​Assistant Teacher/Stage Manager

​Jesse King has been doing theatre for a good few years and recently found a love for working with children. He has worked on 6 productions with Newton Theatre Kids, with more to come. He finds working with these kids to be so fun and fulfilling because when the kids have fun, it’s hard for him not to have fun, and he enjoys seeing the kids find confidence in themselves.