BurtWood School of Performing Arts

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On June 28, 2008 Lorna was honored at the 2008 Miss Massachusetts Woman of Achievement for her community service and humanitarian efforts!
Singing helps keep her strong Click here for more on this article... Or As Happy As You Can Be - Aspire Magazine 2009 Aiming at the Miss America title Click here for more... Watch Lorna at the beginning and end of this PSA for The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Click here for the video...	Lorna Brunelle Artistic Director - Voice, Acting, Pageant & Audition Prep.
	Lorna Brunelle is a native of Middleboro, Massachusetts. During her senior year at the Middleboro High School, Lorna received the Louisa Burt Wood Pratt Scholarship which enabled her to attend The Boston Conservatory. After receiving her BFA in Musical Theatre/Directing, Lorna began performing, directing, and teaching throughout Massachusetts. On August 2nd, 1995, she opened the doors of The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts. Since then Lorna has dedicated her life to enhancing artistic awareness. Her students, ranging from toddler to adult, have had success in all areas of the arts. In September of 2009, Lorna was elected to the prestigious National Association of Teachers of Singing, Inc. Middleboro native to receive 2010 GBOS award South Coast Today Lorna Brunelle of Middleboro, will be honored as the 2010 best acting coach and artistic director at the 41st annual GBOS Image Awards in Boston October 22 ... click here for more For more about Lorna click here!


	Valerie Amaral Miss Massachusetts 2007 Voice, Pageant Preparation & Acting
	Valerie is a resident of Acushnet and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth. Miss Amaral has studied voice for 12 years: classically for three years with John Weiss and she has studied for the past ten years with Lorna Brunelle at The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts. In 2004, Valerie joined the Burt Wood staff full time as a voice, acting, and pageant preparation teacher. For more about Valerie click here!

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	Katie Elizabeth Boyd Pagent Preparation and Fitness
	A native of Taunton but currently a resident of Boston, Katie Elizabeth Boyd will join the staff of the Burt Wood School of Performing Arts this month in Middleboro, Mass. She has been competing in pageants since a very young age. Most recently her titles include Miss Taunton 1999, Miss Fall River 2000, Miss Bristol County 2002, and Miss New Bedford 2004. She has studied with the Burt Wood School since 1994 and was Rizzo in Grease. She has also studied under Kenneth Almeida of Taunton High School and starred as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. Katie is well versed in all phases of competitions especially in the Miss America and Miss USA programs. She was top ten at Miss Massachusetts in 2005. For more about Katie click here!


Accomplished Matthew Bruffee to Serve as Talent Judge click here for article on wickedlocal.com	Matthew Bruffee Acting Instructor/Office Assistant
	MATTHEW B. BRUFFEE has devoted his life to the magical world of the Performing Arts. He studied Theatre, Dance and Visual Art at Hofstra University receiving his BA in '85 followed by an MFA in Performing Arts Administration from Brooklyn College in '91. Based in New York City for the past 25 years, he is an Actor, Director, Producer, Administrator and all round Arts & Events Specialist. He has worked for the following companies in New York: Carnegie Hall, Trisha Brown Dance Company, City Center Theatre, Bay Street Theatre Festival in "The Hamptons", Broadway Cares fundraising program Dancers Responding to AIDS, Cortez & Company Contemporary Ballet/NY, Thomas Martin Events, Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project, Jack Morton Worldwide, in Las Vegas for Production Group International, in Boston for Executive Travel Directors, and in New York for Empire Force Events. He has also worked for MIT Sloan School of Management, and Kennison Associates here in Boston. He has had the privilege of working with many celebrities, but his favorites will always be Julie Andrews, Lauren Bacall, and Bette Midler. He currently resides in Middleboro, is a Board Member and Resident Director for Nemasket River Productions. He directed NRPs' 2008 summer production, Beth Henley's "The Miss Firecracker Contest" and just finished directing Clare Boothe Luce's "The Women" for NRP this spring 2009. He recently was a judge for the 2009 Burt Wood Idol and New Bedford's Got Talent programs.


