TEACH. PLAY. EXPERIENCE.
TEACH. PLAY. EXPERIENCE.
TEACH. PLAY. EXPERIENCE.
At Storïwr, we help you imagine, plan, and execute theatre-based lesson plans, units of study, projects, and productions.
At Storïwr, we help you imagine, plan, and execute theatre-based lesson plans, units of study, projects, and productions.
At Storïwr, we help you imagine, plan, and execute theatre-based lesson plans, units of study, projects, and productions.
"Theatre has the power to transform lives, bringing stories to life by enabling individuals to walk in someone else's shoes. As we strive for young people to develop a deeper sense of empathy and an understanding of stories different from their own, theatre offers the most humanistic and creative way for that exploration and discovery to manifest itself."
-Whitney Stange, Founder
"Theatre has the power to transform lives, bringing stories to life by enabling individuals to walk in someone else's shoes. As we strive for young people to develop a deeper sense of empathy and an understanding of stories different from their own, theatre offers the most humanistic and creative way for that exploration and discovery to manifest itself."
-Whitney Stange, Founder
"Theatre has the power to transform lives, bringing stories to life by enabling individuals to walk in someone else's shoes. As we strive for young people to develop a deeper sense of empathy and an understanding of stories different from their own, theatre offers the most humanistic and creative way for that exploration and discovery to manifest itself."
-Whitney Stange, Founder
"Theatre has the power to transform lives, bringing stories to life by enabling individuals to walk in someone else's shoes. As we strive for young people to develop a deeper sense of empathy and an understanding of stories different from their own, theatre offers the most humanistic and creative way for that exploration and discovery to manifest itself."
-Whitney Stange, Founder
MEET OUR TEAM
MEET OUR TEAM
MEET OUR TEAM
WHITNEY STANGE
FounderWhitney Stange holds a Masters degree in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Whitney is a theatre educator and arts administrator, who has worked with young people from Pre-K through 12th grade for the past 16 years. She has taught in both public and private schools, as well as arts organizations. Whitney develops and implements theatre arts curriculum that is both skill-based and integrates with core academic curriculum. She produces and directs plays and musicals, both live and filmed, and she curates and develops original works of theatre, in conjunction with young people.
Whitney has presented at the California Association of Independent Schools conference, showcasing process drama and how to integrate it within social studies curriculum. In July of 2022, she co-presented at The American Alliance for Theatre & Education conference, guiding educators through a poetry and puppetry project centered around identity. Whitney lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. She loves running, being in nature, and is an avid theatre goer.
VICKY YVONNE
Director of Operations &
Teaching ArtistHello world! Vicky Yvonne is an arts fanatic that found her passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. From the young age of 11, she found her first passion onstage in Atlanta, Georgia and has relished every acting opportunity she has been blessed to experience ever since. She is currently living in Los Angeles as an actress and teaching artist. She hopes that she will always find the joy and freedom she found the night she first performed.
Utilizing her craft and skills to create an artistically rich environment drives her mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts through teaching and administration. Dekalb School of the Arts, where she graduated from high school, created this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where she obtained her BFA in professional theatre with a concentration in acting gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where she completed her Master of Arts Management degree, polished that ball with tangibility, certainty, and drive.
Whether she is onstage, behind/on the screen, or being a driving force in her community through teaching, she hopes that she continues to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of life, all on this world's stage.
ALLISON O'MALLEY
Teaching ArtistAllison is a professional actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2005. With a love for the arts, Allison has studied theater and fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and completed her degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising. Also during her time in NYC, Allison studied voice privately with Marni Nixon.
Following her undergraduate degree, she studied acting at The Joanne Barron & D.W. Brown Studio, Aaron Speiser Studio, Living the Arts Studio with Kimberly Jetzen, and improv with the Groundlings all in Los Angeles. Allison has appeared on stage and in commercials, television, and film over the course of the last 15 years.
She has worked for The Kids Theatre Company, which is a non profit theater company in Long Beach and for the 3 last years has volunteer taught grades 1-3 visual arts at Rio Vista Elementary. Allison also has her own event planning business and is a member of The Girl Scouts of America and the P.T.A.
She lives with her husband and daughter and hides her snacks from her family. Allison loves being outside to garden, listening to Sarah Brightman and the beach.
SHERRY LANE
Teaching ArtistSherry Layne is a Los Angeles-based children's arts educator and entertainer. She has an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and a B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University. Sherry is a trained improviser, clown, puppet builder, and puppeteer.
Sherry has been nurturing youth in the arts since 2007, teaching workshops for TK - 12th grade students across the country. She has also led professional development workshops in arts integration for the Broad Theatre, California Educational Theatre Association Conference, Cal State University (Fullerton and Northridge), Seesaw online learning platform, and multiple California school districts.
As the Associate Education Director of the nationally-acclaimed children's media organization Story Pirates, Sherry has helped develop engaging elementary English Language Arts curriculum as well as written and directed edutainment segments for their award-winning television series SPTV, airing on PBS-KLCS and other select PBS stations.
Her puppet creations have been featured in tv shows, music videos, digital media, and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater store front.
EMÉ BENTANCUR
Technical & Musical DirectorEmé was raised in North Jersey and has been involved in performing arts from a young age, including three years in All-State Choir of New Jersey from 2009 to 2012. They pursued a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where they performed in various shows and developed their skills further. Emé has over fifteen years of experience in choir, both performing and directing at the high school and middle school levels.
Emé's interest in working with children began with volunteering at their mother's preschool during middle and high school, which has influenced their career path. They have worked with children in theatre in the North Jersey area and now live in Los Angeles, where they continue to teach and inspire young performers. Besides teaching and performing, Emé also writes original musical works. Emé brings practical experience, a passion for music and theatre, and a commitment to helping children explore and develop their artistic talents.
HEATHER OLT
Musical DirectorHeather has worked on all sides of the business: producing, casting, writing, acting and singing. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's created/produced/starred in two digital series: The Auditions and the award-winning 2 Hopeful Spinsters, which won Best Comedy Webisode (Independent Film Quarterly), Outstanding Ensemble Cast & Outstanding Comedy Series (LA Web Series Festival) and Award Finalist (HollyShorts Film Festival).
As an educator, she taught scene study at The Young Actor's Camp and is a regular guest artist at Camp YATC for ages 8-18. She's served as a musical director for various cabaret shows in NYC and LA and is the current children's choir director at HUMC.
As an actress, she recurred on 2 seasons of Marvel's Runaways as creepy cult recruiter, Frances. Other career highlights include recurring roles on General Hospital, Baskets, The Middle, Justified, American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, and guest roles on 9-1-1, Veep, Shameless, Carol's Second Act and The Rookie. Most recently, she was a producer on the feature, Jess Plus None. She's the proud mom of an (almost) 5 year old daughter who loves all things theatrical.
LAUREN CRAIG
Marketing Director &
Teaching ArtistLauren Craig is an actress, screenwriter, content creator, and comedy host with a passion for storytelling, adventure, and connection. Originally from Texas, she earned her degree and spent five years working in marketing before following her true calling in the entertainment industry. Taking a leap of faith, she left the corporate world, relocated across the country, and has spent the past five years building a career in film, television, and live performance.
Alongside her creative pursuits, Lauren brings more than a decade of experience working with children in a variety of settings, making her especially skilled at engaging and inspiring young people. Her combined background in acting, marketing, and childcare makes her a dynamic and versatile member of the Storiwr Theatre Company team.
MARISA GEHRIG
Production DesignerMarisa is a set and prop designer at Storiwr, where she designs and builds the physical props and sets that performers use on stage. Her path to set design started in college, where a background in 3D studio art and a love for building things with her hands naturally led her to the theatre department.
At Storiwr, Marisa works closely with teaching artists and costume designers to make sure every show has fun, engaging, and above all, safe props and sets for young performers. For each production, she evaluates the space to make sure the set fits—whether that means keeping things simple for a smaller venue or adding extra detail to build a bigger world.
Outside of Storiwr, Marisa works as a production designer and art director for stop-motion animation and indie short films, regularly working for popular brands like Barbie, Monster High, and American Girl Doll. In her free time, you can usually find her checking out local puppet shows around Los Angeles. As a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry, she loves designing creative puppets for young audiences and teaching them how to bring those puppets to life on stage.
WHITNEY STANGE
FounderWhitney Stange holds a Masters degree in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Whitney is a theatre educator and arts administrator, who has worked with young people from Pre-K through 12th grade for the past 16 years. She has taught in both public and private schools, as well as arts organizations. Whitney develops and implements theatre arts curriculum that is both skill-based and integrates with core academic curriculum. She produces and directs plays and musicals, both live and filmed, and she curates and develops original works of theatre, in conjunction with young people.
Whitney has presented at the California Association of Independent Schools conference, showcasing process drama and how to integrate it within social studies curriculum. In July of 2022, she co-presented at The American Alliance for Theatre & Education conference, guiding educators through a poetry and puppetry project centered around identity. Whitney lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. She loves running, being in nature, and is an avid theatre goer.VICKY YVONNE
Director of Operations &
Teaching ArtistHello world! Vicky Yvonne is an arts fanatic that found her passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. From the young age of 11, she found her first passion onstage in Atlanta, Georgia and has relished every acting opportunity she has been blessed to experience ever since. She is currently living in Los Angeles as an actress and teaching artist. She hopes that she will always find the joy and freedom she found the night she first performed.
Utilizing her craft and skills to create an artistically rich environment drives her mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts through teaching and administration. Dekalb School of the Arts, where she graduated from high school, created this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where she obtained her BFA in professional theatre with a concentration in acting gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where she completed her Master of Arts Management degree, polished that ball with tangibility, certainty, and drive.
Whether she is onstage, behind/on the screen, or being a driving force in her community through teaching, she hopes that she continues to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of life, all on this world's stage.
ALLISON O'MALLEY
Teaching ArtistAllison is a professional actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2005. With a love for the arts, Allison has studied theater and fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and completed her degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising. Also during her time in NYC, Allison studied voice privately with Marni Nixon.
