STAFF

Brenden McHenry

Sarah Mass

(Creative Instructor)

Originally from Atlanta, GA, Sarah received her BA in Theatre at Boston College and also studied at the British American Drama Academy in London. Since graduating in 2015, Sarah has worked primarily as a professional actor on both stage and screen with companies such as Commonwealth Shakespeare Co, Greater Boston Theatre Co, Flat Earth Theatre, Maiden Phoenix Theatre Co, and Exiled Theatre, the Showtime series SMILF- to name a few. Very quickly into her career, Sarah realized she wanted to share her passion for live experience with young people and help them find their creative voices. She has worked as a teaching artist at Charlestown High School, Boston Collegiate Charter School, Shakespeare Now!, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Endicott College, and The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. Sarah also writes music, sings, plays guitar and piano and has extensive experience in dance, movement, and physical theatre.

Victoria Townsend Parise

Victoria Townsend

(Artistic & Educational Instructor)

Victoria is a Boston-based actress, director and teaching artist. She holds a BA in Theatre and English Literature from Saint Michael's College. She has performed and directed throughout New England and the East Coast and studied with the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Victoria began her teaching career by serving for six years as a martial-arts instructor with students aged pre-school through adult. Since 2003, she expanded her teaching role and has been working primarily with educational theater programs. Currently, she directs for New England Conservatory's UnderGraduate Opera Student (UGOS) program. Victoria is also a staff member of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company and works developing and teaching their educational programming, most notably their partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, a residency serving to bring students in these urban communities their first Shakespeare performance experience. Also this year with CSC, Victoria helped develop “Henry”, a new play for young audiences based on Shakespeare's Henry IV 1,2 and Henry V that teaches about peer pressure and good choice making.

Harry Hobbs

(Substitute Instructor,

Movement Consultant)

Harry holds a BFA in Acting from Boston University. He initially was a founding creative instructor with Live Arts Education when they began in 2011. Originally from Tampa, FL, Harry has been teaching since 2007. He was the Assistant Director for the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Youth Theater Company and since 2009, he has worked for KIDSTOCK! Creative Theater in Winchester, MA as an educator and performer. Harry has performed with several theater companies in the Boston area including Underground Railway Theatre, Apollinaire Theatre, Counterproductions Theatre Company, NextDoor Theater Company, and most recently with the Gold Dust Orphans.

Jess Andra

(Artistic Consultant)

Jess is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in NYC. She began working with children in high school when she taught a pre-school Sunday school class for 4 years in a row. She also traveled to various urban, rural and international cities with a traveling children's program geared toward families in need, providing interactive musical entertainment. After touring with The Continental Singers, she began directing stage productions for Jr. High and High school aged youth groups, working together with the students to write and develop original works to be performed as a fundraiser. While appearing on stage in various local community theater productions she also designed and taught a summer acting program at Nipmuc Regional High School which included children from grades 3-12. In the past year, while working professionally as an actor on stage as well as film and TV, Jess has toured the greater Boston area with an interactive children's show, Max and Suzy, worked as a teaching artist with Reagle Theater, Kidstock and, of course, has found a home here at Live Arts Education. She hopes to pass on to students her love of the arts and her genuine excitement to explore creativity while meeting them where they are at.

Past Instructors and Additional Creative Consultants

Live Arts Education takes pride in a growing network of creative educators that pass through the Boston area. Below are the names and bios of past instructors whom we treasure and trust in the fields of arts and education as well as ongoing collaborators who consult on our training and curriculums.

Shannon Keaveney

(Curriculum Consultant) holds a BA in theater education from Emerson College and a M.Ed. in early childhood education and creative arts in learning from Lesley University. She has been working with students ranging in age from 3.5 to eighth grade for the past six years. Miss. Keaveney teaches theater and creative storytelling at Kidstock Creative Theater Education Center and has recently completed her student teaching for her master’s degree within the Winchester Public School system. Additonally, she has taught preschool for two years and served as director, assistant director and stage manager for various productions for children in Boston and in surrounding communities.