	Melissa Donnelly Voice, Acting, On-Camera Acting, Audition Prep., Pageant Prep.
	Melissa is in her tenth season at Burt Wood and has one of the most active schedules. A native of Middleboro, Melissa earned a degree from Hofstra University, with the help of the original Louisa Burt Wood Pratt scholarship. With the Hofstra Chamber Singers, Melissa toured the East Coast and Great Britain. Along with her many featured roles, she has also performed for NFL Quarterback Boomer Esiason, N.Y. Senator Alfonse D'Amato, Billy Joel and former President George Bush. She has also shared the stage with Tony award winning Broadway Diva Betty Buckley and 2005 American Idol Top 10 Finalist Constantine Maroulis. For more about Melissa click here!

Burt Wood School Welcomes New Staff Member!
	Shane Fredrick Kinsman New Teacher at Burt Wood School Digital Film Making and Production
	SHANE KINSMAN, a Cape Cod resident, is bringing his love of the arts to Burt Wood. From an early age, Shane loved the arts. He attended the Weathervane Theatre’s acting program in Ohio as a child, where he studied music and theatre. By age sixteen, Shane was playing guitar in a local Rock & Roll band, performing at local events and night clubs. Upon graduation from High School, the band had become well known to locals and had performed on small tours and headlined many local concerts. Upon the break up of the band, Shane continued with his love for music and acting. He landed a role in a fighting scene for the feature film The Mouse featuring actor John Savage. In the mid 90’s, Shane’s passion for his music continued.
He began playing the keyboard and creating music for local film productions. While working on a job for Boston University, Shane worked closely with the project producer, and discovered the amazing world of film production. Shane, along with a close friend, created his first production company named “Ascendant Media.” Eventually, Ascendant Media dissolved and Coastal Productions became Shane’s first solo venture into digital filmmaking. He worked on several projects, his favorites being a project for Warner Bros./The Montel Williams Show and filming F-15 Fighter Jets for several AirForce commercials. On his own time, he was producing a shark based documentary, where he was shooting mostly underwater footage. Shane was also simultaneously shooting a pilot for a small surfing show he created based on the underground surfing scene on the east coast. After a brief break from the industry, Shane returned to his passion of film making. He started Maran Films and has just finished his first feature film “MY INTUITION.” Shane has also incorporated his interest in the history of the Vietnam War with his love for film production and is producing a second feature film, “A CHANGE IN TIMES.” Shane will share his love for filmmaking with Burt Wood students in a digital filmmaking and production class.

Burt Wood School Welcomes New Staff Member!
	Jen Thomas New Teacher at Burt Wood School Glee Choir, Tap and Jazz
	Jen Thomas, a lifelong Middleboro resident is excited to be joining the Burt Wood School of Performing Arts staff this fall as one of their new dance teachers. A 1991 graduate of Middleboro High School, Jen began studying dance at the early age of 3 years old. After high school she went on to Dean College where she majored in Dance and to Emerson College where she studied Musical Theater and Communications. She has been teaching dance at Susan Winter School of Dance for 18 years and throughout that time has also done a lot of independent choreography for various theatre groups and schools. Her choreography credits include: Annie Get Your Gun, South Pacific, Bye Bye Birdie, Annie, Cinderella, That’s Entertainment 24 Let Freedom Ring, That’s Entertainment 25 Silver Anniversary, That’s Entertainment 26 Lets Go To The Movies, as well as other independent pieces she has done for the Middleboro High School Student Council.
In her spare time, Jen enjoys spending time with her husband Greg and their 3 children. Jen will be teaching Tap, Jazz, and the GLEE CHOIR (modeled after the hit TV show) on Mondays and Tuesday this fall the schools new location in downtown Middleboro. For more information about studying with Jen call 508-946-1071.


