Director/Music Director
Hi! My name is Sarah and I'm an Actor-Singer-Teaching Artist based out of the Philadelphia area. I graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Theater & Concentration in Acting. Since graduating, I have been working as a theater teacher, preschool teacher, and vocal coach! I'm so excited to work with your kids this summer and help foster their love for all things music & theater at UMPA. :)
Preforming Coach/Improv Teacher
Hi, I’m Nir Kitaro performer and producer, I spent the last 15 years traveling the world, preforming and learning many vocal and acting techniques. I started my career in Opera (countertenor) but soon found that my joy is in musical theatre, I worked and performed at a small theatre until I moved to New York City to further my training and graduate top of my class from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). Soon after, I was lucky enough to work off-broadway. Later, I moved to London where I continued to work both as a performer and a producer in film, TV and musical theatre, I produced and performed Ordinary Days on London’s West End and even found myself performing on a cruise ship for 11 months. I am excited to share my experience, knowledge and love for the performing arts with anyone and everyone! UK credits include Warren in Ordinary Days (SoHo theater London west end) He in Suggestions of Love Opera (Kings Head Theatre), Stilts clown in the feature film- Painted Faces, Emil in When We Were Birds (Studio Theatre). US credits include the baker assistant in The Juniper Tree Opera (Church Theatre), Josh in The Better Part Musical (Shelter Studios)
Music Director/Piano & Voice Instructor
I am a recent graduate of West Chester University with a Bachelor’s in Music Education. I started singing when I was six years old, and have been performing in choirs and solo ever since! I first got involved with theatre in high school with Downingtown East’s production of Legally Blonde. I love teaching music and helping young musicians discover how capable they are of being great musicians! I am very excited to be Music Director this Fall with UMPA on Bluey, The Lion King, and a wonderful return to Legally Blonde! Outside of teaching, I enjoy playing piano and organ, conducting, and reading.
I cannot thank you enough for this week! My kids have been to many Upper Merion camps over the years and this one BY FAR was the best one. From the clear communication about what to expect to the friendly faces on the staff each day, I cannot say enough good things about it. This is the first performing arts camp we tried and my daughter, Maeve, will absolutely attend next summer and plans to stay all day! She loved it so much. It was awesome to see her confidence grow this week. Keep up the good work!
My daughter had a great time in UMPA camp this summer! She was a little nervous about being on stage but her castmates and the staff made her feel confident & provided a warm and fun experience. So impressed with the students and how much they accomplished in just a week - they put on quite a show!! We will definitely be back!!
My daughter just participated in their first ever summer camp and I would give this program a 20 out of 10, hands down. My daughter has autism and can struggle in social situations, Daniel and the staff at UMPA went above and beyond to make sure she felt included and comfortable the entire week. She had an amazing time, to say the least. I was also astounded at the overall performance and what they were able to put together in just one short week. We cannot wait to do much more with UMPA!
My daughter has participated in 3 productions with UMPA and each experience has been better than the one before. UMPA prioritizes fostering a love of theater and works to build each student’s confidence, no matter the size of their role. They foster a welcoming and supportive environment while still putting on quality performance opportunities. I highly recommend!