Victoria Portsmore

(past instructor) holds a BA from Connecticut College with a double
major in Theater and Psychology and an MA in Theatre Education along with a license to teach K-12 in the state of Massachusetts. Before attending graduate school, she served as Company Manager for US Performing Arts Camps, a national program at college campuses across the country bringing teaching artists from Broadway and Los Angeles to teach high school-aged kids for week long sessions. She student taught at Weston High School under the very capable John Minigan, and also coaches acting at Malden High School. Last summer, she served as the director of 3rd and 4th grade drama at Kidstock!, a creative theatre education summer camp. A seasoned improvisor, Victoria belonged to the short-form troupe N2O at Connecticut College, and continued studying after college with The Washington Improv Theater in Washington DC, where she performed with 4&9 Productions in their FILMPROV shows. You can also see Victoria's work as a member of WaxIdiotical Films, a company that produces short films for the 48 hour film project.

Sarajane Morse Mullins

(Founder/Director)

Sarajane began Live Arts Education in January of 2011. Trained initially as a performer and later as a teacher, she holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from Boston University and a Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling from UMASS Boston. She has trained with the London Academy of Music and Drama (LAMDA). Teaching credits include the Urban Scholars Program at UMASS Boston, Winchester Music School, Kidstock! Creative Theater as well as at least 20 elementary schools in the metro Boston area. Inspired by the needs and diversity of after school programs programs, Sarajane founded Live Arts Education in January 2011. The organization was founded to serve communities with limited access to artists while provided part time employment for professional performers, teachers, and designers in the greater Boston area. In addition to teaching for LAE, Sarajane is licensed as an infant/toddler/preschool teacher through the MA Department of Early Education and Care. Past performing credits include roles with the Greater Boston Stage Company (Stoneham Theater), Huntington Theater Company, MetroStage Company, Turtle Lane Playhouse, and the NextDoor Theater as well as over 50 productions in the midwest.

Sarajane Mullins

Brenden McHenry

(Director of Arts Enrichment)

"He gets down on the children's level and is able to cater to their needs on the fly. His tone, mannerisms and vocabulary are also extremely developmentally appropriate, which is why the students are so receptive to him and his curriculum."

- after school coordinator

Brenden has been teaching for Live Arts Education since March of 2016. He holds a BA in Theatre Education from the University of Northern Colorado where he also studied Secondary English Education. Originally from Colorado Springs, Brenden began performing at a young age. Inhabiting the spirit of LAE early on, Brenden initiated a library program as a high school student through his district to bring literary based performances to local students. Brenden served as the editor for UNC's literary magazine and began directing young adult production in college. As a licensed teacher in CO, Brenden taught in after school programs, public schools, and private camps throughout Colorado and the west before relocating to the Boston area. Brenden hopes to keep passing on his enthusiasm and passion for creativity to all of Live Arts' students.

Jared Troilo

(Lead Creative Instructor)

"I wish the Mr. Jared Man taught all of my classes." KM, age 6

Jared is a professional actor and teacher who has performed in Boston and New York as well as internationally. Jared has been teaching for Live Arts Education since December of 2015. As a teacher, Jared has taught theater and music to children of all ages. He has taught for enrichment programs such as Kidville in Wellesley, MA and ApplauseNYC in NYC. He has also taught theater and coached student-actors at both public and private schools. Jared has been seen in shows such as The Little Mermaid (Fiddlehead Theater), My Fair Lady (Lyric Stage), Far From Heaven (speakeasy stage) The Drowsy Chaperone (Barnstormers), West Side Story, Les Miserables, Godspell (The Palace Theatre), A Little Princess (Fiddlehead Theatre), City Of Angels (FUDGE Theatre), and will be appearing this May in Dogfight at Speakeasy Stage Company. Jared is also a frequent cast member of the Off-Broadway interactive show That Bachelorette Show, and has traveled the world as a vocalist on board several luxury cruise lines. He holds a B.F.A. In musical theater from the Boston Conservatory.

Jared Troilo