Following her undergraduate degree, she studied acting at The Joanne Barron & D.W. Brown Studio, Aaron Speiser Studio, Living the Arts Studio with Kimberly Jetzen, and improv with the Groundlings all in Los Angeles. Allison has appeared on stage and in commercials, television, and film over the course of the last 15 years.
She has worked for The Kids Theatre Company, which is a non profit theater company in Long Beach and for the 3 last years has volunteer taught grades 1-3 visual arts at Rio Vista Elementary. Allison also has her own event planning business and is a member of The Girl Scouts of America and the P.T.A.
She lives with her husband and daughter and hides her snacks from her family. Allison loves being outside to garden, listening to Sarah Brightman and the beach.
SHERRY LANE
Teaching ArtistSherry Layne is a Los Angeles-based children's arts educator and entertainer. She has an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and a B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University. Sherry is a trained improviser, clown, puppet builder, and puppeteer.
Sherry has been nurturing youth in the arts since 2007, teaching workshops for TK - 12th grade students across the country. She has also led professional development workshops in arts integration for the Broad Theatre, California Educational Theatre Association Conference, Cal State University (Fullerton and Northridge), Seesaw online learning platform, and multiple California school districts.
As the Associate Education Director of the nationally-acclaimed children's media organization Story Pirates, Sherry has helped develop engaging elementary English Language Arts curriculum as well as written and directed edutainment segments for their award-winning television series SPTV, airing on PBS-KLCS and other select PBS stations.
Her puppet creations have been featured in tv shows, music videos, digital media, and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater store front.
EMÉ BENTANCUR
Technical & Musical DirectorEmé was raised in North Jersey and has been involved in performing arts from a young age, including three years in All-State Choir of New Jersey from 2009 to 2012. They pursued a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where they performed in various shows and developed their skills further. Emé has over fifteen years of experience in choir, both performing and directing at the high school and middle school levels.
Emé's interest in working with children began with volunteering at their mother's preschool during middle and high school, which has influenced their career path. They have worked with children in theatre in the North Jersey area and now live in Los Angeles, where they continue to teach and inspire young performers. Besides teaching and performing, Emé also writes original musical works. Emé brings practical experience, a passion for music and theatre, and a commitment to helping children explore and develop their artistic talents.
HEATHER OLT
Musical DirectorHeather has worked on all sides of the business: producing, casting, writing, acting and singing. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's created/produced/starred in two digital series: The Auditions and the award-winning 2 Hopeful Spinsters, which won Best Comedy Webisode (Independent Film Quarterly), Outstanding Ensemble Cast & Outstanding Comedy Series (LA Web Series Festival) and Award Finalist (HollyShorts Film Festival).
As an educator, she taught scene study at The Young Actor's Camp and is a regular guest artist at Camp YATC for ages 8-18. She's served as a musical director for various cabaret shows in NYC and LA and is the current children's choir director at HUMC.
As an actress, she recurred on 2 seasons of Marvel's Runaways as creepy cult recruiter, Frances. Other career highlights include recurring roles on General Hospital, Baskets, The Middle, Justified, American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, and guest roles on 9-1-1, Veep, Shameless, Carol's Second Act and The Rookie. Most recently, she was a producer on the feature, Jess Plus None. She's the proud mom of an (almost) 5 year old daughter who loves all things theatrical.LAUREN CRAIG
Marketing Director &
Teaching ArtistLauren Craig is an actress, screenwriter, content creator, and comedy host with a passion for storytelling, adventure, and connection. Originally from Texas, she earned her degree and spent five years working in marketing before following her true calling in the entertainment industry. Taking a leap of faith, she left the corporate world, relocated across the country, and has spent the past five years building a career in film, television, and live performance.
Alongside her creative pursuits, Lauren brings more than a decade of experience working with children in a variety of settings, making her especially skilled at engaging and inspiring young people. Her combined background in acting, marketing, and childcare makes her a dynamic and versatile member of the Storiwr Theatre Company team.
MARISA GEHRIG
Production DesignerMarisa is a set and prop designer at Storiwr, where she designs and builds the physical props and sets that performers use on stage. Her path to set design started in college, where a background in 3D studio art and a love for building things with her hands naturally led her to the theatre department.
At Storiwr, Marisa works closely with teaching artists and costume designers to make sure every show has fun, engaging, and above all, safe props and sets for young performers. For each production, she evaluates the space to make sure the set fits—whether that means keeping things simple for a smaller venue or adding extra detail to build a bigger world.
Outside of Storiwr, Marisa works as a production designer and art director for stop-motion animation and indie short films, regularly working for popular brands like Barbie, Monster High, and American Girl Doll. In her free time, you can usually find her checking out local puppet shows around Los Angeles. As a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry, she loves designing creative puppets for young audiences and teaching them how to bring those puppets to life on stage.
WHITNEY STANGE
FounderWhitney Stange holds a Masters degree in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Whitney is a theatre educator and arts administrator, who has worked with young people from Pre-K through 12th grade for the past 16 years. She has taught in both public and private schools, as well as arts organizations. Whitney develops and implements theatre arts curriculum that is both skill-based and integrates with core academic curriculum. She produces and directs plays and musicals, both live and filmed, and she curates and develops original works of theatre, in conjunction with young people.
Whitney has presented at the California Association of Independent Schools conference, showcasing process drama and how to integrate it within social studies curriculum. In July of 2022, she co-presented at The American Alliance for Theatre & Education conference, guiding educators through a poetry and puppetry project centered around identity. Whitney lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. She loves running, being in nature, and is an avid theatre goer.VICKY YVONNE
Director of Operations &
Teaching ArtistHello world! Vicky Yvonne is an arts fanatic that found her passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. From the young age of 11, she found her first passion onstage in Atlanta, Georgia and has relished every acting opportunity she has been blessed to experience ever since. She is currently living in Los Angeles as an actress and teaching artist. She hopes that she will always find the joy and freedom she found the night she first performed.
Utilizing her craft and skills to create an artistically rich environment drives her mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts through teaching and administration. Dekalb School of the Arts, where she graduated from high school, created this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where she obtained her BFA in professional theatre with a concentration in acting gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where she completed her Master of Arts Management degree, polished that ball with tangibility, certainty, and drive.
Whether she is onstage, behind/on the screen, or being a driving force in her community through teaching, she hopes that she continues to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of life, all on this world's stage.
ALLISON O'MALLEY
Teaching ArtistAllison is a professional actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2005. With a love for the arts, Allison has studied theater and fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and completed her degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising. Also during her time in NYC, Allison studied voice privately with Marni Nixon.
Following her undergraduate degree, she studied acting at The Joanne Barron & D.W. Brown Studio, Aaron Speiser Studio, Living the Arts Studio with Kimberly Jetzen, and improv with the Groundlings all in Los Angeles. Allison has appeared on stage and in commercials, television, and film over the course of the last 15 years.
She has worked for The Kids Theatre Company, which is a non profit theater company in Long Beach and for the 3 last years has volunteer taught grades 1-3 visual arts at Rio Vista Elementary. Allison also has her own event planning business and is a member of The Girl Scouts of America and the P.T.A.
She lives with her husband and daughter and hides her snacks from her family. Allison loves being outside to garden, listening to Sarah Brightman and the beach.
SHERRY LANE
Teaching ArtistSherry Layne is a Los Angeles-based children's arts educator and entertainer. She has an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and a B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University. Sherry is a trained improviser, clown, puppet builder, and puppeteer.
Sherry has been nurturing youth in the arts since 2007, teaching workshops for TK - 12th grade students across the country. She has also led professional development workshops in arts integration for the Broad Theatre, California Educational Theatre Association Conference, Cal State University (Fullerton and Northridge), Seesaw online learning platform, and multiple California school districts.
As the Associate Education Director of the nationally-acclaimed children's media organization Story Pirates, Sherry has helped develop engaging elementary English Language Arts curriculum as well as written and directed edutainment segments for their award-winning television series SPTV, airing on PBS-KLCS and other select PBS stations.
Her puppet creations have been featured in tv shows, music videos, digital media, and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater store front.
EMÉ BENTANCUR
Technical & Musical DirectorEmé was raised in North Jersey and has been involved in performing arts from a young age, including three years in All-State Choir of New Jersey from 2009 to 2012. They pursued a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where they performed in various shows and developed their skills further. Emé has over fifteen years of experience in choir, both performing and directing at the high school and middle school levels.
Emé's interest in working with children began with volunteering at their mother's preschool during middle and high school, which has influenced their career path. They have worked with children in theatre in the North Jersey area and now live in Los Angeles, where they continue to teach and inspire young performers. Besides teaching and performing, Emé also writes original musical works. Emé brings practical experience, a passion for music and theatre, and a commitment to helping children explore and develop their artistic talents.
HEATHER OLT
Musical DirectorHeather has worked on all sides of the business: producing, casting, writing, acting and singing. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's created/produced/starred in two digital series: The Auditions and the award-winning 2 Hopeful Spinsters, which won Best Comedy Webisode (Independent Film Quarterly), Outstanding Ensemble Cast & Outstanding Comedy Series (LA Web Series Festival) and Award Finalist (HollyShorts Film Festival).
As an educator, she taught scene study at The Young Actor's Camp and is a regular guest artist at Camp YATC for ages 8-18. She's served as a musical director for various cabaret shows in NYC and LA and is the current children's choir director at HUMC.
As an actress, she recurred on 2 seasons of Marvel's Runaways as creepy cult recruiter, Frances. Other career highlights include recurring roles on General Hospital, Baskets, The Middle, Justified, American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, and guest roles on 9-1-1, Veep, Shameless, Carol's Second Act and The Rookie. Most recently, she was a producer on the feature, Jess Plus None. She's the proud mom of an (almost) 5 year old daughter who loves all things theatrical.LAUREN CRAIG
Marketing Director &
Teaching ArtistLauren Craig is an actress, screenwriter, content creator, and comedy host with a passion for storytelling, adventure, and connection. Originally from Texas, she earned her degree and spent five years working in marketing before following her true calling in the entertainment industry. Taking a leap of faith, she left the corporate world, relocated across the country, and has spent the past five years building a career in film, television, and live performance.