	Amanda Kelly New Teacher at Burt Wood School M.E. Modeling & Elegance-A Young Girls Guide to Becoming Her Best "M.E." (Modeling Class)
	Braintree native Amanda Kelly, Miss Massachusetts 2009, will be joining the staff at The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts in Middleboro this fall to teach M.E.Modeling & Elegance-A Young Girls Guide to Becoming Her Best "M.E." Students will learn how to dress for any occasion, how to care for their skin, nails, teeth, and hair, how to select and apply make up, how to avoid gossip and other unbecoming social behaviors, proper web etiquette, how to handle and manage daily not so pretty problems with peers, how to walk down a street or runway with perfect posture and poise, how to be graceful and gracious, with manners, a strong image and perfect diction and speech, the art of letter writing and thank you cards, runway and photo shoot techniques, how to select the best accessories, how to exude confidence from within, how to make healthy food choices, the importance of exercise, how to nail an audition or interview, how to select a pageant, how to lend a hand in the community, how to select a modeling or talent agency, how to say NO to unhealthy temptations and still be HIP, how to compose a resume, how to make an lasting positive impression! For more about Amanda click here!


	Erin Nicole Draper Acting and Musical Theatre Teacher
	The students and staff at The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts in Middleboro are pleased to welcome Erin Nicole Draper as a new acting and musical theatre teacher. Erin is a senior at Bridgewater State College majoring in theater with a minor in secondary education. Upon graduating at the end of next year, she hopes to go on to teach public school theatre. She migrated to the east coast in the fall of 2006, and is a native of California, where she studied performing arts and social justice for two years at the University of San Francisco prior to the big move. Some of her favorite past acting roles include Peter Pan in the musical, Peter Pan, Agave in Euripides' the Bacchae, and Emily in BSC's production of Our Town, but her heart really lies in directing and connecting with young people through theatre in a way that touches their hearts. Ultimately, she hopes, changes lives through art. For this reason, she is thrilled to be joining the team at Burt Wood as an acting and musical theatre teacher!


SAT COURSE INFO	Anna Ferguson Math and Langauage Arts Tutoring
	Anna Ferguson, a resident of Middleboro, is currently tutoring in Math and the Language Arts. Anna has a Bachelor's Degree in special education and a Master's Degree in education and is certified to teach in both middle and high schools. Anna began her teaching career in the Middleboro School system as a special needs aide and in-school suspension specialist. She is currently a language arts and math teacher for the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District, where she teaches 6th, 7th and 8th grades at the Hanson Middle School. For the past two years, she has been the lead teacher in their MCAS Summer School Program, for which she wrote and developed the curriculum. The students who Anna tutored during the 2003-2005 school years all raised their grades and also earned higher scores on standardized testing. Anna has also volunteered for several Burt Wood Summer Arts Festivals ~ where she has provided the wonderful service of concessions! She lives in Middleboro with her husband John and her son Joe. She is the mother of Camille and Melissa, who is a Voice Teacher at The Burt Wood School. Anna is also the Nonni to three beautiful grandchildren: Gina, (her Beautiful Girl), Joey (her Jo-Jo), and Lacie (her Lou-Lou-Bell).


	Wanda Howard Voice and Acting - Substitute Teacher
	Wanda Howard, of Buzzards Bay, is in her fourth year on the Burt Wood staff. Wanda has a varied performance and teaching background...her most notable student being Burt Wood's own Artistic Director, Miss Lorna, who is also Wanda's daughter! She has also performed in numerous community theatre productions, in Boston area clubs, and as a professional karaoke demonstrator for area establishments. One of Miss Wanda's favorite roles was that of Miss Hannigan in the 1995 BWSPA Summer Arts Festival production of "Annie" - which is celebrating it's 10th anniversary this year. Miss Wanda lives on the Cape with her husband Doug and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren Paige, Tyler, Taylor and Trey. Wanda has been a substitute teacher with Burt Wood since Jan. 2004.


