OUR STAFF
Ann O'Grady founded Rhode Island Youth Theatre in 1987. She has over 40 years of teaching experience and holds a Ph.D. in education from the University of Connecticut. In 1995, she was honored to receive the Milken National Educator Award. In 2009, she was named a Rhode Island Fellow by the RI Foundation.
Ann O’Grady, Ph. D.
Executive Director
Nancy Hillner
Musical Director, Vocal Coach
A graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell with a B.A. in Music Education, Nancy made her Broadway debut in the critically acclaimed comedy, Dance With Me. She appeared off-Broadway in Nunsense—touring the country with Phyllis Diller, Pat Carroll, Dodi Goodman, and Joanne Worley—and performing in the National Tour of Neil Simon’s Rumors with Peter Marshall and Patty McCormack. Locally, she was a member of Charlie Hall’s Ocean State Follies and Mixed Nuts, but her favorite production is her daughter, Amy. Nancy was a 2016 Tony Award Nominee for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award.
Lisa David
Camp Manager (NK)
Catie Flynn
Camp Manager (Warwick)
Catie has been affiliated with RIYT for almost 25 years, starting when she performed in her first summer show, Hello Dolly! Since then, Catie has held various staff positions such as Musical Director, Director, Stage Manager, Secretary of the Board of Directors, and Young PlayRIYTs mentor. She is excited to be back this summer as the Camp Manager for Newsies Jr. and Shrek The Musical, and to continue working as a mentor for the Young PlayRIYTs program.
Catie has a diverse educational and professional background. She holds a B.A. from Rhode Island College, an M.Ed. from Boston University, and also studied voice at Berklee College of Music. She worked for 10 years at the college level in various administrative roles, most recently in Accessibility Services, and served as an academic coach/advisor for students with learning differences. She currently works for Rock-a-Baby Music Classes, performing for young children ages 6 months to 4 years, and their caregivers. Her most demanding (and rewarding) role these days is as a mom of 2 young children.
Lisa David has a MS in Human Development and Family Studies, with a BS in Elementary Education/Early Childhood Education. She is the mom of 5 girls and has been an educator, at the early childhood level, as the director of a childcare center, at the college level, teaching in the field of Human Development and Family Studies and as a homeschool mom. She also has a history of leading in Girl Scouts and Rhode Island Guild of Home Teachers. She has been a longtime supporter of RIYT. Her two youngest children have been involved with RIYT since 2017.
Director/Choreographer
Brenna Reeves has spent most her life playing violin in bands, orchestras, and pits. She earned her bachelor's degree in music education from Rhode Island College in 2018 and has been working as an elementary music teacher ever since. She fell in love with teaching children's theater because of her school's participation in Disney Musicals in Schools, a PPAC outreach program. Through this program she has gained experience working as a director, music director, choreographer, and stage manager- sometimes all at once.
Currently, she teaches music in Warwick Public Schools and works for the PPAC as a Disney Musicals teaching artist, training and empowering other teachers in title 1 schools to create their own sustainable theater programs. She is dedicated to making the arts more accessible to students of all backgrounds and abilities. She is thrilled to join RIYT and have the opportunity to collaborate with such talented students and staff!
Brenna Reeves
Director/Wardrobe Supervisor
A graduate of North Kingstown High School, she is now enrolled in Stonehill College’s undergraduate programs for Early Childhood Education and Theatre Arts. With over 60 hours in classrooms in Massachusetts as a pre-practicum student, she has developed a passion for educating students through the arts. She creates developmentally appropriate theatre camp experiences that incorporates college-level acting techniques, making arts education accessible and instilling confidence in young performers. She creates developmentally appropriate practices that incorporate college-level acting techniques into a fun day of theatre camp.
An actress herself, Hana began at RIYT at the age of 12, and in her senior year at North Kingstown High School won an Ocean State Star Award for Leading Actress in Legally Blonde. She has gone on to be seen in Sweeney Todd (Pirelli), Twelve Angry Jurors (Juror Eleven), Les Misérables (Fantine), Legally Blonde (Paulette), and Roger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella: Enchanted (Cinderella). Hana is so proud of her RIYT family and can’t wait for this summer!
Hana Toler
Choreographer (Newsies Jr.)