Alongside her creative pursuits, Lauren brings more than a decade of experience working with children in a variety of settings, making her especially skilled at engaging and inspiring young people. Her combined background in acting, marketing, and childcare makes her a dynamic and versatile member of the Storiwr Theatre Company team.
MARISA GEHRIG
Production DesignerMarisa is a set and prop designer at Storiwr, where she designs and builds the physical props and sets that performers use on stage. Her path to set design started in college, where a background in 3D studio art and a love for building things with her hands naturally led her to the theatre department.
At Storiwr, Marisa works closely with teaching artists and costume designers to make sure every show has fun, engaging, and above all, safe props and sets for young performers. For each production, she evaluates the space to make sure the set fits—whether that means keeping things simple for a smaller venue or adding extra detail to build a bigger world.
Outside of Storiwr, Marisa works as a production designer and art director for stop-motion animation and indie short films, regularly working for popular brands like Barbie, Monster High, and American Girl Doll. In her free time, you can usually find her checking out local puppet shows around Los Angeles. As a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry, she loves designing creative puppets for young audiences and teaching them how to bring those puppets to life on stage.
WHITNEY STANGE
FounderWhitney Stange holds a Masters degree in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Whitney is a theatre educator and arts administrator, who has worked with young people from Pre-K through 12th grade for the past 16 years. She has taught in both public and private schools, as well as arts organizations. Whitney develops and implements theatre arts curriculum that is both skill-based and integrates with core academic curriculum. She produces and directs plays and musicals, both live and filmed, and she curates and develops original works of theatre, in conjunction with young people.
Whitney has presented at the California Association of Independent Schools conference, showcasing process drama and how to integrate it within social studies curriculum. In July of 2022, she co-presented at The American Alliance for Theatre & Education conference, guiding educators through a poetry and puppetry project centered around identity. Whitney lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. She loves running, being in nature, and is an avid theatre goer.VICKY YVONNE
Director of Operations &
Teaching ArtistHello world! Vicky Yvonne is an arts fanatic that found her passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. From the young age of 11, she found her first passion onstage in Atlanta, Georgia and has relished every acting opportunity she has been blessed to experience ever since. She is currently living in Los Angeles as an actress and teaching artist. She hopes that she will always find the joy and freedom she found the night she first performed.
Utilizing her craft and skills to create an artistically rich environment drives her mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts through teaching and administration. Dekalb School of the Arts, where she graduated from high school, created this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where she obtained her BFA in professional theatre with a concentration in acting gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where she completed her Master of Arts Management degree, polished that ball with tangibility, certainty, and drive.
Whether she is onstage, behind/on the screen, or being a driving force in her community through teaching, she hopes that she continues to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of life, all on this world's stage.
ALLISON O'MALLEY
Teaching ArtistAllison is a professional actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2005. With a love for the arts, Allison has studied theater and fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and completed her degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising. Also during her time in NYC, Allison studied voice privately with Marni Nixon.
Following her undergraduate degree, she studied acting at The Joanne Barron & D.W. Brown Studio, Aaron Speiser Studio, Living the Arts Studio with Kimberly Jetzen, and improv with the Groundlings all in Los Angeles. Allison has appeared on stage and in commercials, television, and film over the course of the last 15 years.
She has worked for The Kids Theatre Company, which is a non profit theater company in Long Beach and for the 3 last years has volunteer taught grades 1-3 visual arts at Rio Vista Elementary. Allison also has her own event planning business and is a member of The Girl Scouts of America and the P.T.A.
She lives with her husband and daughter and hides her snacks from her family. Allison loves being outside to garden, listening to Sarah Brightman and the beach.
SHERRY LANE
Teaching ArtistSherry Layne is a Los Angeles-based children's arts educator and entertainer. She has an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and a B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University. Sherry is a trained improviser, clown, puppet builder, and puppeteer.
Sherry has been nurturing youth in the arts since 2007, teaching workshops for TK - 12th grade students across the country. She has also led professional development workshops in arts integration for the Broad Theatre, California Educational Theatre Association Conference, Cal State University (Fullerton and Northridge), Seesaw online learning platform, and multiple California school districts.
As the Associate Education Director of the nationally-acclaimed children's media organization Story Pirates, Sherry has helped develop engaging elementary English Language Arts curriculum as well as written and directed edutainment segments for their award-winning television series SPTV, airing on PBS-KLCS and other select PBS stations.
Her puppet creations have been featured in tv shows, music videos, digital media, and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater store front.
EMÉ BENTANCUR
Technical & Musical DirectorEmé was raised in North Jersey and has been involved in performing arts from a young age, including three years in All-State Choir of New Jersey from 2009 to 2012. They pursued a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where they performed in various shows and developed their skills further. Emé has over fifteen years of experience in choir, both performing and directing at the high school and middle school levels.
Emé's interest in working with children began with volunteering at their mother's preschool during middle and high school, which has influenced their career path. They have worked with children in theatre in the North Jersey area and now live in Los Angeles, where they continue to teach and inspire young performers. Besides teaching and performing, Emé also writes original musical works. Emé brings practical experience, a passion for music and theatre, and a commitment to helping children explore and develop their artistic talents.
HEATHER OLT
Musical DirectorHeather has worked on all sides of the business: producing, casting, writing, acting and singing. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's created/produced/starred in two digital series: The Auditions and the award-winning 2 Hopeful Spinsters, which won Best Comedy Webisode (Independent Film Quarterly), Outstanding Ensemble Cast & Outstanding Comedy Series (LA Web Series Festival) and Award Finalist (HollyShorts Film Festival).
As an educator, she taught scene study at The Young Actor's Camp and is a regular guest artist at Camp YATC for ages 8-18. She's served as a musical director for various cabaret shows in NYC and LA and is the current children's choir director at HUMC.
As an actress, she recurred on 2 seasons of Marvel's Runaways as creepy cult recruiter, Frances. Other career highlights include recurring roles on General Hospital, Baskets, The Middle, Justified, American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, and guest roles on 9-1-1, Veep, Shameless, Carol's Second Act and The Rookie. Most recently, she was a producer on the feature, Jess Plus None. She's the proud mom of an (almost) 5 year old daughter who loves all things theatrical.LAUREN CRAIG
Marketing Director &
Teaching ArtistLauren Craig is an actress, screenwriter, content creator, and comedy host with a passion for storytelling, adventure, and connection. Originally from Texas, she earned her degree and spent five years working in marketing before following her true calling in the entertainment industry. Taking a leap of faith, she left the corporate world, relocated across the country, and has spent the past five years building a career in film, television, and live performance.
Alongside her creative pursuits, Lauren brings more than a decade of experience working with children in a variety of settings, making her especially skilled at engaging and inspiring young people. Her combined background in acting, marketing, and childcare makes her a dynamic and versatile member of the Storiwr Theatre Company team.
MARISA GEHRIG
Production DesignerMarisa is a set and prop designer at Storiwr, where she designs and builds the physical props and sets that performers use on stage. Her path to set design started in college, where a background in 3D studio art and a love for building things with her hands naturally led her to the theatre department.
At Storiwr, Marisa works closely with teaching artists and costume designers to make sure every show has fun, engaging, and above all, safe props and sets for young performers. For each production, she evaluates the space to make sure the set fits—whether that means keeping things simple for a smaller venue or adding extra detail to build a bigger world.
Outside of Storiwr, Marisa works as a production designer and art director for stop-motion animation and indie short films, regularly working for popular brands like Barbie, Monster High, and American Girl Doll. In her free time, you can usually find her checking out local puppet shows around Los Angeles. As a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry, she loves designing creative puppets for young audiences and teaching them how to bring those puppets to life on stage.
WHITNEY STANGE
FounderWhitney Stange holds a Masters degree in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Whitney is a theatre educator and arts administrator, who has worked with young people from Pre-K through 12th grade for the past 16 years. She has taught in both public and private schools, as well as arts organizations. Whitney develops and implements theatre arts curriculum that is both skill-based and integrates with core academic curriculum. She produces and directs plays and musicals, both live and filmed, and she curates and develops original works of theatre, in conjunction with young people.
Whitney has presented at the California Association of Independent Schools conference, showcasing process drama and how to integrate it within social studies curriculum. In July of 2022, she co-presented at The American Alliance for Theatre & Education conference, guiding educators through a poetry and puppetry project centered around identity. Whitney lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. She loves running, being in nature, and is an avid theatre goer.VICKY YVONNE
Director of Operations & Teaching ArtistHello world! Vicky Yvonne is an arts fanatic that found her passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. From the young age of 11, she found her first passion onstage in Atlanta, Georgia and has relished every acting opportunity she has been blessed to experience ever since. She is currently living in Los Angeles as an actress and teaching artist. She hopes that she will always find the joy and freedom she found the night she first performed.
Utilizing her craft and skills to create an artistically rich environment drives her mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts through teaching and administration. Dekalb School of the Arts, where she graduated from high school, created this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where she obtained her BFA in professional theatre with a concentration in acting gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where she completed her Master of Arts Management degree, polished that ball with tangibility, certainty, and drive.
Whether she is onstage, behind/on the screen, or being a driving force in her community through teaching, she hopes that she continues to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of life, all on this world's stage.
EMÉ BENTANCUR
Technical &
Musical DirectorEmé was raised in North Jersey and has been involved in performing arts from a young age, including three years in All-State Choir of New Jersey from 2009 to 2012. They pursued a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where they performed in various shows and developed their skills further. Emé has over fifteen years of experience in choir, both performing and directing at the high school and middle school levels.
Emé's interest in working with children began with volunteering at their mother's preschool during middle and high school, which has influenced their career path. They have worked with children in theatre in the North Jersey area and now live in Los Angeles, where they continue to teach and inspire young performers. Besides teaching and performing, Emé also writes original musical works. Emé brings practical experience, a passion for music and theatre, and a commitment to helping children explore and develop their artistic talents.
