2012-2013 Theatre Directors
(Front L to R - Mr. Dibble, Mr. Eddleston, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Schleif, Mr. Tousignant)
(Back L to R - Mrs. Cloeter, Mrs. Daniels, Mrs. Simon, Ms. Hoffman, Mrs. Cummings, Mrs. Sammon)
Paul H. Johnson Artistic Director: Paul Johnson is in his twenty-ninth year of teaching. This is his fifteenth at FHS. He has been directing theatre for the past twenty-eight years in North Dakota and Minnesota. He received his bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of North Dakota – Mayville and his Master’s degree in theatre from University of North Dakota. He has been a board member of Larimore Community Theatre, Grafton Community Theatre, Faribault Area Community Theatre, member of American Alliance for Theatre in Education, member of Theatre Group, participated in Moorhead State University’s Straw Hat Players summer theatre group, named the North Dakota Theatre Director of the year 1996, and is a published playwright. Johnson will also be the Designer and Stage Craft Director this school year.
Rachael Hoffman Assistant Director: Rachel Hoffman is in her fourth year at FHS. She came to us from Liverpool, NY. She received her education and training in upstate New York at SUNY Cortland as well as her teaching experience in Liverpool, New York. She has always had a love for theatre as a child and an adult. She now teaches reading writing workshop and ninth grade English at FHS. Her greatest enjoyments include theater and food. She has been busy this summer asisting with S.T.E.P. and traveling. This will be her first year as Assistant Director of the tehatre program after three years directing the wardrobe area of the Department at FHS.
Sarah Simon Wardrobe Director: Sarah Simon is originally from Lakeville, MN and graduated from St. loud State University in 2007 with a Bachelors degree in Communications Arts and Literature. She taught and coached in Lakeville for three years prior to coming to Faribault. This is her second year at FHS teaching English and coaching Girls Tennis - assisting at the high school and head coach of middle school. She takes on a new role this year as Wardrobe Director for the theatre program and is looking forward to the new responsibilities and being part of a creative team.
Elizabeth Daniels Production Stage Manager: Elizabeth Daniels comes to us from Lakeville with a Bachelor’s degree in secondary Communication Arts and Literature Education with a minor in theatre. Her passion for theatre began in high school. She grew up singing, dancing, and acting, but college gave her the chance to get behind the scenes, and she fell in love with directing. She has had many experiemces in performing, directing, and playwrighting in theatre while in college at Northwestern college in St. Paul. With these multiple experience in theatre, she will bring her talent to behind the scenes production team and aid the stage managers. She is ooking forward to her first year as and English Language Arts instructor and being involved in theatre and experiencing the passion that starts there in a whole new way.
Mark Tousignant Theatre Technician: Mark Tousignant works by day at Chadderdon Lumber, and is the theatre technician for the Faribault Public School District by night. He works in both the middle school and high school theatres and in any other capacity as called upon such as television broadcasting football games, award ceremonies, and graduation. He is in charge of lighting, sound, and the flying of any set pieces. He has been doing this ever since he went to high school at FHS and was instrumental in helping with the design and implementation of the technology of the PAC when it was being built.
Mellissa Cummings Choreographer: Mellissa Cummings has been teaching dance for more than thirteen years. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance in 2000. She taught at an after school program at Erickson Elementary School during college and taught in New York at the French Woods Performing Arts Festival for four months. She taught classes in ballet, jazz and modern dance in addition to choreographing several musicals. Since then she has taught ballroom dance including swing, foxtrot, waltz, tango, salsa, ballet and jazz to children ages 10-18 at Jan's School of Dance in Hastings. She is in her ninth year of choreographing for FHS.
Peter Schleif Vocal Director: Peter Schleif is the director of choral music at Faribault High School. He is currently in his eighteenth year of teaching choral music. He has directed school, church and community choirs in Colorado, North Dakota and Minnesota. Schleif received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, where he studied with René Clausen and a Master of Arts degree from St. Mary's University. He is a member of ACDA, IFCM and MMEA. He is currently the director of choirs at Faribault High School and has directed music for musicals for fifteen years. He is in his first year directing vocals here at FHS.
Anthony Eddleston Pit Director: Anthony Eddleston is the director of orchestras at Faribault High School. He is originally from Blaine, Minnesota, and recently graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead with a degree in music education. As a violinist and violist in the Concordia Orchestra, he traveled and perform in cities in Italy, Austria, and Hungary, as well as various venues throughout the United States. He has performed numerous times at Minnesota Orchestra Hall as a violinist and vocalist. He has always had a passion for theatre and loves musicals. His favorite theatre experiences are: playing Benny in “Guys and Dolls” and playing in the pit orchestra for “Les Miserables.” Eddleston is excited for this year’s shows, and he looks forward to working with the pit orchestra.
Christopher Dibble Assistant Pit Director: Chris Dibble is the director of bands for Faribault High School. He received his bachelor’s degree in teaching music from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in 1995. He taught for four years at Alden-Conger where he also worked with the play productions. He received his Master’s Degree in Education in Music Education through the University of Minnesota in 2011. He is also an accomplished trumpet player, girl’s golf coach, and referee. He is in his twelfth year at FHS as the director of bands. He will also be in his seventh year working with the pit for the musicals.
Diane Cloeter House Manager: Diane Cloeter has worked tirelessly in community theatre for over thrity-five years: first with Kenyon Arts Council then with the Faribault Area Community Theatre (FACT). She is a multi-tasker being involved as an actress, prop master, stage manager, costumer, board secretary, board president and the producer of more than fifteen shows. She was also instrumental in helping Paradise Center for the Arts become a reality. F.A.C.T. became the Paradise Community Theatre once it had its home. This is her second year as house manager for FHS.
Laura Sammon S.T.E.P. Director: Laura Sammon is in her sixth year teaching in the area. She is a sixth grade teacher in Owatonna. Laura is a Faribault, Minnesota native who attended school at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD where she majored in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education. She received her Bachelor's of Arts degree in Education in 2006. She finished her master’s degree in 2011. In High School she was involved in a variety of productions from one act competition to children’s theatre. She excelled at musical theatre as a singer, actress, and dancer. This is her seventh year as Summer Theatre Enrichment Program Director.
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