Brave and Strong and True

Support the show Upper Darby Summer Stage is now part of the non-profit organization known as the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation . Justin Heimbecker is the Executive Director of the UDAEF. If you can support Summer Stage financially, please visit udsummerstage.org to find out more.

“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, and my 101st episode features Dan Luner. Dan joined Summer Stage in 2005 as an apprentice and moved up the ranks of Children’s Theatre and Main Stage. He als...

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 to sound like I am bragging, but I am proud to have created this project. In July of 2022, I interviewed Joe Hummel, who was my tenth guest. He mentioned that i...

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 work best when each guest is at their own remote location; however, for this particular interview, all six guests would be together in the same location, gath...

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 Monsignor Bonner, where he was the Friar mascot. He received his degree from Saint Joseph’s University and his Master's from Temple.  In 2002, Dan performe...

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 staff. She graduated from Saint Joseph’s University and works out of her East Falls home as an author, copywriter, and creator. Please follow the link to Am...

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, and One Acts. After graduating from Point Park College, she joined the staff and taught acting in the outreach program. Meghan led Camp Friendship and directed children’s theatre shows. She...

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 degree in Chemical Engineering. He cultivated his comedy roots in the Mask and Wig Club. He began his professional career writing jokes for Howard Stern. Mark is known as the King o...

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 Scotty the Scottish Dwarf. She remembers the heat and humidity of the Beverly Hills summer of 1995,and 1996’s No One Will Marry a Princess With a Tree Growing Out of Her Head . In 1997,...

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 never once appeared on stage. She is a diehard techie who enjoys working off-stage and backstage. As a mother of two boys and a nurse specializing in elder care, Elli...

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 three children, all of whom are current members.  Jess joined the apprentice program in 1990. Her first children’s theatre show was Freedom , directed by Harry Dietzler...

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, Ava Bowser, Remy Lazur, and Han Ahmed. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . . We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard...

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, which opens on August 5. They are Nate Quillen, Kalia Hayman-Brown, Amina Peters, and Malayna McCarthy. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun ....

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 Ava Mast, Ariel Weber, Leah Repino, and Myles Boanes. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . . We all have stories to tell, and they c...

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 Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tara Urban. One of Steve’s memorable roles was Gandalf in The Hobbit. He was in the Main Stage production of Me and My Girl in 1996....

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 the crest of that wave from last weekend. Vicky started Summer Stage in 1999 and participated in the Apprentices and Children’s Theatre programs. She is a graduate o...

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 since 2019, leading to her understudying and performing the role of Elphaba. This episode was recorded two days before the 50th Anniversary alumni show and gala on June 27. I just m...

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 now Lauren Glover, a mother, wife, and an Autistic support teacher at Drexel Hill Middle School. We recorded our discussion the day after the first two rehearsals fo...

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, electrical, carpentry, painting - you name it; Ed does it. He directs and stage manages as well. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some...

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. Julianna also produces special events for Summer Stage, such as Harry’s Retirement Surprise Event. She runs her own production company and still finds time to...

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 amazing young women speak so fondly of each other and what Summer Stage means to them. I enjoyed my time with them. I even learned about Dorkus Dietzler. I hope you enjoy our conversati...

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 SpongeBob Musical, and many other mainstage classics. Her vibrant personality shines through in her hilarious Summer Stage stories. So, come along and have some fun! We all have stories to tell, and they can be hear...

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 Joseph’s University and works as a teaching artist. Currently, Allie is the 50th Anniversary Administrator for our upcoming reunion and gala, which she will discuss som...

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 shares his enthusiasm for the arts, his appreciation for his mentors, and his life on the Autism spectrum. He shares amazing stories and performs some awesome impr...

Tim Sweeney remembers riding bikes to Summer Stage with his brothers and sisters from the Aronomink section of Drexel Hill. At one time there were four Sweeney’s at Summer Stage: Kate, Joe, Mike, and Tim. Tim fondly remembers meeting folks who became his lifelong friends friends while creating magic on the stage. Tim just became a father at the age of 46.  He works as an insurance agent and owns a...