SHERRY LAYNE
Teaching ArtistSherry Layne is a Los Angeles-based children's arts educator and entertainer. She has an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and a B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University. Sherry is a trained improviser, clown, puppet builder, and puppeteer.
Sherry has been nurturing youth in the arts since 2007, teaching workshops for TK - 12th grade students across the country. She has also led professional development workshops in arts integration for the Broad Theatre, California Educational Theatre Association Conference, Cal State University (Fullerton and Northridge), Seesaw online learning platform, and multiple California school districts.
As the Associate Education Director of the nationally-acclaimed children's media organization Story Pirates, Sherry has helped develop engaging elementary English Language Arts curriculum as well as written and directed edutainment segments for their award-winning television series SPTV, airing on PBS-KLCS and other select PBS stations. Her puppet creations have been featured in tv shows, music videos, digital media, and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater store front.
ALLISON O'MALLEY
Teaching ArtistAllison is a professional actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2005. With a love for the arts, Allison has studied theater and fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and completed her degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising. Also during her time in NYC, Allison studied voice privately with Marni Nixon.
Following her undergraduate degree, she studied acting at The Joanne Barron & D.W. Brown Studio, Aaron Speiser Studio, Living the Arts Studio with Kimberly Jetzen, and improv with the Groundlings all in Los Angeles. Allison has appeared on stage and in commercials, television, and film over the course of the last 15 years.
She has worked for The Kids Theatre Company, which is a non profit theater company in Long Beach and for the 3 last years has volunteer taught grades 1-3 visual arts at Rio Vista Elementary. Allison also has her own event planning business and is a member of The Girl Scouts of America and the P.T.A.
She lives with her husband and daughter and hides her snacks from her family. Allison loves being outside to garden, listening to Sarah Brightman and the beach.
HEATHER OLT
Musical DirectorHeather has worked on all sides of the business: producing, casting, writing, acting and singing. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's created/produced/starred in two digital series: The Auditions and the award-winning 2 Hopeful Spinsters, which won Best Comedy Webisode (Independent Film Quarterly), Outstanding Ensemble Cast & Outstanding Comedy Series (LA Web Series Festival) and Award Finalist (HollyShorts Film Festival).
As an educator, she taught scene study at The Young Actor's Camp and is a regular guest artist at Camp YATC for ages 8-18. She's served as a musical director for various cabaret shows in NYC and LA and is the current children's choir director at HUMC.
As an actress, she recurred on 2 seasons of Marvel's Runaways as creepy cult recruiter, Frances. Other career highlights include recurring roles on General Hospital, Baskets, The Middle, Justified, American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, and guest roles on 9-1-1, Veep, Shameless, Carol's Second Act and The Rookie. Most recently, she was a producer on the feature, Jess Plus None. She's the proud mom of an (almost) 5 year old daughter who loves all things theatrical.LAUREN CRAIG
Marketing Director & Teaching ArtistLauren Craig is an actress, screenwriter, content creator, and comedy host with a passion for storytelling, adventure, and connection. Originally from Texas, she earned her degree and spent five years working in marketing before following her true calling in the entertainment industry. Taking a leap of faith, she left the corporate world, relocated across the country, and has spent the past five years building a career in film, television, and live performance.
Alongside her creative pursuits, Lauren brings more than a decade of experience working with children in a variety of settings, making her especially skilled at engaging and inspiring young people. Her combined background in acting, marketing, and childcare makes her a dynamic and versatile member of the Storiwr Theatre Company team.
MARISA GEHRIG
Production DesignerMarisa is a set and prop designer at Storiwr, where she designs and builds the physical props and sets that performers use on stage. Her path to set design started in college, where a background in 3D studio art and a love for building things with her hands naturally led her to the theatre department.
At Storiwr, Marisa works closely with teaching artists and costume designers to make sure every show has fun, engaging, and above all, safe props and sets for young performers. For each production, she evaluates the space to make sure the set fits—whether that means keeping things simple for a smaller venue or adding extra detail to build a bigger world.
Outside of Storiwr, Marisa works as a production designer and art director for stop-motion animation and indie short films, regularly working for popular brands like Barbie, Monster High, and American Girl Doll. In her free time, you can usually find her checking out local puppet shows around Los Angeles. As a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry, she loves designing creative puppets for young audiences and teaching them how to bring those puppets to life on stage.
WHITNEY STANGE
FounderWhitney Stange holds a Masters degree in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Whitney is a theatre educator and arts administrator, who has worked with young people from Pre-K through 12th grade for the past 16 years. She has taught in both public and private schools, as well as arts organizations. Whitney develops and implements theatre arts curriculum that is both skill-based and integrates with core academic curriculum. She produces and directs plays and musicals, both live and filmed, and she curates and develops original works of theatre, in conjunction with young people.
Whitney has presented at the California Association of Independent Schools conference, showcasing process drama and how to integrate it within social studies curriculum. In July of 2022, she co-presented at The American Alliance for Theatre & Education conference, guiding educators through a poetry and puppetry project centered around identity. Whitney lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. She loves running, being in nature, and is an avid theatre goer.VICKY YVONNE
Director of Operations & Teaching ArtistHello world! Vicky Yvonne is an arts fanatic that found her passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. From the young age of 11, she found her first passion onstage in Atlanta, Georgia and has relished every acting opportunity she has been blessed to experience ever since. She is currently living in Los Angeles as an actress and teaching artist. She hopes that she will always find the joy and freedom she found the night she first performed.
Utilizing her craft and skills to create an artistically rich environment drives her mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts through teaching and administration. Dekalb School of the Arts, where she graduated from high school, created this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where she obtained her BFA in professional theatre with a concentration in acting gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where she completed her Master of Arts Management degree, polished that ball with tangibility, certainty, and drive.
Whether she is onstage, behind/on the screen, or being a driving force in her community through teaching, she hopes that she continues to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of life, all on this world's stage.
EMÉ BENTANCUR
Technical &
Musical DirectorEmé was raised in North Jersey and has been involved in performing arts from a young age, including three years in All-State Choir of New Jersey from 2009 to 2012. They pursued a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where they performed in various shows and developed their skills further. Emé has over fifteen years of experience in choir, both performing and directing at the high school and middle school levels.
Emé's interest in working with children began with volunteering at their mother's preschool during middle and high school, which has influenced their career path. They have worked with children in theatre in the North Jersey area and now live in Los Angeles, where they continue to teach and inspire young performers. Besides teaching and performing, Emé also writes original musical works. Emé brings practical experience, a passion for music and theatre, and a commitment to helping children explore and develop their artistic talents.
SHERRY LAYNE
Teaching ArtistSherry Layne is a Los Angeles-based children's arts educator and entertainer. She has an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and a B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University. Sherry is a trained improviser, clown, puppet builder, and puppeteer.
Sherry has been nurturing youth in the arts since 2007, teaching workshops for TK - 12th grade students across the country. She has also led professional development workshops in arts integration for the Broad Theatre, California Educational Theatre Association Conference, Cal State University (Fullerton and Northridge), Seesaw online learning platform, and multiple California school districts.
As the Associate Education Director of the nationally-acclaimed children's media organization Story Pirates, Sherry has helped develop engaging elementary English Language Arts curriculum as well as written and directed edutainment segments for their award-winning television series SPTV, airing on PBS-KLCS and other select PBS stations. Her puppet creations have been featured in tv shows, music videos, digital media, and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater store front.
ALLISON O'MALLEY
Teaching ArtistAllison is a professional actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2005. With a love for the arts, Allison has studied theater and fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and completed her degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising. Also during her time in NYC, Allison studied voice privately with Marni Nixon.
Following her undergraduate degree, she studied acting at The Joanne Barron & D.W. Brown Studio, Aaron Speiser Studio, Living the Arts Studio with Kimberly Jetzen, and improv with the Groundlings all in Los Angeles. Allison has appeared on stage and in commercials, television, and film over the course of the last 15 years.
She has worked for The Kids Theatre Company, which is a non profit theater company in Long Beach and for the 3 last years has volunteer taught grades 1-3 visual arts at Rio Vista Elementary. Allison also has her own event planning business and is a member of The Girl Scouts of America and the P.T.A.
She lives with her husband and daughter and hides her snacks from her family. Allison loves being outside to garden, listening to Sarah Brightman and the beach.
HEATHER OLT
Musical DirectorHeather has worked on all sides of the business: producing, casting, writing, acting and singing. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's created/produced/starred in two digital series: The Auditions and the award-winning 2 Hopeful Spinsters, which won Best Comedy Webisode (Independent Film Quarterly), Outstanding Ensemble Cast & Outstanding Comedy Series (LA Web Series Festival) and Award Finalist (HollyShorts Film Festival).
As an educator, she taught scene study at The Young Actor's Camp and is a regular guest artist at Camp YATC for ages 8-18. She's served as a musical director for various cabaret shows in NYC and LA and is the current children's choir director at HUMC.
As an actress, she recurred on 2 seasons of Marvel's Runaways as creepy cult recruiter, Frances. Other career highlights include recurring roles on General Hospital, Baskets, The Middle, Justified, American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, and guest roles on 9-1-1, Veep, Shameless, Carol's Second Act and The Rookie. Most recently, she was a producer on the feature, Jess Plus None. She's the proud mom of an (almost) 5 year old daughter who loves all things theatrical.LAUREN CRAIG
Marketing Director & Teaching ArtistLauren Craig is an actress, screenwriter, content creator, and comedy host with a passion for storytelling, adventure, and connection. Originally from Texas, she earned her degree and spent five years working in marketing before following her true calling in the entertainment industry. Taking a leap of faith, she left the corporate world, relocated across the country, and has spent the past five years building a career in film, television, and live performance.
Alongside her creative pursuits, Lauren brings more than a decade of experience working with children in a variety of settings, making her especially skilled at engaging and inspiring young people. Her combined background in acting, marketing, and childcare makes her a dynamic and versatile member of the Storiwr Theatre Company team.
