Baird Kistner, ANC

B.A., University of Richmond; M.A., Villanova
ANC Freshman and Junior Boys English, Fall Drama Director

Mr. Kistner received a Bachelor of Arts with dual major in Theatre and Classical Civilizations from University of Richmond in 2002. He received a Master of Arts in Theatre with a concentration in script writing from Villanova University 2006. Since then, he has worked in both academic and professional theatre.

Interesting facts about Mr. Kistner:

• In over 50 different productions there are only two positions I have never held: Make-up and costume dresser.
• Started as a Economics major in 1998; did not begin pursuing theatre as a major until Fall of 2000.
• Paid for 95% of Master's program by working as graduate assistant in Vasey set shop at Villanova University from 2004-2006.
• Originator of the "Scotsman" intermission tradition begun in 1996.
• Co-writer and one of the three original founders of ANC's Better Announcement Coalition.

Brenda Rydstrom, ANC

B.A. University of Arizona, M.S. Holy Family University
ANC Girls Algebra 1, Educational Support, AKM Advisor, Drama Costume Director

Ms. Rydstrom received her Bachelor’s degree in Theater and Art from University of Arizona. She earned a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Holy Family University. She is currently Instructor of Costume Design and Construction for The Academy of The New Church Secondary Schools which creates costumes for both annual productions. Her adventures in Costumes include: Hair and Makeup Supervisor for Tucson Opera Company, Wardrobe Mistress Imperial Hotel Melodrama Theater; Costumer: Lenape Valley Theater and Cheltenham Playhouse, Resident Designer for Storybook Theater, numerous shows for Bryn Athyn Community Theater and Bryn Athyn Church School. She is excited to be able to offer Costume as part of the growing Performing Arts program in the High Schools.

Chris Simons, BAC

B.Mus. Boston University, M.Mus. Temple University
Music Instructor

Mr. Simons has taught music for more than 35 years at all education levels. He works with the Bryn Athyn Cathedral Choir and the numerous ensembles that sing at other worship services. He also plays tuba with the Bryn Athyn Cathedral Brass and is the founder and director of the men's a cappella group, The Sons of Art. Mr. Simons often serves as the music director for the Bryn Athyn College musicals. He loves to garden, backpack, ride horseback through the Pennypack woods, and spend time at home with his wife, Gail, and their three cats.

Chris Waelchli, ANC

B.Mus., Catholic University
Fundamentals of Art, Choral Music, Performing Arts Portfolio, Stagecraft, Music and Technical Theater Director

Ivan Maddock, ANC

B.S., Carnegie Mellon
Sophomore Boys English, Sophomore Boys History, Assistant Fall Drama Director, Boys Lacrosse Assistant Coach

Edison said, "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." In writing this biography, I do not aspire to genius as, even given the necessary epiphany, I don't want to deal with all that sweat on my keyboard.

Hi, I'm Ivan Maddock, a director at the Academy of the New Church. I minored in drama at Carnegie Mellon University and find occasion to use the knowledge I gleaned from this program in teaching English and history as well as in directing.

To those of you who say: "Ivan Maddock? He couldn't direct his way out of a paper bag," I roll my eyes, and, barely deigning to respond to your inanity, offer the semantic repudiation: "Directing oneself in the moment is called improv; so I couldn't improv my way out of a paper bag."

Jessica Bostock, BAC

B.A., Gettysburg College
BAC Dance Ensemble Director, Dance Instructor, and Choreographer

Jessica is the dance instructor and director of the dance program at Bryn Athyn College. She danced professionally in the Philadelphia area for a number of years and was the owner and director of In Motion Performing Arts Center. She is an award-winning choreographer and has taught and choreographed many styles of classical and contemporary dance, both privately and academically, for 16 years.

Jordan Cooper, MPAC

B.F.A., Shenandoah Conservatory
Mitchell Performing Arts Center Technical Director & NewChurch LIVE Production Assistant

Jordan has a B.F.A in Acting from Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University, where he performed in 16 shows, worked more than 1000 hours in the scene shop, and did carpentry and properties for 2 seasons of professional Summerstock. He has worked at MPAC since 2009, where he does a little of everything, but spends most of his time teaching stage lighting to high school and college students.

Kristin Lindsay, MPAC

B.S., Shenandoah Conservatory
Mitchell Performing Arts Center Assistant Director & Academy of the New Church Production Manager

A theater-lover since birth, Kristin recently graduated from Shenandoah Conservatory with a B.S. in Arts Management emphasizing in Acting. She performed in several productions and dance concerts while attending the Academy of the New Church Girls School but didn't find her passion for theater management until interning at the Mitchell while attending Bryn Athyn College in 2006. This experience lead to an internship at Lantern Theater Company in Philadelphia, a job as resident house manager for the Shenandoah University theater department productions, dabblings in stage management, performing here and there (including two summers at Sesame Place playing Zoe and Rosita!), and now back to her roots with a job at the MPAC. When not pursuing theatrical endeavors, you’ll probably find Kristin laughing somewhere with her sisters.

Mandy Rogers-Petro, BAC

B.A. Macalester College, M.F.A. University of Michigan
Instructor in English

In addition to teaching poetry and creative writing, Amanda Rogers-Petro has been the director or assistant director for many of the College's theatrical productions. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in various magazines and literary journals.

