Faculty
Erin Buterbaugh
Erin Buterbaugh has been a part of ACTS since 2000, and has performed in and/or provided choreography for ACTS shows such as Oklahoma!, Hangman’s Noose, Oliver, The Music Man, and By the Beautiful Sea. She has taught ballet for Aurora Dance Arts since 2001, serving as an artistic director and contributing choreographer for productions of “The Nutcracker” and “Are We in Kansas Yet?” In 2008, Erin graduated with a BA in Professional Writing from Taylor University, where she spent three semesters as the assistant director of the Taylor Theater Organization. Taylor stage credits include Arsenic and Old Lace (Aunt Abby) and You Can’t Take it With You (Penny).
Havilah Davis
Havilah has been involved with Colorado ACTS for over 10 years. She graduated from Colorado State University with a BA in Theatre for acting and costume design, a BS in Apparel Design and Production, and an AA from Red Rocks Community College in English Literature. While studying theatre, she worked extensively on various styles of performance from classical to Comedy of Manners to modern. She was Roxanne in Cyrano de Bergerac, Miss Maudie Atkinson in To Kill a Mockingbird while at CSU, and Catherine in The Foreigner while at RRCC. Havilah then did a film acting school with The University of the Nations on the YWAM base in Kona, Hawaii. Currently, she is a ballroom dance instructor with Adventures in Dance in Littleton, and continues to audition locally for projects, both on stage and screen. She has performed in several film projects both short and feature length, and continues to try to impact the world of the performing arts as a follower of Christ.
Patrick Dorn
Patrick Rainville Dorn received an MA in Theatre from the University of Denver, with an emphasis in children’s theatre and playwriting. He has been involved in theatre in one way or another for more than 40 years, as an actor, teacher, director, theatre critic and playwright, with more than 24 published plays. He is currently artistic director of The Troupe, a Christian theatre company, and in his spare time serves as an Anglican priest in Colorado. Patrick's immediate family consists of his wife Abby, two nearly-grown children, and two dogs.
For additional information, please see Patrick's web page: http://www.geocities.com/patrickrdorn/
Bethany Farmer
Bethany Farmer has been part of the ACTS community since the year 2000. She has performed in a variety of musicals and straight shows with ACTS and other various theater programs. Some of her favorite roles with ACTS include Mama Mae in 'Bye, Bye, Birdie' and Nancy in 'Oliver!'. After graduating high school in 2006 Bethany began attending Red Rocks Community College to study theater. Currently school has been put on hold for various reasons, including her recent marriage to the man of her dreams. Bethany hopes to continue her theater education in the near future. For the first time Bethany is assisting in the directing side of the ACTS world with 'Murder in the House of Horrors'. She is excited for what the future may bring and very thankful for the opportunity to teach with Colorado ACTS.
Kristi Hemingway-Weatheral
Kristi Hemingway-Weatheral has an Associates in Liberal Arts from Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a Missions Minor from Colorado Christian University. Kristi has been dancing since age five and has choreographed since Jr. High. She toured professionally with Covenant Players for five years teaching, acting and directing. She has played Sister Mary Amnesia in Nunsense and Caroline Keating in Hangman's Noose.
Marianne Henning
One of the founders of Colorado ACTS, Marianne has a B.A. in communications from Colorado Christian College and a teaching certificate in elementary Education from Denver University. Marianne is a seasoned performer; a list of roles played include Sister Robert Ann in Nunsense, Miss Hannigan in Annie and Ethel Savage in The Curious Savage, as well as various cameo roles in ACTS student productions (such as the courtyard statue in Fools).
Stacey Kasper
Stacey Kasper has been involved with Colorado ACTS as actor/teacher/director since its inception. She was most recently seen on stage as "Gail" in the ACTS faculty production of Hangman's Noose and has directed a number of productions including Fools, A Little Princess, The Hobbit and Angel Street. Stacey has BAs from Colorado Christian University in History and Theater and uses her gifts to head the theatrical division of the Creative Arts Team at Bethany Evangelical Free Church.
Niki Keller
WANTED:
Niki Keller
Mother of 3 bubble-dwelling homeschooled daughters, leaves little to be desired in home management. Has been known to parade around with strange children while playing a pied pipe. Dangerously cute and witty with a dash of sugar and spice and everything nice. Do not fall for her wily ways. She enjoys the operation of children's sweatshops, particularly if they challenge children to the breaking point of enjoying theatre and art. Has been known to snare them with cake and sweets.
HER CRIME:
capturing children's imaginations
If spotted having too much fun in class, please report to the authorities at CO ACTS.
She is an armed and dangerous believer in the encouragement of children's creative thought processes.
Do not attempt to apprehend on your own!
Betty Lohr
Betty is the proud homeschooling mother of 5 boys. She has been teaching preschoolers for a number of years. She also teaches Karate. She started teaching Creative Drama with Colorado ACTS 2 years ago. She especially likes the energy and creativity that the little ones bring to the classroom.