	Liam Leahy New Teacher at Burt Wood School
	Liam Leahy is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth where he studied music with a focus in music education. While at UMass Dartmouth, Liam was a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society and the university's Honors Program (he was one of the first music majors to complete the Honors Program); he graduated summa cum laude as a Commonwealth Scholar. He also had the honor of performing the National Anthem and UMD Alma Mater at the 2007 Commencement Ceremony. Burt Wood is now offering guitar with Mr. Liam. For more about Liam click here!


	Aly Levy Voice, Acting, Pageant Prep and Musical Theatre Instructor/Office Assistant
	Miss Alyson Levy will be taking over all of the Tuesday Tiny Tunes and Musical Theatre classes in the fall. Miss Levy is a graduate student at Bridgewater State College where she is pursuing a Master of Education in school counseling, as well as studied voice for the past 10 years at the Burt Wood School of Performing Arts. Miss Levy is the residing Miss Southcoast 2009. During her year of service,Alyson will be focusing on her platform, T.O.Y.S - Together Offering Youth Safety, which recognizes the importance of fire safety education and plays a major role in supporting local fire houses by collecting hundreds of stuffed animals. Alyson's platform educates students in classrooms across Massachusetts, preventing thousands of children from future dangerous fire situations. Last October, Alyson co-Sponsored a Fire Safety Awareness Day with the Middleborough Fire Department, and assisted in raising over $8,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association "Fill the Boot" Jerry's Kids Fundraiser. For more about Aly click here!

Congrats to Andrew Osborne who won a DAYTIME EMMY for his work as a writer for the hit show CASH CAB!
UPDATE: Emmy Award Winner to Direct Local Project Click here for more info...	Andrew Osborne Film Production
	A Middleboro native, Andrew teaches the competitive Burt Wood class, Film Production. The class is based on college curriculums and is geared towards the student intending to pursue a degree in the film and performing arts. In the Fall 2004 season, he also added classes to the school curriculum: Screenwriting & Production and Comedy & Improv. Both classes were geared to teenagers and adults. In 1999, Andrew was hired to write the film Dramarama for Warner Brothers (based on his original pitch and currently scheduled for production in 2004 with Lindsay Lohan (Freaky Friday) attached in the lead role.) For more about Andrew click here!

Burt Wood School Welcomes New Staff Member!
	Julie Parcels Voice and Acting
	The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts in Middleboro is excited to welcome Julie Parcels to their teaching staff. Miss Parcels grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts and now resides in Raynham. She began studying musical theatre, acting, and voice at the age of nine. She attended Cardinal Spellman High School where she was President of the Drama Society and Vice President of Choir. During her time there, she performed in several shows including Fiddler on the Roof, The Sound of Music, The Miracle Worker, and Carousel. She was accepted into the BFA Musical Theatre program at Emerson College in Boston, graduated with a BA in Theatre Education and a minor in Dance. During her time there, she studied extensive classes in scene study, directing, voice, musical theatre, comedy, and dance.
She was the assistant director for the Cardinal Spellman High School production of Les Miserables. She also directed an abbreviated musical version of Brigadoon at Emerson. During college, she began teaching voice. Julie is looking forward to working with the students and staff at The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts. In the fall, Julie will be teaching voice and acting at The Burt Wood School. For more information call 508-946-1071.


