Staff & Resident Artists | Peacock Players

Staff

Keith is a professional Equity actor from New York City, originally a native of Erie, PA. Broadway and National Tour credits include: My Fair Lady starring Richard Chamberlain, and Victor/Victoria. Regional Theatre credits include: Theatre Under The Stars (TX), The Fifth Avenue Theatre (WA), Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park (OH), The St. Louis Repertory (MO), The Orpheum (MA), The Fox Theatre (GA), The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PA), The Public Theatre (WV), The Tuacahn Amphitheatre (UT), the American Stage Festival (NH), and Stagecoach Productions (NH). Peacock Players Directing credits include: Seussical, A Christmas Carol, 13 the Musical, The Wedding Singer, Forbidden Broadway, A Night of a Thousand Stars, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Grease, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Little SHop of Horrors, Barnum, Peter Pan, Damn Yankees, The Wizard of Oz, Aida, The Wild Party, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Narnia, Oklahoma!, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. For over thirty years, Mr. Weirich has performed in professional and regional theatres across the United States, Canada and Europe. He has a B.F.A. in both Theatre and Music from Otterbein College, in Columbus, OH. In addition to being a founding member of the Children’s Threatre Ensemble (PA), Keith has trained and worked with such prominent theatre organizations as the Pennsylvania Governor School for the Performing Arts (PA), the Chautauqua Theatre institute (NY), Stuart Howard Associates (NYC), National Artists Management Company (NYC), the Manhattan Theatre Project (NYC), the New Hampshire Theatre Project (NH), and the Music Hall in Portsmouth (NH), as well as serving on the Board of Directors for the NH Theatre Awards, and as an active adjudicator and guest director for the New Hampshire Educational Theatre Guild. Mr. Weirich has produced over 50 Mainstage productions for Peacock Players, directing over 20 of them. Keith is annually ranked among the top directors each year at the New Hampshire Theatre Awards, and he is extremely proud of his students which have appeared on Broadway, National tours, and Regional an Stock theatres across the country.

Emerson Kelly, General Manager

Emerson is a graduate of Keene State College. A native of the New Hampshire seacoast region, Emerson has worked with such prominent theatre organizations as The Players’ Ring, Seacoast Repertory Theatre, Mill Pond Center for the Arts, New Hampshire Theatre Project, The Music Hall, and the Prescott Park Arts Festival. Mr. Kelly also serves as a co-founder and the Managing Director for the Fleet Street Theatre Company, and Executive Director for the newly formed TBA Production Company in Portsmouth, NH. Emerson’s many years as Sexton and Facilities Manager for St. John’s Church in downtown Portsmouth, NH, has allowed him the privilege of working in and being a part of a joyful community. He considers himself fortunate to have worked with individuals volunteering their time to better the lives of others through community outreach. His efforts feel most worthy and appreciated when working with parents, volunteers and staff to provide opportunities for children to learn, grow and express themselves. Emerson continues to dedicate himself to high quality and inspiring theatre, and to the collaborative effort necessary to achieve financial, and artistic success. He is excited and proud to support Peacock Players in bringing color to life through theatre and education.

Sarah Evans, Summer Theatre Camp Manager

Sarah is proud to be a Resident Artists with Peacock Players. After graduating from Muhlenberg College with a double major in Theatre and Vocal Performance, Sarah decided that what she really wanted to do was teach. She enrolled at Boston University, where she is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Music Education. In Boston, she sings with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and serves as the Musical Director for the theater program at Edward Devotion Middle School in Brookline. With the Peacock Players, Sarah has taught a variety of classes and serves as the Summer Theatre Camp Manager. She loves watching campers and students discover a passion for theater and music while making lifelong friends!

Resident Artists

Judy Hayward, Resident Artist
Judy Hayward has music directed over 25 shows for Peacock Players since moving to New Hampshire in 1999, starting with Peter Pan (2000), Godspell (2001 and 2009), , Les Miserables, Into the Woods, Just So, Children of Eden, Seussical, The Wedding Singer, and many more. Ms. Hayward is also a founding member of StageCoach Productions, and has music directed their productions of Little Women, Jane Eyre, Parade, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Altar Boyz, The World Goes ‘Round, Floyd Collins, and Little Women. She has twice received the NH Theater Award for Best Music Director for her work with Actorsingers’ Thoroughly Modern Millie and MADCo’s Cabaret. Before moving to NH, Ms. Hayward was the music director at the Harlequin Dinner Theater in Gaithersburg, MD, was Artistic Director for Pismo Light Opera Theater in Pismo Beach, CA, was music director for Anchorage Community Theater and accompanist for the Alaska Children’s Choir in AK, and was staff accompanist and music theory instructor at the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts in Santa Maria, CA. She holds a B.F.A. in piano performance from Louisiana Tech University and an MA from the University of Oregon in Arts Administration.

