STAFF

LEADERSHIP

Jeffrey Mousseau
jeff@ancramcenter.org

Jeffrey Mousseau (he/him) is a theatre director, producer and educator. For Ancram Center, he has directed Invasion! (Berkshire Theatre Critics Award, Outstanding Ensemble), An Iliad with MaConnia Chesser which was remounted at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA (Berkshire Theatre Critics Award, Outstanding Solo Performance), Homebody by Tony Kushner (Berkshire Theatre Critics Award, Outstanding Solo Performance); Young Jean Lee’s We’re Gonna Die; the American premiere of In Praise of Elephants by Kevin Dyer; a site-specific new work, Performing Olana, on the grounds of Olana, Hudson River School painter Frederic Church’s historic home near Hudson, NY; and two Barbara Wiechmann plays, Aunt Leaf which also toured to Aguascalientes, Mexico, and the premiere of a music-theatre adaptation of The Snow Queen.

Locally, his work has also been seen at Stageworks/Hudson and Hudson Opera House. Other directing credits include The Kennedy Center in Washington, HERE Arts Center in NYC where he is an alum of the HERE Artist Residency Program, numerous productions as founding artistic director of the Elliot & IRNE award-winning Coyote Theatre in Boston, American Southwest Theater, Provincetown Rep, and Florida Studio Theatre.

In addition to his tenure at The Coyote Theatre in Boston, he has served as general manager of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists; curator of the performance series, Start HERE: Innovative Theater for Young People, at HERE, NYC; program director at Tribeca Performing Arts Center, NYC; and producing director of the Computerworld Smithsonian Awards at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.

As a guest artist, he has lectured or directed at Brandeis University, Emerson College, University at Albany and Siena College.

Paul Ricciardi
paul@ancramcenter.org

Paul Ricciardi (he/him) is a founding Co-Director of Ancram Center where, along with Jeffrey Mousseau, he has produced seven seasons of theatre including Tony Kushner’s Homebody (Berkshire Theatre Critic’s Award, Solo Performance), Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brothers Size (two Berkshire Theatre Critic’s nominations), Young Jean Lee’s We’re Gonna Die, a new musical adaptation of The Snow Queen, and premiere workshop productions of Taylor Mac’s Holiday Sauce, Heather Christian’s None: a Breviary, and Stew and Heidi’s Staged Dives.

Paul is Creator and Director of Ancram Center’s Real People Real Stories, a program that utilizes a unique approach to support community members in sharing compelling, personal narratives, which is now being utilized by the Taconic Hills Central School District as part of the Middle School writing curriculum. Paul is an accomplished Voice, Speech and Dialect coach and is the resident Vocal Coach at Ancram Center, and he has coached productions with local, regional and NYC theaters including WAM Theater, Stageworks, America-in-Play, Playhouse Creatures, and countless university theatre productions. He is a Designated Linklater Voice teacher, and trained extensively with Kristin Linklater, and many other master voice teachers.

Paul earned his MFA in Acting at the Trinity Repertory Company, in Providence, Rhode Island, where he appeared in the world premiere of Paula Vogel’s The Long Christmas Ride Home, among many other productions in Trinity’s actor training program. Paul has also performed with Provincetown Rep, Speakeasy Stage Company, Saratoga Shakespeare Company, Chester Theatre Company, Proctors Theatre, and Playhouse Creatures, to name a few.

Paul is the recipient of numerous grants and awards including a Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Martha Boshen Porter Artist Grant, two PSC-CUNY Research Grants, a Kingsborough Community College President’s Faculty Innovation Award, the Kennedy Center National Teaching Artist Award, and the Kennedy Center Gold Medallion. He is the former Co-Chair of Region 1 of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

Paul is Professor of Theatre Arts at the City University of New York-Kingsborough Community College, where he teaches acting and voice for the stage, and was formerly on the theatre faculty at Siena College, Western Connecticut State University, University at Albany, and Rhode Island College. He lives in Ancram, New York.

Marketing & Communications

Vanessa Baer, Communications Manager & Dramaturg
vanessa@ancramoperahouse.org

Vanessa (she/they) began her journey with Ancram Center for the Arts as an intern back in 2018. Since then, she has continuously grown within the organization, evolving from administrative and production assistance roles to becoming a pivotal part of its communications team, as well as a teaching artist in Ancram Center’s storytelling initiative at Taconic Hills.

In addition to their current roles at Ancram Center, Vanessa holds a robust portfolio including directing, dramaturgy, stage management, and producing. They stand as a founding member of Definitely Human Theatre, a Hudson Valley-based theater collective dedicated to bringing cutting-edge theatre works to the community. Their extensive experience across the region underscores their dedication to the arts in the Hudson Valley.

Vanessa resides in Poughkeepsie, New York with a crew of theatre-making roommates and her cat, Elio.

Lauren Letellier, Press Representative
pr@ancramoperahouse.org

Production

Raphael Elmasri, Technical Supervisor

Raphael Elmasri (he/him) is a scenic fabricator and technical director for the Ancram Center. He most enjoys the problem solving aspect of live theatre and helping to bring creative visions to fruition. He is excited to continue his work in the performing arts with the Ancram Center and looks forward to many more exciting seasons.

Ruth Moe, Producer
ruth@ancramcenter.org

Hannah Schiffer, Production Stage Manager
hannah@ancramcenter.org

Hannah Schiffer (she/her) started her career with Ancram Center for the Arts in 2019 as an intern, and has stayed with the organization to work her way up in the world of theater. Both outside and within the Ancram Center, she works as a freelance stage manager, as well as having a career in musical instrument manufacturing with the Magic Fluke Company. She is excited to be able to help create accessible art to people in the area.

2023 Interns

Darrian Evancich

After receiving a BA in Music Industry from the State University of New York College at Oneonta, Darrian (she/her) was fortunate enough to not only find a welcoming environment to learn, but a second family at Ancram Center for the Arts. With a background in stage management and vocal performance, she was stoked to expand her professional horizons through such an inclusive and highly skilled group of live event specialists here at AOH.

Morgaine Kmen
morgaine@ancramoperahouse.org

Morgaine (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist with experience in acting, directing, stage management, Latin Dance, hands-on crafting and visual arts. Morgaine is specifically trained in acting and directing, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre in 2023 from Wheaton College, Massachusetts. Morgaine also studied acting at the American British Drama Academy in London, a conservatory acting program including Shakespeare, dramatic criticism, high comedy, theatre History and modern physical acting classes, stage combat, voice, and movement training.

Recently, Morgaine wrote, directed, and acted in her own Senior Thesis in theatre entitled I Am Made of Stories, that was performed in May of 2023. Other recent credits include performing in Roe by Lisa Loomer at Wheaton College, and Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare at the British American Drama Academy.