	Scott Philie Voice, Piano & Music Theory
	Scott joined the Burt Wood Staff in 2005. He teaches private voice, piano, and music theory. Scott has been the Music Director for the annual Burt Wood Summer Arts Festival for “Anything Goes” – 2002, “Footloose” – 2004, “Fame” – 2005, “Those Summer Nights” – 2006, “High School Musical” – 2007, “Thoroughly Modern Millie” – 2008, and “The Wiz” – 2009. He is also the music director for Bridgewater – Raynham Regional High School’s Raynwater Players, where he has directed “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”, “All Shook Up”, and most recently “A Chorus Line”. Scott is also a music director for Bridgewater State College where he has directed numerous shows, and was nominated for an ACTF Award in 2007 for his original score for “DRAKULA The Rock Opera”. Scott has been playing the piano since the age of five, and became a professional performer at the age of 14. He has been the lead singer and keyboardist for many local bands including the 1980’s band Square Pegs,
and the rock band Jack’s Garage. He is currently involved with SCARAB – A Tribute to Journey which travels across New England. Having received his formal training from Berklee College of Music, Scott has performed with many industry greats including Smokey Robinson, Charlie Daniels, Toto, Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon, and The Marshall Tucker Band, to name a few. He has also performed at many Doo Wop Legends shows with such groups as Danny and the Juniors, The Tuneweavers, The Tokens, and The Teenagers. The music director at North Congregational Church in Middleboro since 2002, Scott lives in town with his wife Gina and their children Tyler, Bryttany, and Margret.


	Lucy Record Choreographer Summer Arts Festival
	Lucy Record, has a Ballet B.A. in Dance from the University of Texas. She was awarded summer scholarships to American Ballet Theatre for 2 years, performed with Houston Allegro Ballet Company and Austin Ballet Theatre, and performed with New York's modern company, Facets. Lucy has been the Musical Theater choreographer for more than 50 musicals. Stage credits include: Evita, Pippin, West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Grease, Footloose, Sweet Charity, Anything Goes, and On Stage with Shirley Jones (which Lucy choreographed as well as directed). Miss Record is the resident choreographer for Burt Wood School of Performing Arts, summer program, in Greater Boston.
She has been the recipient of the Santa Monica Theatre Guild's Geoffrey Award for Best Choreography for the past 6 years. Record was awarded Best Choreography in Southern California 2003 DTASC competition (Drama Teacher's Association of Southern California) for her work on "The Music Man". Los Angeles, California resident Lucy Record will be returning to The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts this summer to choreograph GODSPELL for their 2010 Summer Arts Festival . 2010 will mark Lucy Record's 11th summer season choreographing for The Burt Wood School's annual arts festival. At the Burt Wood School, Ms. Record has worked on "Oliver" (2000), "Bye Bye Birdie" (2001), "Anything Goes" (2002), "Grease" (2003), "Footloose" (2004), "Fame" (2005), "Those Summer Nights" (2006), "High School Musical" (2007), Thoroughly Modern Millie" (2008) and "The Wiz" (2009). She has just completed her 4th year as a resident choreographer in LA for Chaminade College Preparatory's largest annual fundraiser. Ms. Record is a renowned West Coast Choreographer who has won numerous awards for her professional work. Ms. Record created, designed and is teaching a new Musical Theatre class at the prestigious Colburn School in downtown L.A. which is considered to be the WEST COAST Julliard! She lives in L.A. with husband Scott (Middleboro Native), and daugthers Elizabeth and Hannah. She loves her summers on Cape Cod in their family home!


	Susan Schobel Burt Wood Welcomes their New Piano Teacher
	The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts in Middleboro welcomes Susan Schobel to their staff. Susan is a 2002 graduate of Apponequet Regional High School in Lakeville. In 2006 Miss Schobel graduated from Wagner College where she dual majored in Music and Elementary Special Education. From there Susan attended Bridgewater State College and obtained her Masters in Education and Special Education. Since 2006 Susan has been teaching 2nd grade at the Mary K. Goode School in Middleboro. Miss Schobel was a student at The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts for six years and was the recipient of The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts scholarship in 2002.

