• Quick Facts
• Routinely ranked among The Princeton Review’s Top 10 "Best College Theatres"
• Among the nation’s oldest (established in 1899) and best undergraduate theatre programs
• Perform in a realistic environment with male apprentice students
• Learn to succeed in the entertainment business (on stage and behind-the-scenes)

Faculty

Dean, School of Performing Arts/Chair, Department of Theatre
Beth Leonard, M.F.A., has been a full-time faculty member at Stephens for 16 years. This is her fourth year as dean of the School of Performing Arts and chair of the Theatre/Music department.

Leonard has loved spending the last 12 summers as the artistic director of the Okoboji Summer Theatre, Stephens’ professional summer stock company in Spirit Lake, Iowa. She holds degrees from the University of Kansas, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and the University of Central Missouri. In addition to having directed and acted professionally throughout the Midwest, Leonard is a produced playwright.

Robert Doyen is a resident actor/teacher at Stephens. He appeared in the national tour of "Charley's Aunt" with Vincent Price, Roddy McDowall and Stephens alumna Annie Potts. He has directed and performed in several summer stock companies and has spent the last 32 summers at Stephens’ Okoboji Summer Theatre in Spirit Lake, Iowa. This past summer, Doyen was featured in "Hay Fever," "Proof" and "Into the Woods."

Cynda Galikin, M.F.A., assistant professor of costume design, earned a B.F.A. in Theatrical Design from the Webster University Conservatory Theatre of Theatre Arts (St. Louis), an M.A. in Dramatic Literature and Criticism from Washington University, and a M.F.A. in Costume Design from the University of Iowa.

She has designed and/or constructed costumes for more than 30 years, having among her credits such theatres as The Utah Shakespearean Festival, The Iowa Summer Repertory Theatre, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, The St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre Company, Stages St. Louis, Opera Festival di Roma (Italy) and the Gutenberg Festpielhaus (Germany). Her designs for "Fuddy Meers" (directed by Lamby Hedge) and "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?" (directed by Carol Estey) were recently produced at Stephens. She has taught various theatre-related classes at Webster University, Washington University, St. Louis University and Lindenwood University.

New York City native Lamby Hedge, M.F.A., is in her 12th year as a resident actor/teacher at Stephens. She also serves as associate artistic director of the Okoboji Summer Theatre in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

A 25-year veteran of professional theatre (300+ productions), her credits include eight years as artistic director of the Marple Theatre; 10 years as artistic director of the Equity touring company “Shakespeare-on-Stage”; director/choreographer of the national tour of the newly revised musical "Babes in Toyland"; and multiple directing and/or acting assignments with professional theatres across the country. Hedge has appeared in more than 100 commercials/industrials/feature films; and served as co-host of the live talk/entertainment television show “Kaleidoscope” for ABC affiliate KAKE-TV. She is a member of the Actors’ Equity Association and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. She has a B.A. from SUNY Fredonia and an M.F.A. from the University of Pittsburgh. She received the Kansas City Best of Theatre/Drama Desk Award for Best Director and the 2004 Distinguished Teaching Award and the 2005 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching from Stephens. She also was named to the 2008 Who’s
Who Among America’s Teachers.

Read a profile on Lamby Hedge.

Jennifer Kilgore is excited to be back at Stephens for her third year as an assistant professor of lighting design. Her designs have most recently been seen at the Okoboji Summer Theatre for "A...My Name is Alice," "Proof" and "Into the Woods."

Other favorite projects include "Live!" for the Missouri Contemporary Ballet, "Little Women" and "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?" for Stephens College, and the other four shows she designed during the last three summers at Okoboji Summer Theatre. Kilgore holds an M.F.A. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a B.F.A. from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.

Dan Schultz, M.F.A., is in his second year as an actor/teacher at his alma mater after a busy summer with the Summer Theatre Institute, Stephens’ on-campus summer intensive. Schultz bases his acting career from New York City, where he is cofounder taxdeductible theatre and The Dare Project, a 10-minute play festival responsible for the development of more than 50 new plays since 2006.

He has appeared in films, on television, in numerous commercials and at theatres across the country including the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, The Public Theatre, The Asolo Rep, Florida Studio Theatre and Phoenix Theatre. He has worked extensively in casting and in producing, working with ABC Television, Bob Boyett, Second Stage and many others.

Ryan J. Zirngibl, M.F.A., is resident scenic designer/instructor at Stephens. Zirngibl recently designed the world premiere of A-list screenwriter Ron Hutchinson’s adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s "The Master amd Margarita," directed by Barry Kyle, the honorary associate director of the Royal Shakespeare Company of London.

Other design highlights include "The Lieutenant of Inishmore" at the Unicorn Theatre of Kansas City; the world premiere of Matthew Powell’s “Red Shoes Ballet” for the Crossroads Ballet Festival; and "Alice in Wonderland," with Bellenwhissle Theatre, of which Zirngibl is a proud founding member. Zirngibl also has spent the last few summers designing and working for the Okoboji Summer Theatre.

Staff
Michael Burke is in his third year as director of production for the School of Performing Arts. He graduated with a B.F.A. in Theatre from Stephens College in 1986, before working professionally in Minneapolis (The Guthrie Theatre), Kansas City (The American Heartland Theatre) and Seattle (5th Avenue Theatre).

Burke worked at the 5th Avenue Musical Theatre on more than 40 productions, starting in 1993 as a stage manager and serving as the theatre’s company manager for eight years. He worked on the pre-Broadway productions of "Jeckle & Hyde," "Hairspray" and "The Wedding Singer." Prior to returning to Columbia, he kept his Stephens ties by working 19 summers at the Okoboji Summer Theatre, where he has served as the director of production since 2000. Burke is a member of Actors’ Equity.

Ruth Ann Burke is the business manager for the School of Performing Arts, where she manages the box office operations and helps with fundraising and sponsorships. She earned her B.F.A. in Dance at Stephens in 1986. Burke recently completed her 11th season at the Okoboji Summer Theatre, where she is the director of marketing and development.

Herbert Moore is the scene shop foreman for the School of Performing Arts. Moore has completed his sixth summer at the Okoboji Summer Theatre, which includes several years as the assistant to the director of production. His previous work includes stage staff for Royal Caribbean International and as an electrician for Dallas Theater Center and Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Moore is a 2008 graduate of Stephens College.

Kathy Vogt is the administrative assistant for the School of Performing Arts.