Sharon Luchene
Sharon Luchene calls herself an Educator and Creativity Expert. Her desire to teach started way back in 7th Grade helping with Sunday School on the mission field with her parents. She loves to bring out playfulness and creativity when teaching. Her classes are directed in a way that frees people to be themselves and learn accordingly.
She watched drama from afar all through high school and college. (Undergrad studies in Biology, Assoc Degree in Visual Communications) Being shy, she dreamed of singing and dancing on stage. With marriage and children (she has three - children that is) came opportunities to create learning experiences through homeschooling and involvement in church. Each child excelled in drama in different ways: acting, music, stage carpentry and costume design. As they learned, so did she. When her youngest was ready, they became involved with Colorado Acts. So started a long wonderful relationship where Sharon was able to volunteer in costume design and add creative classroom activities that enhance a child's performance in a production. She believes that having fun is the best way to learn, and all learning experiences can be meaningful and helpful to live a good life.
Leah Nixon
Leah Nixon has a B.A. in Theatre Performance from Tarkio College and has studied at the National Theater Conservatory in Denver and The Goodman School of Drama at Chicago's De Paul University. Leah has taught, written, and directed in the Denver area for the past several years for Colorado ACTS and the Mizel Cultural Arts Center.
She has played the Washer woman in Christmas Carol, and Martha in Hangman's Noose as well as directing for the DDRC.
Cindy Oury
Cindy Oury attended Carroll College in Waukesha, WI for three years where she majored in Theatre, and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. She's been involved in the adult and children's drama ministries at Christ Community Covenant Church for 17 years. At Colorado Acts she has most recently played "Raynelle" in Christmas Belles. Her greatest passion is teaching the younger children and has written her own curriculum for her Creative Dramatics classes such as Act Courageous, Little Pioneers, Little Patriots. and Little Tall Tale Tellers.
Shea Porter
Shea Porter has been involved with Colorado ACTS for about ten years. She has been taking theater classes and performing for almost sixteen years. She has been teaching and directing for several years, and for the past few years she has been directing with Colorado ACTS. Shea is a homeschool graduate and is currently attending Metropolitan State College of Denver. Shea recently was also recently married to a Colorado ACTS alumni.
Christa Romig-Leavitt
Christa has been acting since she was a 5 year old girl in Dodge City, Kansas. She has a B.A. in theatre from Colorado Christian University. Christa has taught, directed and acted with CO. ACTS since 2002. Christa can currently be found co-pastoring her faith community The Refuge as well as directing the children's program. Christa and her husband Paul also keep busy with Torn Curtain Arts, which is a non-profit organization that provides creative resources to Christian churches and ministries. Their daughter, Stella, also keeps their hands and hearts busy.
Paul Romig-Leavitt
Paul wears many hats (really. he has a thing for hats) and many jobs. Depending on the day Paul is a writer, director, actor musician, pastor or barista or any combination of those jobs. The only thing Paul is all the time is a husband to Christa and a daddy to Stella and one Jesus' kids. Paul is the executive director for Torn Curtain Arts, a ministry that helps other Christian Ministries and churches around the country perform original dramatic material for their outreach or worship events (curious? check out www.torncurtainarts.org). Paul has been part of the ACTS extended family for over seven years and has also been seen in work for national christian events such as Dare 2 Share, JAMA, Warriors Leadership Summit and AWANA's International as well as several churches across the Denver metro-area including his own faith community, The Refuge in Broomfield.
Patty Stricker
Patty Stricker has been involved with Colorado ACTS for over 11 years now. She has worked with children for over 30 years and home schooled for 18+ years. Her past experience includes (but is not limited to) directing children's choir and children's church, directing and assisting musicals at church, tutoring various disabled children, coaching home school soccer teams, costuming well over 50 different performances with Colorado ACTS, various churches, & CCU. Patty's experience with Colorado ACTS includes class registrations, assistant directing with Leah Nixon, directing Creative Dramatics , acting in 3 shows, served on the board for several years, took care of costumes and set up costume bins. Patty is currently costuming shows and teaching Creative Dramatics. She enjoys working with kids, serving, organizing, singing, sewing and various crafts. Patty has been married to Rick for 28+ years and has 5 daughters, all who are still involved with Colorado ACTS and The Troupe. In her spare time :) Patty is involved with Women's Walk With Christ, a women's spiritual healing ministry.
Cindy Troup
Cindy Troup has 30 years of theatre experience. She has a B.A. from Rockmont College in Secondary Education and a Teaching Certificate from Loretto Heights College in Technical Theatre. Cindy also has a Masters in Criminal Justice from the University of Colorado at Denver. Her theatre experience includes acting, pyrotechnics, directing, costuming, and lighting. Cindy played the feisty "Miss Patty" in Colorado ACTS' production of Curious Savage, and took a stellar turn as "Lucy" in Little Orphan Girl. She has also played Sister Hubert in Nunsense and a Horse/Goose/Dancing Fish in Honk!