Burt Wood School Welcomes New Staff Member!
	Samuel Tucker Burt Wood Welcomes their New Voice, Guitar, and Piano Teacher
	The faculty and students at The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts in Middleboro are excited to welcome Samuel Tucker to their program. Sam is currently in his sixth year of teaching general music and chorus at the Hanson Middle School in Hanson, MA. While in Hanson, Sam has worked to develop a choral program during the school day as well as group guitar and African drumming programs after school. He has also co-founded the Summer Music Conservatory Program for the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District. Sam is currently the choir director for the First Baptist Church in Plymouth and is actively involved in arts in the community,
Sam is currently the choir director for the First Baptist Church in Plymouth and is actively involved in arts in the community, playing trombone with the Plymouth Legion Band, as well as acting in Camp Kiwanee theatre productions in Hanson. Sam graduated summa cum laude from Boston University with a Bachelors degree in Music Education. Last May he received his Masters in General Music from Bridgewater State College in Bridgewater, MA. Before coming to Massachusetts, Sam was a member of CMEA District and All-State choruses, as well as the 1998 All-Eastern Chorus which performed at Carnegie Hall. Sam will begin teaching voice, guitar, and piano at The Burt Wood School this summer. For more information call 508-946-1071.


Office Administration

	Maureen Whalen Business Manager
	Maureen Whalen first became involved with Burt Wood soon after it's inception when her daughter Molly was cast as an orphan in the 1995 summer production of "Annie". Starting off as a 'Volunteer Mom' she was soon hired on as Burt Wood's Business Manager - and organizer extraordinaire! Along with her numerous responsibilities in the office, she was also seen as Mrs. Darling in Burt Wood's production of "Peter Pan" in 1996. It is Miss Maureen's love of feather boas, disco music, dancing and overall zaniness that keeps the office running at an upbeat and fun filled pace; but it is her organizational abilities and business know-how that keep the school running smoothly. Burt Wood would not be Burt Wood without Maureen's influence. Maureen lives in Middleboro with her husband Bob, daughter Molly and three dogs, Buddy, Belle and Izzy. She and her husband Bob celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary in September of 2007!


Set Design and Construction

	Roger Brunelle M.I.B. - Set Design & Construction
	Roger Brunelle - husband of Burt Wood's Artistic Director - has been involved with the school since before it even opened it's doors. Not only has he actually built doors and rooms for the actual school, but ensured it's smooth re-opening in November of 2000 - when the school moved to a larger facility. Roger, along with Bob Whalen, is one of the sole Burt Wood builders - having constructed every recital and production stage and/or set. An invaluable member of The Burt Wood team (especially during the summers) Roger's innovations have inspired everything from flying monkies and grand, flowing staircases to an entire ocean liner on stage. Roger is also an integral part of Burt Wood's M.I.B. - 'Men In Black' - or notorious stage crew. Roger is also the satisfied customer (a.k.a. the 'Smiley Man') in all of Compass Bank's promotions and advertising, which can be seen in print work and also in billboards along Rts. 195 and 140.
In his 'spare time', Roger is a member of the painter's union out of Boston and he lives in Middleboro with his wife Lorna. He enjoys working on their historic house, The Ebeneezer Soule Home.


	Robert Whalen M.I.B. - Set Design & Construction
	Bob Whalen, one of Burt Wood's notorious 'Men In Black', became involved with Burt Wood and the theatre because of his daughter Molly. Since his first exposure to a production, Bob's numerous talents have repeatedly been put to the test - and he never fails to amaze and inspire. As one of the chief builders of everything from Cinderella's carriage to The London Bridge, Whalen Construction continues to be an integral part of Burt Wood. Along with making it snow, a witch disappearing in a ball of fire, and sending confetti flying in celebration of Cinderella's marriage, Bob is also a member of Burt Wood's M.I.B. - or 'Men In Black' - a much sought after Stage Crew. Bob also enjoys learning the ins and outs of 'the business' as he accompanies his daughter Molly on her many auditions. Bob spends his 'free time' building beautiful homes in the local area and is a Town of Middleboro Building Inspector. He lives with his wife Maureen, daughter Molly and their dogs: Buddy, Belle and Izzy.