Martha Gyllenhaal, BAC

B.F.A. Carnegie-Mellon University, M.A., PhD Temple University
Head of Humanities and Fine Arts Division, Assistant Professor of Art

Dr. Gyllenhaal, head of the Humanities and Fine Arts Division, is a painter and art historian who integrates humanities and the fine arts in her teaching. She enjoys using the art collections in Glencairn Museum to enhance her classes. Her course Topics in Twentieth-Century Architecture: Bryn Athyn Cathedral meets on site and examines the process it took to erect the Bryn Athyn Cathedral. She has lived and traveled extensively in Europe and encourages her students to plan their own grand tours. Her passion is 17th century Dutch art.

Dr. Gyllenhaal also serves as the advisor for Bryn Athyn College's annual theatrical productions.

Naomi Haus-Roth, MPAC

B.F.A., M.S.T. Rochester Institute of Technology
Mitchell Performing Arts Center Director

Naomi Haus-Roth is currently in her ninth year as the Director of the Mitchell Performing Arts Center where she has designed sets for The King and I, As You Like It, The Miracle Worker, Wit, A Christmas Carol, and Anne of Green Gables.

She teaches Scene Design and Production for the Bryn Athyn College and is the Advisor for the Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools Theatre Club. Her theatre credits include over a hundred productions, many as a Prop Master/Artisan at the McCarter (Princeton, NJ), Goodman and Northlight Theater companies (Chicago) in addition to two seasons as Production Manager of the Sterling Renaissance Festival (New York).

Her artisan credits also include stints with the Steppenwolf, Royal George, Shakespeare Repertory, Chicago Children's Theatre, Dorothy Hamill's Ice Capades and the Opera Festival of New Jersey. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design and a Master of Science in Teaching in Art Education, from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Favorite mottos include (both stolen from former Goodman colleague James Magee—Thanks James!):

• "The thing about Hot Glue is: It's HOT and it's GLUE."
• "Done equals Art; If it ain't done, it ain't art."

Neil Simonetti, BAC

B.A. Virginia Polytechnic Institute; M.S., Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon University
Associate Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics

Dr. Simonetti teaches mathematics and computer science. His research focuses on a dynamic programming algorithm for the Traveling Salesman Problem, a classic problem in the field of combinatorial optimization, with applications ranging from scheduling to vehicle routing.

When not knee-deep in numbers and code, he enjoys playing music (piano, organ, guitar, and recorder) for worship services and driving bus loads of college students across the country to support the service learning program.

Dr. Simonetti has contributed to Bryn Athyn College's theater department by performing in various productions as well as serving as the rehearsal accompanist.

Nina Dewees, BAC

B.S., The College of New Jersey, M.S., Saint Joseph's University

Mrs. Dewees has taught health and physical education, as well as coaching and athletic administration at both the ANC Girls School and Bryn Athyn College. After taking a decade away from teaching to begin and raise a family of four children, she has now returned to the College in some new and some familiar roles.

She is continuing in her ninth year as assistant director of the women's residence hall, as well as coaching and teaching.

Recently she served as producer for Bryn Athyn College's production of Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Nina loves college students and enjoys working with them in theater and many other venues. Beyond that, being with her husband and kids, especially outdoors, is what Nina most enjoys.

Nina Phillips, BAC

B.A. Pennsylvania State University, M.S. Bridgeport University
Interim Head of Education Division, Instructor in Education

Nina Phillips joined the faculty of Bryn Athyn after a 15-year career as a public school teacher in Connecticut. She uses stories from this experience to illustrate the finer points of classroom instruction.

Nina work as the producer for Bryn Athyn College's annual productions. Her background in theater also gives her a place backstage at the Mitchell Performing Arts Center in an annual college production.

Sarah Gladish, ANC

B.A., Brandeis University; M.Ed., Holy Family University
ANC Dance Instructor, Dance Ensemble Director and Choreographer

Ms. Gladish is trained in many styles of dance including ballet, modern, hip-hop, and jazz. Her dance and theater experience includes such varied performances as the Crucible, One Flew Over the Cuckoos' Nest, Camelot, and the Nutcracker. As a student, she also toured with Pittsburgh Ballet Theater.

She has taught at public and private schools in downtown Philadelphia and in the surrounding area. At ANC she runs the dance program, teaches Performing Arts Portfolio, and choreographs for the Spring Musical.

Sarah Waelchli, ANC

B.S.L.A., Georgetown University
Spanish 2, Spanish 3, Spanish 4, Drama Producer, Cappies Advisor

Soni Werner, BAC

B.A. West Connecticut State University, M.S., Ph.D. Iowa State University
Advisor to Interdisciplinary Major, Assistant Professor of Education and Psychology

Dr. Werner teaches psychology, education, and leadership, serves as the advisor to the Interdisciplinary Major, and is advisor to the Business Club. Her special areas of interest are early childhood education, child abuse intervention, moral and spiritual development, social psychology, human resource management, service learning, women's roles in society, and the new synthesis of theology and psychology called positive psychology. She has also studied the history of psychology with a focus on Swedenborgian influences, especially William James and his connection to the 12-step program and mental health.

She assists with costume design, production and support for Bryn Athyn College's annual theatrical production.

Suzanne Bernhardt, BAC

B.S. Bryn Athyn College, M.A. Villanova University
Assistant Professor of Humanities

Ms. Bernhardt has taught literature and theater arts for 30 years in all educational settings—elementary, high school, and college, as well as abroad. Her primary passion is "Theater as Spiritual Practice," a practice she has been evolving for 14 years while at Bryn Athyn College. Ms. Bernhardt recently returned from a sabbatical in Southeast Asia, where she studied ancient ritual theater forms.