MARISA GEHRIG
Production DesignerMarisa is a set and prop designer at Storiwr, where she designs and builds the physical props and sets that performers use on stage. Her path to set design started in college, where a background in 3D studio art and a love for building things with her hands naturally led her to the theatre department.
At Storiwr, Marisa works closely with teaching artists and costume designers to make sure every show has fun, engaging, and above all, safe props and sets for young performers. For each production, she evaluates the space to make sure the set fits—whether that means keeping things simple for a smaller venue or adding extra detail to build a bigger world.
Outside of Storiwr, Marisa works as a production designer and art director for stop-motion animation and indie short films, regularly working for popular brands like Barbie, Monster High, and American Girl Doll. In her free time, you can usually find her checking out local puppet shows around Los Angeles. As a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry, she loves designing creative puppets for young audiences and teaching them how to bring those puppets to life on stage.
WHITNEY STANGE
FounderWhitney Stange holds a Masters degree in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Whitney is a theatre educator and arts administrator, who has worked with young people from Pre-K through 12th grade for the past 16 years. She has taught in both public and private schools, as well as arts organizations. Whitney develops and implements theatre arts curriculum that is both skill-based and integrates with core academic curriculum. She produces and directs plays and musicals, both live and filmed, and she curates and develops original works of theatre, in conjunction with young people.
Whitney has presented at the California Association of Independent Schools conference, showcasing process drama and how to integrate it within social studies curriculum. In July of 2022, she co-presented at The American Alliance for Theatre & Education conference, guiding educators through a poetry and puppetry project centered around identity. Whitney lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. She loves running, being in nature, and is an avid theatre goer.VICKY YVONNE
Director of Operations & Teaching ArtistHello world! Vicky Yvonne is an arts fanatic that found her passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. From the young age of 11, she found her first passion onstage in Atlanta, Georgia and has relished every acting opportunity she has been blessed to experience ever since. She is currently living in Los Angeles as an actress and teaching artist. She hopes that she will always find the joy and freedom she found the night she first performed.
Utilizing her craft and skills to create an artistically rich environment drives her mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts through teaching and administration. Dekalb School of the Arts, where she graduated from high school, created this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where she obtained her BFA in professional theatre with a concentration in acting gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where she completed her Master of Arts Management degree, polished that ball with tangibility, certainty, and drive.
Whether she is onstage, behind/on the screen, or being a driving force in her community through teaching, she hopes that she continues to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of life, all on this world's stage.
EMÉ BENTANCUR
Technical &
Musical DirectorEmé was raised in North Jersey and has been involved in performing arts from a young age, including three years in All-State Choir of New Jersey from 2009 to 2012. They pursued a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where they performed in various shows and developed their skills further. Emé has over fifteen years of experience in choir, both performing and directing at the high school and middle school levels.
Emé's interest in working with children began with volunteering at their mother's preschool during middle and high school, which has influenced their career path. They have worked with children in theatre in the North Jersey area and now live in Los Angeles, where they continue to teach and inspire young performers. Besides teaching and performing, Emé also writes original musical works. Emé brings practical experience, a passion for music and theatre, and a commitment to helping children explore and develop their artistic talents.
SHERRY LAYNE
Teaching ArtistSherry Layne is a Los Angeles-based children's arts educator and entertainer. She has an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and a B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University. Sherry is a trained improviser, clown, puppet builder, and puppeteer.
Sherry has been nurturing youth in the arts since 2007, teaching workshops for TK - 12th grade students across the country. She has also led professional development workshops in arts integration for the Broad Theatre, California Educational Theatre Association Conference, Cal State University (Fullerton and Northridge), Seesaw online learning platform, and multiple California school districts.
As the Associate Education Director of the nationally-acclaimed children's media organization Story Pirates, Sherry has helped develop engaging elementary English Language Arts curriculum as well as written and directed edutainment segments for their award-winning television series SPTV, airing on PBS-KLCS and other select PBS stations. Her puppet creations have been featured in tv shows, music videos, digital media, and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater store front.
ALLISON O'MALLEY
Teaching ArtistAllison is a professional actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2005. With a love for the arts, Allison has studied theater and fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and completed her degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising. Also during her time in NYC, Allison studied voice privately with Marni Nixon.
Following her undergraduate degree, she studied acting at The Joanne Barron & D.W. Brown Studio, Aaron Speiser Studio, Living the Arts Studio with Kimberly Jetzen, and improv with the Groundlings all in Los Angeles. Allison has appeared on stage and in commercials, television, and film over the course of the last 15 years.
She has worked for The Kids Theatre Company, which is a non profit theater company in Long Beach and for the 3 last years has volunteer taught grades 1-3 visual arts at Rio Vista Elementary. Allison also has her own event planning business and is a member of The Girl Scouts of America and the P.T.A.
She lives with her husband and daughter and hides her snacks from her family. Allison loves being outside to garden, listening to Sarah Brightman and the beach.
HEATHER OLT
Musical DirectorHeather has worked on all sides of the business: producing, casting, writing, acting and singing. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's created/produced/starred in two digital series: The Auditions and the award-winning 2 Hopeful Spinsters, which won Best Comedy Webisode (Independent Film Quarterly), Outstanding Ensemble Cast & Outstanding Comedy Series (LA Web Series Festival) and Award Finalist (HollyShorts Film Festival).
As an educator, she taught scene study at The Young Actor's Camp and is a regular guest artist at Camp YATC for ages 8-18. She's served as a musical director for various cabaret shows in NYC and LA and is the current children's choir director at HUMC.
As an actress, she recurred on 2 seasons of Marvel's Runaways as creepy cult recruiter, Frances. Other career highlights include recurring roles on General Hospital, Baskets, The Middle, Justified, American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, and guest roles on 9-1-1, Veep, Shameless, Carol's Second Act and The Rookie. Most recently, she was a producer on the feature, Jess Plus None. She's the proud mom of an (almost) 5 year old daughter who loves all things theatrical.LAUREN CRAIG
Marketing Director & Teaching ArtistLauren Craig is an actress, screenwriter, content creator, and comedy host with a passion for storytelling, adventure, and connection. Originally from Texas, she earned her degree and spent five years working in marketing before following her true calling in the entertainment industry. Taking a leap of faith, she left the corporate world, relocated across the country, and has spent the past five years building a career in film, television, and live performance.
Alongside her creative pursuits, Lauren brings more than a decade of experience working with children in a variety of settings, making her especially skilled at engaging and inspiring young people. Her combined background in acting, marketing, and childcare makes her a dynamic and versatile member of the Storiwr Theatre Company team.
MARISA GEHRIG
Production DesignerMarisa is a set and prop designer at Storiwr, where she designs and builds the physical props and sets that performers use on stage. Her path to set design started in college, where a background in 3D studio art and a love for building things with her hands naturally led her to the theatre department.
At Storiwr, Marisa works closely with teaching artists and costume designers to make sure every show has fun, engaging, and above all, safe props and sets for young performers. For each production, she evaluates the space to make sure the set fits—whether that means keeping things simple for a smaller venue or adding extra detail to build a bigger world.
Outside of Storiwr, Marisa works as a production designer and art director for stop-motion animation and indie short films, regularly working for popular brands like Barbie, Monster High, and American Girl Doll. In her free time, you can usually find her checking out local puppet shows around Los Angeles. As a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry, she loves designing creative puppets for young audiences and teaching them how to bring those puppets to life on stage.
WHITNEY STANGE
FounderWhitney Stange holds a Masters degree in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Whitney is a theatre educator and arts administrator, who has worked with young people from Pre-K through 12th grade for the past 16 years. She has taught in both public and private schools, as well as arts organizations. Whitney develops and implements theatre arts curriculum that is both skill-based and integrates with core academic curriculum. She produces and directs plays and musicals, both live and filmed, and she curates and develops original works of theatre, in conjunction with young people.
Whitney has presented at the California Association of Independent Schools conference, showcasing process drama and how to integrate it within social studies curriculum. In July of 2022, she co-presented at The American Alliance for Theatre & Education conference, guiding educators through a poetry and puppetry project centered around identity. Whitney lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. She loves running, being in nature, and is an avid theatre goer.VICKY YVONNE
Director of Operations & Teaching ArtistHello world! Vicky Yvonne is an arts fanatic that found her passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. From the young age of 11, she found her first passion onstage in Atlanta, Georgia and has relished every acting opportunity she has been blessed to experience ever since. She is currently living in Los Angeles as an actress and teaching artist. She hopes that she will always find the joy and freedom she found the night she first performed.
Utilizing her craft and skills to create an artistically rich environment drives her mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts through teaching and administration. Dekalb School of the Arts, where she graduated from high school, created this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where she obtained her BFA in professional theatre with a concentration in acting gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where she completed her Master of Arts Management degree, polished that ball with tangibility, certainty, and drive.
Whether she is onstage, behind/on the screen, or being a driving force in her community through teaching, she hopes that she continues to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of life, all on this world's stage.
EMÉ BENTANCUR
Technical &
Musical DirectorEmé was raised in North Jersey and has been involved in performing arts from a young age, including three years in All-State Choir of New Jersey from 2009 to 2012. They pursued a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where they performed in various shows and developed their skills further. Emé has over fifteen years of experience in choir, both performing and directing at the high school and middle school levels.
Emé's interest in working with children began with volunteering at their mother's preschool during middle and high school, which has influenced their career path. They have worked with children in theatre in the North Jersey area and now live in Los Angeles, where they continue to teach and inspire young performers. Besides teaching and performing, Emé also writes original musical works. Emé brings practical experience, a passion for music and theatre, and a commitment to helping children explore and develop their artistic talents.
SHERRY LAYNE
Teaching ArtistSherry Layne is a Los Angeles-based children's arts educator and entertainer. She has an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and a B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University. Sherry is a trained improviser, clown, puppet builder, and puppeteer.
Sherry has been nurturing youth in the arts since 2007, teaching workshops for TK - 12th grade students across the country. She has also led professional development workshops in arts integration for the Broad Theatre, California Educational Theatre Association Conference, Cal State University (Fullerton and Northridge), Seesaw online learning platform, and multiple California school districts.
