Brave and Strong and True
Interviews with alumni of Upper Darby Summer Stage.
Episodes
101 episodes
101. Dan Luner
“June is bustin’ out all over.” Pretty soon, school will be out, and Upper Darby Summer Stage will launch Season 51 with a temporary home base and new programs such as Second Act Cabaret and Senior Stage. This podcast begins its fifth season...
100. Bob Falkenstein
I am so proud and excited to welcome you to Episode 100 of the Summer Stage Alumni podcast. It boggles my mind realizing that I recorded interviews with so many Summer Stagers, and how many folks listen to this show regularly. I don’t want t...
99. Six Alumni In Search Of A Podcast
It’s been a few months since I dropped a new episode, the longest gap since we launched four years ago, so when Theresa Brown and Leslie Monaco asked if they could put together an alumni group for an episode, I agreed. Multi-guest interviews...
98. Dan Martin
By the time this podcast drops, Dan Martin will be a newly married man, so congratulations, Dan! Dan Martin went to Saint Berndette’s grade school and Drexel Hill Middle School, where his friends introduced him to Summer Stage. He attended M...
97. Brenna Dinon
Brenna Dinon joined Summer Stage as an Apprentice while she was a student at Saint Bernadette's in Drexel Hill. She hung around for several summers performing in Children’s Theatre shows and with The Shooting Stars, eventually joining the st...
Meghan Malloy
Highland Park native, Meghan Malloy, had a brief stint as an apprentice in 1991. She triumphantly returned in 1996, appearing in Alice in Wonderland. She later appeared in Main Stage productions, Dance Troupe, an...
Mark Cronin
Mark Cronin grew up in Drexel Hill and graduated from Upper Darby High School in 1982. He was Rooster Hannigan in 1984’s Annie and finally made it to East Street. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a...
Donata Cucinotta
Donata Cucinotta joined Summer Stage in 1994. She was a student Waldron Mercy Academy in Merion Station and during her summers enjoyed performing in the casts of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, where she played Scott...
Ellie Dermond (Liz Heckman)
Ellie Dormond is an original Summer Stager. She was encouraged to join the inaugural season in 1976 while she was a student of Cathy Pregmon at Upper Darby High School. While claiming to have lived at the Performing Arts Center, she ne...
Jess Coulter
Jess Coulter sat in her car parked outside the Performing Arts Center as we recorded this conversation. She grew up in Havertown but now lives in Perkiomen Valley, over an hour away. She is a Summer Stage alumnus and the mother of thre...
Technical Theatre Students
I visited Summer Stage on Tuesday, July 22. Artistic Director Chris Luner selected small groups of “friends” for me to interview. In this episode, you will hear from four students from the theatre tech program. They are Quinn Williams,...
Friends from the cast of THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL YOUTH EDITION
I visited Summer Stage on Tuesday, July 22. Artistic Director Chris Luner selected small groups of “friends” for me to interview. In this episode, you will hear from four cast members from The SpongeBob Musical Youth Edition...
Friends from the cast of ANNIE Jr.
I visited Summer Stage on Tuesday, July 22. Artistic Director Chris Luner selected small groups of “friends” for me to interview. In this episode, you will hear from four cast members from Annie, Jr.,which opens on July 29. They are Av...
Steve Eberle
Lansdowne native, Steve Eberle, attended Saint Philomena’s grade school, Monsignor Bonner High School, and DeSales University. He joined Summer Stage in 1990 and participated as an apprentice for two seasons. His first show was 1992’s
Vicky Mahoney
Vicky Mahoney is a second-generation Summer Stager. That doesn’t mean she’s from the second decade; it means her father was a member of Summer Stage. She is also the first post-Gala guest I interviewed, and we both are riding high on t...
Marie Eife
Marie Eife, a native of Drexel Hill, joined Summer Stage in 2003. After graduating from Archbishop Prendergast, she attended Syracuse University. Eife moved to New York City and has been a part of Wicked professionally...
Lauren Glover
Drexel Hill native Lauren Hoffman joined Summer Stage in 2006 and participated in Children’s Theatre for four summers. A graduate of Upper Darby High School, she attended Delaware County Community College and Rosemont College. She is n...
Ed Robins
Part 2 of my interview with Julianna Schauerman and Ed Robins continues with a conversation with Ed. Ed Robins came to Summer Stage in 1981 and worked there until 2015. Ed is a jack-of-all-trades tech wizard, working in designing, lighting, ...
Julianna Schauerman
Julianna Schauerman spent every minute of her adult life working in theatre. She came to Summer Stage in 1977 and continued to work there until 1995. She is producing the 50th Anniversary show, just like she did for reunions 25, 30, and 40. ...
Lizzy Lunardi and Anna Rudegair
Lizzy Lunardi and Anna Rudegeair first met each other while auditioning for Annie, Jr. in 2012. They were cast as Molly and Annie and began a lifelong friendship; they collectively became known as “Lizzanna.” These ama...
Gina Giachero
Gina Giachero is the musical director of the 50th Anniversary Gala. She joined Summer Stage in 2007 as an accompanist. She was the musical director for Ragtime, My Favorite Year, The S...
Allie Steele 50th Anniversary Administrator
Allie Steele comes from Radnor. She joined Summer Stage in 2000. She worked her way up the ranks from Rising Stars, Children Theatre, Mainstage, and staff, before settling into the role of Stage Manager. She is a graduate of Saint Jose...
Jack McDonnell
Jack McDonnell is a Springfield native who began as a Rising Star in 2009. In 2010, he started his Children’s Theatre career. This summer, he will continue along with the Mainstage program. Jack embodies the spirit of Summer Stage as he shar...