STAFF
Fred Begley | Director of Finance and Administration | fred@asteponline.org
Mary-Mitchell Campbell | Founder and Executive Director | marymitchell@asteponline.org
Abby Gerdts | Director of International Programs | abby@asteponline.org
Mauricio Salgado | Director of Domestic Programs | mauricio@asteponline.org
Davinia Troughton | Director of Development | davinia@asteponline.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAIR: James Matthew Jones | Manager, Community Interests, Exxonmobil
VICE CHAIR: Jaimie Mayer Phinney | Producer; Don’t Eat The Pictures Productions
SECRETARY: Erich Jungwirth | Producer; VoiceChair Productions INC / General Manager; The Foxwoods Theatre
Sheryl Calabro | Associate, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Mark Canavera | Associate, Child Frontiers
Jonathan Lee | Consultant; Huntsman Gay Global Capital
Gerald Steichen | Broadway Music Conductor/Music Director
David Turner | Broadway Actor/Composer/Film Maker
HONORARY BOARD
Laura Benanti – Tony/Drama Desk/Outer Critics Circle Award-winning Broadway Star/TV Actress
Sierra Boggess – Broadway.com Audience Award-winning Theater Actress and Soprano Singer
Kristin Chenoweth – Tony/Drama Desk Award-winning Broadway Star/TV & Movie Actress
Gavin Creel – Tony-nominated Broadway Star/Solo Musician
John Doyle – Tony/Drama Desk Award-winning Broadway Director
Raul Esparza – Tony-nominated Broadway Star/TV Actor
Cyndi Lauper – Grammy Award-winning Singer/Theater Actress
Stephen Oremus - Drama Desk Award-winning musical director/orchestrator
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ASTEP Spokespeople
Nick Dalton - through ASTEP, Nick has taught dance, puppetry, mask, & circus skills at the Shanti Bhavan School in India, as well as music during Refugee Summer Youth Academy with the IRC. His professional credits include; HAIR(European Tour), HAIRSPRAY (Original Vegas Cast), LEGALLY BLONDE (1st National Tour), New York Musical Theatre Festival (Award Winning TRAILS, GREENWOOD, and DON IMBROGLIO). He is a proud member of the Actors Equity Association and graduate of Western Michigan University.
Seth Numrich – has served with ASTEP as a volunteer and On-Site Administrator since 2005. Most recently, he led a team of volunteers in collaboration with the Incarnation Children’s Center in New York City; a nursing facility for youth with HIV and other cognitive and physical disabilities. Professional credits include: WARHORSE (LCT). THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (The Public B’WAY transfer). IPHIGENIA 2.0 (Signature), SLIPPING, BLIND (Rattlestick), TOO MUCH MEMORY (Rising Phoenix Rep), GATES OF GOLD (59E59), DUTCH MASTERS (LAByrinth). He has a BFA from the Juilliard School and is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota.
Alejandro Rodriguez - is an actor, poet and educator. As a teaching-artist he’s worked with youth in classrooms across the country, including with The New Orleans Project, as a Resident Artist for the Boys & Girls Club of Washington D.C., and with The Acting Company. Alejandro has been volunteering, training volunteers and Administrating ASTEP programs since 2006. He has a BFA from The Juilliard School, where he received the Michel St. Denis prize for outstanding achievement. He has since performed on stage, film, and in commercials, including at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, the Shakespeare Center of LA, and at Lincoln Center. He’s originally from Miami, Florida.
Tanesha Ross – has always had a passion for helping underprivileged youth, volunteering since Junior High, at after school camps, and Community Centers. Post college she did some studio and television work, including the 1st season of American Idol. She then went on to a successful career in the thriving theatre scene in Seattle, WA. Followed by a move to New York where she landed a role in the Broadway tour of HAIR! She has been honored to be a part of ASTEP for the past 3 years, working in FL, South Africa, and New York. She holds a BM from Cornish College of the Arts, and is currently based out of New York.
I am sending this email on behalf of my daughter, Ruby. Her message is below and it is about the possibility of raising money for ASTEP as part of her mitzvah project for her Bat Mitzvah this year. She studies with Kendal Sparks and that is one of the ways we have heard about ASTEP. Here is Ruby’s message:
Dear ASTEP,
Hi! My name is Ruby, I’m 12 years old, and I live in Maplewood, NJ. This year I am having my Batmitzvah. The date of my Batmitzvah is June 2, 2012. For a Batmitzvah, you need to to do something called a mitzvah project, which means to give back in some way, shape, or form to your community, in the form of a donation or kind act of charity.
Now ever since I was little, I’ve been doing all types of performing arts and musicals. For my Batmitzvah this year, I was seriously contemplating basing my mitzvah project on something musical theatre-related. I had heard of your organization, ASTEP, because my musical director at my performing arts center, Kendal Sparks, had volunteered for one of your programs, and highly recommended it. I was really inspired with the work you’ve done with refugees.
So for my Mitzvah Project, I was thinking of donating to ASTEP. If you could give me some information about how much money it would cost to send one child to your summer camp, or any other details you think would be helpful I’d really appreciate it.
Thank you so much,
Ruby Zinner