As the Associate Education Director of the nationally-acclaimed children's media organization Story Pirates, Sherry has helped develop engaging elementary English Language Arts curriculum as well as written and directed edutainment segments for their award-winning television series SPTV, airing on PBS-KLCS and other select PBS stations. Her puppet creations have been featured in tv shows, music videos, digital media, and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater store front.
ALLISON O'MALLEY
Teaching ArtistAllison is a professional actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2005. With a love for the arts, Allison has studied theater and fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and completed her degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising. Also during her time in NYC, Allison studied voice privately with Marni Nixon.
Following her undergraduate degree, she studied acting at The Joanne Barron & D.W. Brown Studio, Aaron Speiser Studio, Living the Arts Studio with Kimberly Jetzen, and improv with the Groundlings all in Los Angeles. Allison has appeared on stage and in commercials, television, and film over the course of the last 15 years.
She has worked for The Kids Theatre Company, which is a non profit theater company in Long Beach and for the 3 last years has volunteer taught grades 1-3 visual arts at Rio Vista Elementary. Allison also has her own event planning business and is a member of The Girl Scouts of America and the P.T.A.
She lives with her husband and daughter and hides her snacks from her family. Allison loves being outside to garden, listening to Sarah Brightman and the beach.
HEATHER OLT
Musical DirectorHeather has worked on all sides of the business: producing, casting, writing, acting and singing. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's created/produced/starred in two digital series: The Auditions and the award-winning 2 Hopeful Spinsters, which won Best Comedy Webisode (Independent Film Quarterly), Outstanding Ensemble Cast & Outstanding Comedy Series (LA Web Series Festival) and Award Finalist (HollyShorts Film Festival).
As an educator, she taught scene study at The Young Actor's Camp and is a regular guest artist at Camp YATC for ages 8-18. She's served as a musical director for various cabaret shows in NYC and LA and is the current children's choir director at HUMC.
As an actress, she recurred on 2 seasons of Marvel's Runaways as creepy cult recruiter, Frances. Other career highlights include recurring roles on General Hospital, Baskets, The Middle, Justified, American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, and guest roles on 9-1-1, Veep, Shameless, Carol's Second Act and The Rookie. Most recently, she was a producer on the feature, Jess Plus None. She's the proud mom of an (almost) 5 year old daughter who loves all things theatrical.LAUREN CRAIG
Marketing Director & Teaching ArtistLauren Craig is an actress, screenwriter, content creator, and comedy host with a passion for storytelling, adventure, and connection. Originally from Texas, she earned her degree and spent five years working in marketing before following her true calling in the entertainment industry. Taking a leap of faith, she left the corporate world, relocated across the country, and has spent the past five years building a career in film, television, and live performance.
Alongside her creative pursuits, Lauren brings more than a decade of experience working with children in a variety of settings, making her especially skilled at engaging and inspiring young people. Her combined background in acting, marketing, and childcare makes her a dynamic and versatile member of the Storiwr Theatre Company team.
MARISA GEHRIG
Production DesignerMarisa is a set and prop designer at Storiwr, where she designs and builds the physical props and sets that performers use on stage. Her path to set design started in college, where a background in 3D studio art and a love for building things with her hands naturally led her to the theatre department.
At Storiwr, Marisa works closely with teaching artists and costume designers to make sure every show has fun, engaging, and above all, safe props and sets for young performers. For each production, she evaluates the space to make sure the set fits—whether that means keeping things simple for a smaller venue or adding extra detail to build a bigger world.
Outside of Storiwr, Marisa works as a production designer and art director for stop-motion animation and indie short films, regularly working for popular brands like Barbie, Monster High, and American Girl Doll. In her free time, you can usually find her checking out local puppet shows around Los Angeles. As a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry, she loves designing creative puppets for young audiences and teaching them how to bring those puppets to life on stage.
WHITNEY STANGE
FounderWhitney Stange holds a Masters degree in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Whitney is a theatre educator and arts administrator, who has worked with young people from Pre-K through 12th grade for the past 16 years. She has taught in both public and private schools, as well as arts organizations. Whitney develops and implements theatre arts curriculum that is both skill-based and integrates with core academic curriculum. She produces and directs plays and musicals, both live and filmed, and she curates and develops original works of theatre, in conjunction with young people.
Whitney has presented at the California Association of Independent Schools conference, showcasing process drama and how to integrate it within social studies curriculum. In July of 2022, she co-presented at The American Alliance for Theatre & Education conference, guiding educators through a poetry and puppetry project centered around identity. Whitney lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. She loves running, being in nature, and is an avid theatre goer.VICKY YVONNE
Director of Operations & Teaching ArtistHello world! Vicky Yvonne is an arts fanatic that found her passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. From the young age of 11, she found her first passion onstage in Atlanta, Georgia and has relished every acting opportunity she has been blessed to experience ever since. She is currently living in Los Angeles as an actress and teaching artist. She hopes that she will always find the joy and freedom she found the night she first performed.
Utilizing her craft and skills to create an artistically rich environment drives her mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts through teaching and administration. Dekalb School of the Arts, where she graduated from high school, created this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where she obtained her BFA in professional theatre with a concentration in acting gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where she completed her Master of Arts Management degree, polished that ball with tangibility, certainty, and drive.
Whether she is onstage, behind/on the screen, or being a driving force in her community through teaching, she hopes that she continues to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of life, all on this world's stage.
EMÉ BENTANCUR
Technical &
Musical DirectorEmé was raised in North Jersey and has been involved in performing arts from a young age, including three years in All-State Choir of New Jersey from 2009 to 2012. They pursued a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where they performed in various shows and developed their skills further. Emé has over fifteen years of experience in choir, both performing and directing at the high school and middle school levels.
Emé's interest in working with children began with volunteering at their mother's preschool during middle and high school, which has influenced their career path. They have worked with children in theatre in the North Jersey area and now live in Los Angeles, where they continue to teach and inspire young performers. Besides teaching and performing, Emé also writes original musical works. Emé brings practical experience, a passion for music and theatre, and a commitment to helping children explore and develop their artistic talents.
SHERRY LAYNE
Teaching ArtistSherry Layne is a Los Angeles-based children's arts educator and entertainer. She has an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and a B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University. Sherry is a trained improviser, clown, puppet builder, and puppeteer.
Sherry has been nurturing youth in the arts since 2007, teaching workshops for TK - 12th grade students across the country. She has also led professional development workshops in arts integration for the Broad Theatre, California Educational Theatre Association Conference, Cal State University (Fullerton and Northridge), Seesaw online learning platform, and multiple California school districts.
As the Associate Education Director of the nationally-acclaimed children's media organization Story Pirates, Sherry has helped develop engaging elementary English Language Arts curriculum as well as written and directed edutainment segments for their award-winning television series SPTV, airing on PBS-KLCS and other select PBS stations. Her puppet creations have been featured in tv shows, music videos, digital media, and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater store front.
ALLISON O'MALLEY
Teaching ArtistAllison is a professional actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2005. With a love for the arts, Allison has studied theater and fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and completed her degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising. Also during her time in NYC, Allison studied voice privately with Marni Nixon.
Following her undergraduate degree, she studied acting at The Joanne Barron & D.W. Brown Studio, Aaron Speiser Studio, Living the Arts Studio with Kimberly Jetzen, and improv with the Groundlings all in Los Angeles. Allison has appeared on stage and in commercials, television, and film over the course of the last 15 years.
She has worked for The Kids Theatre Company, which is a non profit theater company in Long Beach and for the 3 last years has volunteer taught grades 1-3 visual arts at Rio Vista Elementary. Allison also has her own event planning business and is a member of The Girl Scouts of America and the P.T.A.
She lives with her husband and daughter and hides her snacks from her family. Allison loves being outside to garden, listening to Sarah Brightman and the beach.
HEATHER OLT
Musical DirectorHeather has worked on all sides of the business: producing, casting, writing, acting and singing. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's created/produced/starred in two digital series: The Auditions and the award-winning 2 Hopeful Spinsters, which won Best Comedy Webisode (Independent Film Quarterly), Outstanding Ensemble Cast & Outstanding Comedy Series (LA Web Series Festival) and Award Finalist (HollyShorts Film Festival).
As an educator, she taught scene study at The Young Actor's Camp and is a regular guest artist at Camp YATC for ages 8-18. She's served as a musical director for various cabaret shows in NYC and LA and is the current children's choir director at HUMC.
As an actress, she recurred on 2 seasons of Marvel's Runaways as creepy cult recruiter, Frances. Other career highlights include recurring roles on General Hospital, Baskets, The Middle, Justified, American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, and guest roles on 9-1-1, Veep, Shameless, Carol's Second Act and The Rookie. Most recently, she was a producer on the feature, Jess Plus None. She's the proud mom of an (almost) 5 year old daughter who loves all things theatrical.LAUREN CRAIG
Marketing Director & Teaching ArtistLauren Craig is an actress, screenwriter, content creator, and comedy host with a passion for storytelling, adventure, and connection. Originally from Texas, she earned her degree and spent five years working in marketing before following her true calling in the entertainment industry. Taking a leap of faith, she left the corporate world, relocated across the country, and has spent the past five years building a career in film, television, and live performance.
Alongside her creative pursuits, Lauren brings more than a decade of experience working with children in a variety of settings, making her especially skilled at engaging and inspiring young people. Her combined background in acting, marketing, and childcare makes her a dynamic and versatile member of the Storiwr Theatre Company team.
MARISA GEHRIG
Production DesignerMarisa is a set and prop designer at Storiwr, where she designs and builds the physical props and sets that performers use on stage. Her path to set design started in college, where a background in 3D studio art and a love for building things with her hands naturally led her to the theatre department.
At Storiwr, Marisa works closely with teaching artists and costume designers to make sure every show has fun, engaging, and above all, safe props and sets for young performers. For each production, she evaluates the space to make sure the set fits—whether that means keeping things simple for a smaller venue or adding extra detail to build a bigger world.
