Faculty and Staff

Rozie Curtis

Manager, Community Outreach
Rozie has been a Faculty member for 9 years. She is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of St. Edwards’ University and received a BA in Theatre. She is a professional actress, director, choreographer, and author. She is a highly sought after voice actress as well. Rozie has appeared in several films, commercials, and numerous stage productions in the Houston area and the United States. She just recently finished choreographing two major motions pictures, “Paradise, Texas” and “The Sabre”.

Carole Hannah McCann

Manager, HSMT The Studio
Carole combines a strong theatrical background with a diversified liberal arts education giving a very special flavor to her gift of teaching in the performing arts. Trained by three Houston legends, Patsy Swayze, Chris Wilson, and Frank Young, Miss Carole has been passing on their wisdom and magic at TUTS Humphreys School since 1982. She gives additionally to the arts community by serving on grants panels for the Cultural Arts Council of Houston and Harris County (CACHH) and by being the acting and dance coach for the Taiwan International Summer Broadway Academy, held annually in Taipei. Miss Carole’s “Turn On Your Sparkle Button” catch-phrase is being heard now by children and grandchildren of former students and performers.

Shay Rodgers

Manager, Education
This marks Shay’s 19th year with Theatre Under The Stars in various roles: Student, Performer, Teacher, Kid Wrangler, Production Assistant, Choreographer, and Stage Manager. Shay has also choreographed for The Monomoy Theatre in Cape Cod, Ohio University, Sam Houston State University, The Great Caruso, and most recently Galas for SPA, SNAP, and Animals Across America. She is a graduate of Sam Houston State University with a BFA in Musical Theatre.

Brittany Ardoin (Outreach)

Brittany is currently a junior at the University of Houston studying Music. Brittany began acting at the age of 13. She has been in several musicals all around Texas and regional areas. Her most recent role was Ronnie is the national touring production of the gospel play, Sunday The Musical. Brittany has sung and recorded with several gospel artists, Gary Mayes and Nu Era, James Fortune and FIYA, Kurt Carr, Nikitta Clegg, and Brent Jones. She currently sings in James Fortune and FIYA and is in preparation for the release of their new CD and tour.

Alex Arizpe (Outreach and Studio Dance)

Victoria Arizpe (Academy Dance)

Victoria has over 20 years teaching experience ranging from classical jazz and ballet to street jazz, swing, and musical theatre. She has performed extensively with Theater Under The Stars, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Uptown Street Dance Company, Texas Dance Theatre, and Delia Stewart Dance Company. Victoria teaches master classes and choreographs throughout Texas with Crowd Pleasers Dance Camps and Pure Dance Jams. She is also certified in Pilates and is a senior instructor at The Good Space Pilates and Yoga Studio.

Gary Bankston (Academy, Studio & Outreach Voice)

Gary is a teacher in the Academy, Studio and Community Outreach. After receiving a full music scholarship to Houston Baptist University, Gary went on to a professional career of performing on Broadway, in four National/International tours and throughout the country at many regional theaters including over 20 productions for TUTS.  In 1991 he won the male vocalist category on television's "Star Search" and has worked as a studio singer in Nashville, Los Angeles and New York.  He has provided private instruction for both voice and piano for over ten years and most recently been director, choreographer and musical director for Humphrey School's studio and outreach programs, as well as teaching voice and music theory at The Academy.

Stephanie York Blue (Outreach)

Stephanie is a native Houstonian. She is a graduate of HSPVA and has a B.M.E. in music. She has been teaching in HISD for 20 years and is currently on staff at Windsor Village United Methodist Church. She has performed worldwide with gospel artist Kathy Brown and has been with TUTS for 5 years.

Khrystian Cunningham (Outreach)

Khrystian is a Prairie View A&M University graduate, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio/Television and a minor in dance. Khrystian is an accomplished actress, dancer, choreographer, poet, author and teacher. Khrystian's dance credits include, but are not limited to; Prairie View A&M Marching Storm "Black Fox", Classic Dance Ensemble, Charles Gilpin Players, Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul "Motion of the Ocean". Stage performances include The Cotton Club Revue, A Tribute to Alvin Ailey, Shakespeare's Medea, A Midsummer's Nights Dream, Little Shop of Horrors, Noises Off, The Wiz (which she choreographed several numbers), and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, to name a few. Khrystian has choreographed the stage musicals My Fair Lady, South Pacific, and Little Shop of Horrors.

Laura Finger Duggan (Studio Dance)

Laura began her professional performing career at the age of sixteen at Astroworld. She went on to perform for Theatre Under the Stars, Stages, and in “Jubilee” in Las Vegas’ Bally’s Grand Hotel. Upon returning to Houston, Laura embarked upon a teaching career that started at Jackson Intermediate where she served as the head of the Fine Arts Department. She is currently the Drill/Dance Director for Pasadena Memorial High School. She loves teaching dance and musical theatre and watching as beginners discover their talents.

Jennifer Franco (Academy Acting and Dance)

Graduated from High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and UC, Santa Barbara. In Los Angeles she worked on HBO’s Tracey Takes On* and onstage in Chorus Line, Me and My Girl, Annie Get Your Gun, and Christmas Carol, among others. She also taught tap, gymnastics and acting. Recently, she was the program director for HITS Theatre and assistant director for Carnival and Seussical at Miller Outdoor Theatre. She also directed and choreographed for The Country Playhouse main stage show as well as choreographed for their children’s theatre program.

Peggy Hinojosa (Academy Dance)

Peggy is an award winning choreographer and teacher. Her credits include the national broadcast of the Thanksgiving Day Parade in conjunction with Universal Studios, opening productions for Miss Texas pageants, full length ballet and musical productions, as well as award winning drill team and competition choreography. Her most recent projects include choreography for Steel Pier, Crazy for You, Honk! The Musical, Dear Edwina and writing the dance curriculum for area schools.

