Meet some of our guest coaches
During workshops guest coaches are brought in to inspire and help coach students. These guest coaches are all well experienced and successful in the performing arts.
Joe Spurio
Joe is a native of Hubbard, Ohio and serves as music director for several organizations in the northeast Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania area. A graduate of Westminster College (B.M.) and the Dana School of Music (M.M.), he is currently director of music at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and works with several area theater companies in the valley, such as the ACTS Performing Arts Center in Sharon, PA for their productions of "Carousel" and "Rhapsody in Gershwin", Youngstown State University for its rendition of "Godspell", and most recently the Youngstown Playhouse for its production of "Rent". Joe has served as assistant choral director at Thiel College for the fall semester, and is presently the assistant director of the Shenango Valley Chorale. In addition to music directing, Joe provides vocal coaching to students and adults throughout the northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania region, with a combined studio of nearly 40 students.
Eric Kildow
Eric is a Theatre Director, Dramaturg, and Somatics practitioner. As an artist he brings an enthusiastic theatricality and strong collaborative spirit to his work. Strongly influenced by clowning and physical theatre work, he engages his collaborators to unlock not only the text's but also their own potential. He currently serves as Associate Professor of Theatre and Program Director for Kent State University at Trumbull.
As a director, Eric focuses on the development of new plays and the exploration of established texts. He is deeply interested in new works for diverse voices and multidisciplinary approaches. Recent projects include The Impracticality of Modern-Day Mastodons (Kent Trumbull Theatre), Is This Entertainment?! (Blank Canvas Theatre), The Voight-Kampff Machine on the Edge of Tomorrow (Middle American Theatre Conference), and Turn Right/Turn Left: A Manual for the End of the World (Loitering With Intent Theatre Company & Kommando Barbara). He has directed in various places including Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, and Germany.
As a dramaturg, Eric seeks to illuminate and develop new works as well as interrogating classics to reach new audiences. Working as a production dramaturg or script consultant, Eric seeks to function as an advocate for the script itself. Projects include ASYLUM with Only Child Aerial Theatre, projects with Loitering With Intent Theatre out of London, and numerous readings with the Mid-American Theatre Conference and Sips & Scripts New Play Reading Series.
As an educator, Eric combines the study of acting and directing with somatic work to prepare students for a changing theatrical landscape. He has taught or lectured in throughout United States, Czech Republic, Ireland, Thailand. He is also a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, which he teaches privately as well as integrating it into his work.
Emelia Sherin
Emelia Sherin is a Warren native who has been professionally choreographing and performing for 10 years. Sherin currently coaches the Howland Speech and Debate team and runs the education departments of Stambaugh Auditorium, Opera Western Reserve, DeYor, Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, and The Youngstown Playhouse. She sailed the seas and worked for Disney Cruise Lines as a dancer and actress. Once she returned to land, she attended Kent State University and earned her degree in Public Relations with minors in Dance Studies and Theatre Management. During her time in college, she created and co-wrote a play about addiction called, (In)Dependent, and created the sexual violence and misconduct prevention program, Lights On, for youth and community theatre. She is also a certified Intimacy Designer/Choreographer.
Mark A. Zimmerman
Mark A. Zimmerman has served as the theatre director at the Akron School for the Arts since 1995 and has been the guiding force for the educational theatre program that has been named an “Outstanding School” by the Educational Theatre Association (2013). Shows under his direction have so far earned 8 Dazzle Awards from the NE Ohio Musical Theatre Competition including "Best Musical" in 2018. Zimmerman has been among the first area directors to present many musical productions including The Prom (2023), The Little Mermaid (2016), Ghost the Musical (2015), Mary Poppins (2014), Monty Python’s Spamalot (2013), The Color Purple (2012), Legally Blonde (2012), Hairspray (2011), The Producers (2009), Side Show (2008), and Urinetown (2007). Mark’s local directing credits include productions at the Akron Civic Theatre / All-City Musical (Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast, Shrek, Bye Bye Birdie, Ragtime, Hairspray) as well as productions at the Cleveland Public Theatre, Weathervane Playhouse, Stow Players, the Western Reserve Playhouse, Coach House Theatre, and the University of Akron. He is on the State Board of Ohio Thespians and has screened a number of shows for the International Thespian Festival.