Outside of Storiwr, Marisa works as a production designer and art director for stop-motion animation and indie short films, regularly working for popular brands like Barbie, Monster High, and American Girl Doll. In her free time, you can usually find her checking out local puppet shows around Los Angeles. As a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry, she loves designing creative puppets for young audiences and teaching them how to bring those puppets to life on stage.
WHITNEY STANGE
FounderWhitney Stange holds a Masters degree in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Whitney is a theatre educator and arts administrator, who has worked with young people from Pre-K through 12th grade for the past 16 years. She has taught in both public and private schools, as well as arts organizations. Whitney develops and implements theatre arts curriculum that is both skill-based and integrates with core academic curriculum. She produces and directs plays and musicals, both live and filmed, and she curates and develops original works of theatre, in conjunction with young people.
Whitney has presented at the California Association of Independent Schools conference, showcasing process drama and how to integrate it within social studies curriculum. In July of 2022, she co-presented at The American Alliance for Theatre & Education conference, guiding educators through a poetry and puppetry project centered around identity. Whitney lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. She loves running, being in nature, and is an avid theatre goer.VICKY YVONNE
Director of Operations & Teaching ArtistHello world! Vicky Yvonne is an arts fanatic that found her passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. From the young age of 11, she found her first passion onstage in Atlanta, Georgia and has relished every acting opportunity she has been blessed to experience ever since. She is currently living in Los Angeles as an actress and teaching artist. She hopes that she will always find the joy and freedom she found the night she first performed.
Utilizing her craft and skills to create an artistically rich environment drives her mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts through teaching and administration. Dekalb School of the Arts, where she graduated from high school, created this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where she obtained her BFA in professional theatre with a concentration in acting gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where she completed her Master of Arts Management degree, polished that ball with tangibility, certainty, and drive.
Whether she is onstage, behind/on the screen, or being a driving force in her community through teaching, she hopes that she continues to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of life, all on this world's stage.
EMÉ BENTANCUR
Technical &
Musical DirectorEmé was raised in North Jersey and has been involved in performing arts from a young age, including three years in All-State Choir of New Jersey from 2009 to 2012. They pursued a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where they performed in various shows and developed their skills further. Emé has over fifteen years of experience in choir, both performing and directing at the high school and middle school levels.
Emé's interest in working with children began with volunteering at their mother's preschool during middle and high school, which has influenced their career path. They have worked with children in theatre in the North Jersey area and now live in Los Angeles, where they continue to teach and inspire young performers. Besides teaching and performing, Emé also writes original musical works. Emé brings practical experience, a passion for music and theatre, and a commitment to helping children explore and develop their artistic talents.
SHERRY LAYNE
Teaching ArtistSherry Layne is a Los Angeles-based children's arts educator and entertainer. She has an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and a B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University. Sherry is a trained improviser, clown, puppet builder, and puppeteer.
Sherry has been nurturing youth in the arts since 2007, teaching workshops for TK - 12th grade students across the country. She has also led professional development workshops in arts integration for the Broad Theatre, California Educational Theatre Association Conference, Cal State University (Fullerton and Northridge), Seesaw online learning platform, and multiple California school districts.
As the Associate Education Director of the nationally-acclaimed children's media organization Story Pirates, Sherry has helped develop engaging elementary English Language Arts curriculum as well as written and directed edutainment segments for their award-winning television series SPTV, airing on PBS-KLCS and other select PBS stations. Her puppet creations have been featured in tv shows, music videos, digital media, and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater store front.
ALLISON O'MALLEY
Teaching ArtistAllison is a professional actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2005. With a love for the arts, Allison has studied theater and fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and completed her degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising. Also during her time in NYC, Allison studied voice privately with Marni Nixon.
Following her undergraduate degree, she studied acting at The Joanne Barron & D.W. Brown Studio, Aaron Speiser Studio, Living the Arts Studio with Kimberly Jetzen, and improv with the Groundlings all in Los Angeles. Allison has appeared on stage and in commercials, television, and film over the course of the last 15 years.
She has worked for The Kids Theatre Company, which is a non profit theater company in Long Beach and for the 3 last years has volunteer taught grades 1-3 visual arts at Rio Vista Elementary. Allison also has her own event planning business and is a member of The Girl Scouts of America and the P.T.A.
She lives with her husband and daughter and hides her snacks from her family. Allison loves being outside to garden, listening to Sarah Brightman and the beach.
HEATHER OLT
Musical DirectorHeather has worked on all sides of the business: producing, casting, writing, acting and singing. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's created/produced/starred in two digital series: The Auditions and the award-winning 2 Hopeful Spinsters, which won Best Comedy Webisode (Independent Film Quarterly), Outstanding Ensemble Cast & Outstanding Comedy Series (LA Web Series Festival) and Award Finalist (HollyShorts Film Festival).
As an educator, she taught scene study at The Young Actor's Camp and is a regular guest artist at Camp YATC for ages 8-18. She's served as a musical director for various cabaret shows in NYC and LA and is the current children's choir director at HUMC.
As an actress, she recurred on 2 seasons of Marvel's Runaways as creepy cult recruiter, Frances. Other career highlights include recurring roles on General Hospital, Baskets, The Middle, Justified, American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, and guest roles on 9-1-1, Veep, Shameless, Carol's Second Act and The Rookie. Most recently, she was a producer on the feature, Jess Plus None. She's the proud mom of an (almost) 5 year old daughter who loves all things theatrical.LAUREN CRAIG
Marketing Director & Teaching ArtistLauren Craig is an actress, screenwriter, content creator, and comedy host with a passion for storytelling, adventure, and connection. Originally from Texas, she earned her degree and spent five years working in marketing before following her true calling in the entertainment industry. Taking a leap of faith, she left the corporate world, relocated across the country, and has spent the past five years building a career in film, television, and live performance.
Alongside her creative pursuits, Lauren brings more than a decade of experience working with children in a variety of settings, making her especially skilled at engaging and inspiring young people. Her combined background in acting, marketing, and childcare makes her a dynamic and versatile member of the Storiwr Theatre Company team.
MARISA GEHRIG
Production DesignerMarisa is a set and prop designer at Storiwr, where she designs and builds the physical props and sets that performers use on stage. Her path to set design started in college, where a background in 3D studio art and a love for building things with her hands naturally led her to the theatre department.
At Storiwr, Marisa works closely with teaching artists and costume designers to make sure every show has fun, engaging, and above all, safe props and sets for young performers. For each production, she evaluates the space to make sure the set fits—whether that means keeping things simple for a smaller venue or adding extra detail to build a bigger world.
Outside of Storiwr, Marisa works as a production designer and art director for stop-motion animation and indie short films, regularly working for popular brands like Barbie, Monster High, and American Girl Doll. In her free time, you can usually find her checking out local puppet shows around Los Angeles. As a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry, she loves designing creative puppets for young audiences and teaching them how to bring those puppets to life on stage.
WHITNEY STANGE
FounderWhitney Stange holds a Masters degree in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Whitney is a theatre educator and arts administrator, who has worked with young people from Pre-K through 12th grade for the past 16 years. She has taught in both public and private schools, as well as arts organizations. Whitney develops and implements theatre arts curriculum that is both skill-based and integrates with core academic curriculum. She produces and directs plays and musicals, both live and filmed, and she curates and develops original works of theatre, in conjunction with young people.
Whitney has presented at the California Association of Independent Schools conference, showcasing process drama and how to integrate it within social studies curriculum. In July of 2022, she co-presented at The American Alliance for Theatre & Education conference, guiding educators through a poetry and puppetry project centered around identity. Whitney lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. She loves running, being in nature, and is an avid theatre goer.VICKY YVONNE
Director of Operations & Teaching ArtistHello world! Vicky Yvonne is an arts fanatic that found her passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. From the young age of 11, she found her first passion onstage in Atlanta, Georgia and has relished every acting opportunity she has been blessed to experience ever since. She is currently living in Los Angeles as an actress and teaching artist. She hopes that she will always find the joy and freedom she found the night she first performed.
Utilizing her craft and skills to create an artistically rich environment drives her mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts through teaching and administration. Dekalb School of the Arts, where she graduated from high school, created this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where she obtained her BFA in professional theatre with a concentration in acting gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where she completed her Master of Arts Management degree, polished that ball with tangibility, certainty, and drive.
Whether she is onstage, behind/on the screen, or being a driving force in her community through teaching, she hopes that she continues to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of life, all on this world's stage.
EMÉ BENTANCUR
Technical &
Musical DirectorEmé was raised in North Jersey and has been involved in performing arts from a young age, including three years in All-State Choir of New Jersey from 2009 to 2012. They pursued a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where they performed in various shows and developed their skills further. Emé has over fifteen years of experience in choir, both performing and directing at the high school and middle school levels.
Emé's interest in working with children began with volunteering at their mother's preschool during middle and high school, which has influenced their career path. They have worked with children in theatre in the North Jersey area and now live in Los Angeles, where they continue to teach and inspire young performers. Besides teaching and performing, Emé also writes original musical works. Emé brings practical experience, a passion for music and theatre, and a commitment to helping children explore and develop their artistic talents.
SHERRY LAYNE
Teaching ArtistSherry Layne is a Los Angeles-based children's arts educator and entertainer. She has an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and a B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University. Sherry is a trained improviser, clown, puppet builder, and puppeteer.
Sherry has been nurturing youth in the arts since 2007, teaching workshops for TK - 12th grade students across the country. She has also led professional development workshops in arts integration for the Broad Theatre, California Educational Theatre Association Conference, Cal State University (Fullerton and Northridge), Seesaw online learning platform, and multiple California school districts.
As the Associate Education Director of the nationally-acclaimed children's media organization Story Pirates, Sherry has helped develop engaging elementary English Language Arts curriculum as well as written and directed edutainment segments for their award-winning television series SPTV, airing on PBS-KLCS and other select PBS stations. Her puppet creations have been featured in tv shows, music videos, digital media, and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater store front.
ALLISON O'MALLEY
Teaching ArtistAllison is a professional actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2005. With a love for the arts, Allison has studied theater and fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and completed her degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising. Also during her time in NYC, Allison studied voice privately with Marni Nixon.