Emma Russo is thrilled to join Rhode Island Youth Theatre as its new choreographer. A three-time Ocean State Star Award winner for Outstanding Dancer, Emma has been passionate about dance since the age of three. She began her training with Cynthia Kiehnau and Michelle Geoghegan at Dale City dance program in Virginia, and currently studies under Eva Marie Pacheco at Providence Ballet School.
A rising senior at North Kingstown High School, Emma has combined her love of dance and theater through performances in Kiss Me, Kate, Legally Blonde, and Anything Goes. She is also a regular performer in Providence Ballet Theater’s annual production of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. Emma is excited to bring her experience, creativity, and enthusiasm to Rhode Island Youth Theatre and looks forward to inspiring the next generation of performers.
Emma Russo
Scenic Designer
Rebecca Macri is a multimedia artist with 20+ years of painting experience. She painting theatre scenery as a volunteer for her son’s school production of Beauty & the Beast. Rebecca graduated from Boston College with degrees in Studio Art and Biology, and took continuing education classes in illustration and design at the Rhode Island School of Design. She has exhibited her work in Rhode Island and Boston, including AS220, Warwick Center for the Arts, and the Boston Arts Festival. www.rebeccamacriart.com
Rebecca Macri
Lighting Consultant/Workshop Trainer
Audrey Voccio has been passionate about theater for most of her life. A 2023 graduate of North Kingstown High School, she was deeply involved in the school's music and theater departments, serving as the stage manager for the 2023 production of Grease. Audrey was also honored with a nomination for the Outstanding Stage Management award through the PPAC Ocean State Star Awards. She is now a rising junior at Ohio University, majoring in International Business and Strategic Leadership & Management, with a minor in Stage Management and a Sales Certificate. Audrey is also a stage manager in the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts at Ohio University, where she continues to pursue her passion for live performance and production. She joined Rhode Island Youth Theatre (RIYT) in high school and credits the program not only with helping her grow in confidence, but also with giving her the opportunity to witness that same growth in others, something she considers one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.
Audrey Voccio
Production Manager/Tech Director
Alexander Davis (he/him) is a New England-based actor/musician. He recently graduated from Point Park University Summa Cum Laude earning his BFA in Musical Theater. Some of Alex’s favorite productions from undergrad include Fun Home (Music Director), Legally Blonde (Professor Callahan), and Steel Pier (Happy McGuire). At Rhode Island Youth Theatre, he has been seen in the roles of Beast in Beauty and the Beast and Shrek in Shrek Jr. Alex loves working with RIYT as it allows him to share his knowledge and talents. He hopes to inspire at camp just as he was inspired in his time at RIYT! <3
Alexander Davis
Website Admin/Registration Coordinator
Cooper Cardone is an NYC-based actor, musician, and composer from Rhode Island with a B.A. from Brown University in Music and Theater Arts. In 2018 he was nominated for the Jimmy Awards for his portrayal of the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. Cooper wrote the music for RIYT’s Frieze Frame (2024) and Rock Show (2022), which won the 2022 BroadwayWorld RI Award for Best New Play or Musical. He is currently performing in Speakeasy Die Softly at Carmine’s in Times Square, composing independently for musical theatre, and working as a stagehand for various Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. www.coopercardone.com
Cooper Cardone
Young PlayRIYTs Mentor
Allison Ferreira is a passionate teacher, avid reader, hopeful writer, and professional historian (although, not always in that order). She graduated with a BA in Secondary Education and American Studies in 2020, went on to earn an MA in Public History in 2022, and has taught in several RI classrooms as an ELA and Social Studies teacher. Allison spent her youth writing and performing in MA, and she brought her personal and educational experience to RI public school auditoriums as an extracurricular for students in Northern RI, advising, fundraising for, and directing middle school theatre groups where there previously were none. When not writing… Well, she is always writing, and spends her free time publishing as a young adult author. ajcullenpens.com.
Allison Ferreira
Costumes and Props Artist
Melissa Toler is an artist and designer based in RI. A RISD graduate, she has a BFA in apparel design. After working for many years as a surface designer in the textiles industry, she recently returned to her roots in costume design. This Fall, she was honored to be nominated for the 2024 BroadwayWorld Rhode Island Awards for best costume design in a musical. Additionally, she is a painter and illustrator working in watercolor and acrylic mediums. www.melissatolerart.com
Melissa Toler
Prepare RI Internship Program
Every summer we are joined by high school seniors from across the state as part of the Prepare RI Internship program. Students gain hands-on experience in theatre production and choose roles based on their own interests.
