ABOUT US

Our Mission · Our Programs · Staff Biographies · Board of Directors

 

Our Mission
 

To offer young people an opportunity to participate in theater programs that celebrate community, culture, and art. This is a supportive, non-competitive environment where participants are encouraged to develop their creativity both as individuals and by working cooperatively as a team, which builds character and strengthens self-esteem.    

 

Our Programs
 
Musical Theatre Workshop

Kids ages five through eleven participate in an eight-week workshop that culminates in a short musical production complete with costumes, scenery, and publicity. Children learn acting and vocal technique, dance, and performance skills while having fun with other kids of different ages. We have two workshops per year, and we produce both classic and original musicals.

 
Ensemble Workshop

Teens ages twelve and up participate in a twelve-week workshop that culminates in a full-scale production complete with costumes, scenery and publicity. Teens learn acting technique through a variety of theater and improvisational games, as well as singing, dancing, and performance skills. The material for Up Front Theater Ensemble is chosen based on its appeal to teenaged performers and audiences.    

 

 

Staff Biographies
 
Rachel Borsavage (Producer, Choreographer)

Rachel Borsavage is the Founder and Executive Director of Kids Up Front. She started dancing at the age of 2½, and studied ballet with Rose Marie Menes, a former member of The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.  Rachel performed with Dance Theater in Westchester and with The Yorktown Theater Workshop.  Her business experience is in the field of Marketing Promotions. She has worked with clients such as Nabisco, Pfizer and The James River Corporation.  Most recently, Rachel owned and operated Front Street Studio, a dance studio in Patterson, NY. That venture lead her to start Kids Up Front.

 
Amy Emke (Director)

Amy Emke has been involved with Kids Up Front since 2003, when she served as the stage manager for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  Since then, she has directed Clara’s Christmas Dream, The Hatmaker’s Daughters, Disney’s Cinderella KidsGrease, Disney’s 101 Dalmatians KidsDisney’s Jungle Book Kids, and Shetland Valley Farm for Kids Up Front. 

Amy is a graduate in Theatre from The Baltimore School for the Arts, and later studied at NYU’s Experimental Theatre Wing, before receiving her B.A. from The City College of CUNY, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa.  

Amy also performs regularly with the Pawling Theatre Company, where she was recently elected to serve on the Board of Trustees. 

A former child actress herself, Amy loves teaching children about theatre, and is also the Music and Drama teacher for The Sunshine School. 

Amy is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

 
Regina Sweeney (Director)

Regina is a freelance choreographer and director who has been involved in local theater for more than 20 years.  Her choreography credits include Annie, Bugsy Malone, Camelot, Chicago, Godspell, Guys and Dolls, High School Musical, Joseph, Little Shop of Horrors, Once on this Island, Once Upon a Mattress, The Pajama Game, and Tom Sawyer as well as numerous recitals and dance performances.
 

Regina has directed Wonder of the World for Brewster Theater Company, Tom Sawyer for Broadway Bound, and has adapted and directed Rainbow Fish for L’il Stars Day Camp.
 

An accomplished performer, Regina  has appeared locally in Fame (Ms. Bell) Nunsense (Sister Amnesia), Camelot (Nimue) Cinderella (Portia), Holiday Celebration at Lincoln Center, Arts Alive at the Westchester County Center and has spent the better part of her youth as a “gypsy” in countless musicals. She is a former member of The Linda Duci Dance Ensemble, The Westchester Youth Dance Ensemble and was Creative Director of the FACEsemble.

This February she will appear in as well as Choreograph Guys and Dolls with StageDoor CT.
 

She has appeared on film in Deeds and on TV in Creepy Canada (Episode #9).

Regina is on the Dance Faculty at Claudia Gripsin’s Performing Art Center, is the Choreographer in residence for  CGPAC’s Broadways Bound, and is a Group Fitness Instructor and Kid’s Fitness Line trainer at Gold’s Gym in Carmel, NY.

 
Eileen Whalen Olifiers (Musical Director)
 
 
Angeline Brown (Musical Director)

Angeline is a music therapist for the Music Conservatory of Westchester, working with both children and adults, and a pre-K music teacher for the Mamaroneck Avenue School. She has recently completed work as a composer, arranger, pianist, and vocalist for the production of four “Musical Munchkins” children’s music CDs.

 
Maureen Labanowski (Stage Manager)

 
Kimberly Standerwick (Set Designer)
 
Aaron Emke (Playwright in Residence, Photographer,
Webmaster, A/V Geek)

While studying film and television at NYU, Aaron met a foxy drama student named Amy. Sensing intuitively that Amy would someday become the director of a children’s theater company, Aaron shrewdly married her so that he could exploit the situation and have his plays and songs performed on stage by talented and enthusiastic young artistes. The rest, as they say, is history.

 

Board of Directors
 

Kids Up Front is non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation and belongs to the community it serves. Kids Up Front is blessed with an enthusiastic and active Board of Directors.  

Our board members are:

Mary DeBellis, elementary school teacher.

Linda Ferri, promotions.

Carole Gajdosik, early childhood education, owner of the Sunshine School in Pawling, NY.

Valerie Kagan, owner of VK Direct in Patterson, NY, a direct mail fund raising company.

Rachel Borsavage, Executive Director of Kids Up Front.

Amy Emke, theatre and preschool teacher.

Our board meets three times a year.  If you are interested in children’s theater and would like to attend board meetings or become a board member, please contact us.

  

 

 

 

 

 

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