Following her undergraduate degree, she studied acting at The Joanne Barron & D.W. Brown Studio, Aaron Speiser Studio, Living the Arts Studio with Kimberly Jetzen, and improv with the Groundlings all in Los Angeles. Allison has appeared on stage and in commercials, television, and film over the course of the last 15 years.
She has worked for The Kids Theatre Company, which is a non profit theater company in Long Beach and for the 3 last years has volunteer taught grades 1-3 visual arts at Rio Vista Elementary. Allison also has her own event planning business and is a member of The Girl Scouts of America and the P.T.A.
She lives with her husband and daughter and hides her snacks from her family. Allison loves being outside to garden, listening to Sarah Brightman and the beach.
HEATHER OLT
Musical DirectorHeather has worked on all sides of the business: producing, casting, writing, acting and singing. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's created/produced/starred in two digital series: The Auditions and the award-winning 2 Hopeful Spinsters, which won Best Comedy Webisode (Independent Film Quarterly), Outstanding Ensemble Cast & Outstanding Comedy Series (LA Web Series Festival) and Award Finalist (HollyShorts Film Festival).
As an educator, she taught scene study at The Young Actor's Camp and is a regular guest artist at Camp YATC for ages 8-18. She's served as a musical director for various cabaret shows in NYC and LA and is the current children's choir director at HUMC.
As an actress, she recurred on 2 seasons of Marvel's Runaways as creepy cult recruiter, Frances. Other career highlights include recurring roles on General Hospital, Baskets, The Middle, Justified, American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, and guest roles on 9-1-1, Veep, Shameless, Carol's Second Act and The Rookie. Most recently, she was a producer on the feature, Jess Plus None. She's the proud mom of an (almost) 5 year old daughter who loves all things theatrical.LAUREN CRAIG
Marketing Director & Teaching ArtistLauren Craig is an actress, screenwriter, content creator, and comedy host with a passion for storytelling, adventure, and connection. Originally from Texas, she earned her degree and spent five years working in marketing before following her true calling in the entertainment industry. Taking a leap of faith, she left the corporate world, relocated across the country, and has spent the past five years building a career in film, television, and live performance.
Alongside her creative pursuits, Lauren brings more than a decade of experience working with children in a variety of settings, making her especially skilled at engaging and inspiring young people. Her combined background in acting, marketing, and childcare makes her a dynamic and versatile member of the Storiwr Theatre Company team.
MARISA GEHRIG
Production DesignerMarisa is a set and prop designer at Storiwr, where she designs and builds the physical props and sets that performers use on stage. Her path to set design started in college, where a background in 3D studio art and a love for building things with her hands naturally led her to the theatre department.
At Storiwr, Marisa works closely with teaching artists and costume designers to make sure every show has fun, engaging, and above all, safe props and sets for young performers. For each production, she evaluates the space to make sure the set fits—whether that means keeping things simple for a smaller venue or adding extra detail to build a bigger world.
Outside of Storiwr, Marisa works as a production designer and art director for stop-motion animation and indie short films, regularly working for popular brands like Barbie, Monster High, and American Girl Doll. In her free time, you can usually find her checking out local puppet shows around Los Angeles. As a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry, she loves designing creative puppets for young audiences and teaching them how to bring those puppets to life on stage.
WHITNEY STANGE
FounderWhitney Stange holds a Masters degree in Educational Theatre from New York University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Whitney is a theatre educator and arts administrator, who has worked with young people from Pre-K through 12th grade for the past 16 years. She has taught in both public and private schools, as well as arts organizations. Whitney develops and implements theatre arts curriculum that is both skill-based and integrates with core academic curriculum. She produces and directs plays and musicals, both live and filmed, and she curates and develops original works of theatre, in conjunction with young people.
Whitney has presented at the California Association of Independent Schools conference, showcasing process drama and how to integrate it within social studies curriculum. In July of 2022, she co-presented at The American Alliance for Theatre & Education conference, guiding educators through a poetry and puppetry project centered around identity. Whitney lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. She loves running, being in nature, and is an avid theatre goer.VICKY YVONNE
Director of Operations & Teaching ArtistHello world! Vicky Yvonne is an arts fanatic that found her passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. From the young age of 11, she found her first passion onstage in Atlanta, Georgia and has relished every acting opportunity she has been blessed to experience ever since. She is currently living in Los Angeles as an actress and teaching artist. She hopes that she will always find the joy and freedom she found the night she first performed.
Utilizing her craft and skills to create an artistically rich environment drives her mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts through teaching and administration. Dekalb School of the Arts, where she graduated from high school, created this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where she obtained her BFA in professional theatre with a concentration in acting gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where she completed her Master of Arts Management degree, polished that ball with tangibility, certainty, and drive.
Whether she is onstage, behind/on the screen, or being a driving force in her community through teaching, she hopes that she continues to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of life, all on this world's stage.
EMÉ BENTANCUR
Technical &
Musical DirectorEmé was raised in North Jersey and has been involved in performing arts from a young age, including three years in All-State Choir of New Jersey from 2009 to 2012. They pursued a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where they performed in various shows and developed their skills further. Emé has over fifteen years of experience in choir, both performing and directing at the high school and middle school levels.
Emé's interest in working with children began with volunteering at their mother's preschool during middle and high school, which has influenced their career path. They have worked with children in theatre in the North Jersey area and now live in Los Angeles, where they continue to teach and inspire young performers. Besides teaching and performing, Emé also writes original musical works. Emé brings practical experience, a passion for music and theatre, and a commitment to helping children explore and develop their artistic talents.
SHERRY LAYNE
Teaching ArtistSherry Layne is a Los Angeles-based children's arts educator and entertainer. She has an M.A. in Educational Psychology from California State University Northridge and a B.F.A. in Film Production from Chapman University. Sherry is a trained improviser, clown, puppet builder, and puppeteer.
Sherry has been nurturing youth in the arts since 2007, teaching workshops for TK - 12th grade students across the country. She has also led professional development workshops in arts integration for the Broad Theatre, California Educational Theatre Association Conference, Cal State University (Fullerton and Northridge), Seesaw online learning platform, and multiple California school districts.
As the Associate Education Director of the nationally-acclaimed children's media organization Story Pirates, Sherry has helped develop engaging elementary English Language Arts curriculum as well as written and directed edutainment segments for their award-winning television series SPTV, airing on PBS-KLCS and other select PBS stations. Her puppet creations have been featured in tv shows, music videos, digital media, and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater store front.
ALLISON O'MALLEY
Teaching ArtistAllison is a professional actress and a member of SAG-AFTRA since 2005. With a love for the arts, Allison has studied theater and fine arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design and completed her degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Merchandising. Also during her time in NYC, Allison studied voice privately with Marni Nixon.
Following her undergraduate degree, she studied acting at The Joanne Barron & D.W. Brown Studio, Aaron Speiser Studio, Living the Arts Studio with Kimberly Jetzen, and improv with the Groundlings all in Los Angeles. Allison has appeared on stage and in commercials, television, and film over the course of the last 15 years.
She has worked for The Kids Theatre Company, which is a non profit theater company in Long Beach and for the 3 last years has volunteer taught grades 1-3 visual arts at Rio Vista Elementary. Allison also has her own event planning business and is a member of The Girl Scouts of America and the P.T.A.
She lives with her husband and daughter and hides her snacks from her family. Allison loves being outside to garden, listening to Sarah Brightman and the beach.
HEATHER OLT
Musical DirectorHeather has worked on all sides of the business: producing, casting, writing, acting and singing. She holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University. She's created/produced/starred in two digital series: The Auditions and the award-winning 2 Hopeful Spinsters, which won Best Comedy Webisode (Independent Film Quarterly), Outstanding Ensemble Cast & Outstanding Comedy Series (LA Web Series Festival) and Award Finalist (HollyShorts Film Festival).
As an educator, she taught scene study at The Young Actor's Camp and is a regular guest artist at Camp YATC for ages 8-18. She's served as a musical director for various cabaret shows in NYC and LA and is the current children's choir director at HUMC.
As an actress, she recurred on 2 seasons of Marvel's Runaways as creepy cult recruiter, Frances. Other career highlights include recurring roles on General Hospital, Baskets, The Middle, Justified, American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck, and guest roles on 9-1-1, Veep, Shameless, Carol's Second Act and The Rookie. Most recently, she was a producer on the feature, Jess Plus None. She's the proud mom of an (almost) 5 year old daughter who loves all things theatrical.LAUREN CRAIG
Marketing Director & Teaching ArtistLauren Craig is an actress, screenwriter, content creator, and comedy host with a passion for storytelling, adventure, and connection. Originally from Texas, she earned her degree and spent five years working in marketing before following her true calling in the entertainment industry. Taking a leap of faith, she left the corporate world, relocated across the country, and has spent the past five years building a career in film, television, and live performance.
Alongside her creative pursuits, Lauren brings more than a decade of experience working with children in a variety of settings, making her especially skilled at engaging and inspiring young people. Her combined background in acting, marketing, and childcare makes her a dynamic and versatile member of the Storiwr Theatre Company team.
MARISA GEHRIG
Production DesignerMarisa is a set and prop designer at Storiwr, where she designs and builds the physical props and sets that performers use on stage. Her path to set design started in college, where a background in 3D studio art and a love for building things with her hands naturally led her to the theatre department.
At Storiwr, Marisa works closely with teaching artists and costume designers to make sure every show has fun, engaging, and above all, safe props and sets for young performers. For each production, she evaluates the space to make sure the set fits—whether that means keeping things simple for a smaller venue or adding extra detail to build a bigger world.
Outside of Storiwr, Marisa works as a production designer and art director for stop-motion animation and indie short films, regularly working for popular brands like Barbie, Monster High, and American Girl Doll. In her free time, you can usually find her checking out local puppet shows around Los Angeles. As a member of the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry, she loves designing creative puppets for young audiences and teaching them how to bring those puppets to life on stage.
Los Angeles, California