Jo Ellen Hubert (Academy & Studio Voice)

Jo Ellen’s background in theatre includes musical director, educator, producer, composer and administrator. An honors graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Ms. Hubert pursued post graduate studies at the renowned Kodaly Pedagogical Institute in Hungary with a focus on piano performance and vocal coaching. Ms. Hubert has served as the Musical Director for 46 different Broadway Musicals. She was the founder of Applause Theatre Company and served there as Executive Artistic Director for 10 years. She most recently served as Musical Director for the TUTS-UH workshop of 110 in the Shade, working along with Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, creators of the show. Ms. Hubert has composed three musicals. She has taught piano and voice in the Houston area for 28 years. Jo Ellen was awarded the 2002 Woman of Achievement in the Arts by the Family Time Foundation in Houston.

Sandy Keslar (Outreach)

Sandy is a teacher and costume designer for the Academy, Studio and Community Outreach. Sandy has 23 years experience in early childhood development.  She currently is owner/director of a daycare in Liberty., TX. She also works in wardrobe for Theatre Under the Stars, The Houston Ballet, The Broadway Series and Houston Grand Opera as a seamstress and dresser.  She is a member of the Local Wardrobe Union.  She has dressed over 30 shows including the ballet and the opera and of course, TUTS She began with 42nd Street to Wicked to Lion King to Rockettes to Aida to Dracula. She has been a volunteer TUTS parent for over 10 years and continues volunteering for the Tommy Tune Awards.

Jennifer Young Mahlstedt (Outreach and Studio Dance)

Jennifer is an Alumni of the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre. She has worked professionally in musical theatre since the age of 13. Jennifer has studied at the Amercina Music ana dDramatic Academy and Broadway Dance Center in New York City. She has been a dance instructor and choreographer at various dance studios, academy's, elementary schools and through Young Audiences for the past seven years.

Cathy Marmolejo (Outreach and Academy Dance)

Cathy is a community outreach teacher as well as an instructor in the Academy. Cathy is an honors graduate from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Music Education and a minor in theatre and dance. She is also a Humphrey’s School Alumni. She is a professional actress, singer, dancer, teacher, and choreographer, to professional freelance bassoonist, woodwind specialist, and reed maker. She has studied dance, voice and acting all her life. She has appeared in films and commercials, as well as, many stage productions including  Guys  and Dolls;  Hello Dolly;  You Can't Take  It With You;  The Fiddler On The Roof;  and Whoopee! She also performs with Houston  Grand Opera, in Julius Caesar, Turandot, The Marriage Of  Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Aida.  She is also a sought after private woodwind coach for individuals and groups.

Dr. Jane Perkyns (Outreach)

Jane began working at Theatre Under The Stars in 2000 as a co-director of the then, newly launched Musicals for Me, Too outreach program designed to bring musical theatre to children with special needs. Dr. Perkyns is an Associate Professor on Music and has been a member of the faculty of Texas Southern University in Houston, TX since 1991 teaching applied piano, music history, theory, piano pedagogy and assisting in opera workshops and performance seminar classes, and served for three years as the Music Coordinator in the Dept. of Fine Arts. She received her graduate degrees from The Juilliard School (M.Mus) and the University of British Columbia (DMA).

Thao Pham (Outreach)

Thao began her musical endeavor in her community church where she spent four years directed a thirty-member choir. Before joining Texas Southern University as a piano major last spring, she was a member of The University of Houston Women Chorus while attending school there and later became a member of the Houston Symphony Chorus. As a freshman at Texas Southern University working under the direction of Dr. Jane Perkyns, Thao is enjoying her time there working as a cellist of the school’s chamber orchestra and having fun with the school’s jazz band playing piano. She recently joined the Outreach staff and was extremely excited with the experience. Thao also teaches piano privately, working with students from age five to eighteen.

Glenn Sharp (Outreach)

Glenn  received his musical training at Houston Baptist University where he studied with well-known conductors Dr. David Wehr and Dr. Robert Linder. He has recorded two projects and toured extensively across the country and overseas in concerts, ministry work, and speaking. Currently working on his first book, Glenn also serves as the Musical Director for The Great Caruso Dinner Theater and for the DIONYSUS Theater Troupe - whose original work, which he wrote the music for, was performed by “invitation only” at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC in 2003 to celebrate the 14th Anniversary of the ADA.

Mary Starnes (Studio Voice)

Mary has been associated with Theatre Under The Stars since 1980 as a performer and a faculty member of The Humphreys School of Musical Theatre. She has a Bachelors of Music Education degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, a Master of Music in Vocal Performance degree from Louisiana State University, and is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Her performing career includes leading roles in musical theatre and opera. Her students are currently appearing in the national and international tours of the Lion King, The Sound of Music, Crazy for You, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Chicago, Fosse, and in the recent Broadway hit Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She is a judge for the Tommy Tune Awards, Theatre Under The Stars' award program for the best in high school musical theatre in the Houston area.

Michael Tapley (Academy Dance)

While at Theatre Under The Stars Michael has been involved with the Tommy Tune Awards, performed in shows, and taught for the Humphreys School. He has performed on Broadway and done national tours for shows like Evita, 42nd Street and Mame. He also performs regionally and was most recently seen in 110 in the Shade playing Noah Curry for TUTS.

Mikeitta Williams (Outreach)

Mikeitta is the founder/artistic director of ~N~ Motion Dance Studio in Houston, Texas. She focused solely on dance at Sam Houston State University. She is also the artistic director and coordinator of Young II Praise, a youth praise dance ministry at her church, New Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. Mikeitta has been teaching for several years and has also traveled to various destinations in the Texas area as a dancer and instructor.