Henry Kopcyznskie III, Resident Artist
Henry Kopczynskie is a pianist, accompanist, conductor, composer, vocalist, and vocal coach. He has served as music director for many theatrical productions throughout Southern New Hampshire. Henry holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition from Boston’s Berklee College of Music.Henry is at home working in a very broad array of musical styles, from Baroque to Broadway. He was nominated twice for best music direction by the NH Theatre Awards for 2008. Recent productions for which he served as Music Director include The Wizard of Oz (The New Thalian Players, Manchester), The Music Man (Manchester Community Theatre Players), and Oklahoma! (Nashua Actorsingers), including a number of Peacock Players Mainstage productions, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Disney’s The Jungle Book, A Night of 1000 Stars, Forbidden Broadway, Honk!, 13 the Musical, A Christmas Carol, Schoolhouse Rock Live!, Seussical, and many more to come.

Valerie Psoinos, Resident Artist
Valerie has been working with Peacock Players for the past 5 years and won the New Hampshire Theatre Award for Best Choreographer for her work on Peacock Players 2008 Mainstage production of Peter Pan. She has worked with groups such as Actorsingers and Peacock Players, as well as choreographed for Nashua High School North and South, and Londonderry High School. Val has a bachelor’s degree from UNH in Communication and a Masters degree in School Counseling from Rivier College. Val is a guidance counselor at Londonderry High School where she is also a class advisor, oversees the theatre department, and is involved in the Big Buddies program. Val has extensive training in all forms of dance and is committed to making sure everyone has fun on the stage and in class.

Shaina Schwartz, Resident Artist
has been teaching dance and choreographing for six years. Shaina currently works with the Boston based dance troupe, Contemporarily Out of Order. After attending the Boston Youth Moves high school program at the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio, Shaina attended the Broadway Theater Project in Tampa, FL, under the direction of Deb Mcwaters. Shaina has performed with various groups in the area including Peacock Players, Stagecoach Productions and Seacoast Rep. Shaina recently wrapped up an eight month training contract with Cirque du Soleil where she studied aerial arts and clowning. A previous BFA candidate at the Hartt School of Music, Shaina is now a junior at UMass Lowell where she is a Gender Studies and Education major.

MaryEllen Stafford, Resident Artist
MaryEllen has been singing for as long as she (and her mother) can remember, but she didn’t start performing in theatre until she was in her early twenties. Acting credits include: Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, Martha in The Secret Garden, Miss Hannigan in Annie, Joanne in Godspell, Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music, Sr. Mary Hubert in Nunsense, Mme de la Grand Bouche in Beauty and the Beast, Babe in The Queen of Bingo, Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, and others. Directing credits include Miracle on 34th Street, Greater Tuna, Charlotte’s Web, Disney’s The Jungle Book, and will soon include Schoolhouse Rock Live (watch for audition info on the Peacock website!!). One of MaryEllen’s favorite things about working as a director is taking all actors through the process and having them create a role they are proud of to ensure that everyone has a wonderful time and truly shines on stage. She loves working with all the students at Peacock Players, and would like to thank her family and friends, especially Chris, for all of their constant love and support.

Allison Szklarz, Resident Artist
has been designing costumes for Peacock Players for longer than she can remember. While she enjoys working with the kids, she has just about given up hope of ever getting all of them to hang up their costumes. Favorite Peacock shows include Les Miserables (School Edition), Honk!, The Sound of Music, Godspell, Little Women and the world premier of The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle. Allison’s professional credits include, Stoneham Theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol, American Stage Festival productions of A Wonderful Life, Forever Plaid, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A Christmas Carol and Jerry Finnigan’s Sister. Additional costume credits include several productions with the Majestic Theatre and the Walpole Footlighters.