THE STAFF
Gail Belokur, Co-Artistic Director
Gail has directed, taught, and worked with young people in the performing arts in Tioga, Broome, Delaware and Tompkins Counties for over 20 years. Her directing credits include over 15 plays and musicals for middle and high school students as well as Assistant Director at Ithaca College for The Count of Monte Cristo. As founder and artistic/managing director of the New Vine School of the Arts in Tioga County, Gail taught acting workshops, directed, and developed arts programs for theatre, dance, music and the visual arts. She has also stage managed, designed, and served as props master at Binghamton University's Summer Youth Theatre Program, dance studios and community theatre companies. A proud alum of Ithaca College’s Theatre Arts program (BA Drama), she recently returned to serve as Production Stage Manager for their dance show. Besides typical Executive Director duties, Gail is also intimately involved in the artistic life of the company and coordinates mentoring for stage management, tech, and design.
Ross Mizrahi, Founding Music Director
Ross has been active in music in the Ithaca area for over 10 years. He has taught general music and chorus at Lansing and Dryden Middle Schools, and acted as Music Director for over 10 musicals at the middle and high school level. He currently teaches music at Cayuga Heights Elementary School in Ithaca. He earned his Masters in Music from Ithaca College. Ross was a founding member of the a cappella group Sons of Pitches, performing at sold-out venues, including three capacity crowds at Ithaca's Historic State Theatre. Ross wrote and arranged much of the Sons of Pitches music, and the group sold over 35,000 albums. They enjoyed years of performing in the greater Northeast, opening for groups like The Temptations, The Four Tops, Little Richard, and Orleans. He was also the Educational Coordinator for the group and led hundreds of workshops and assemblies in over 150 schools. Ross currently resides in Ithaca with his wife and frequent accompanist, Kerry and their beautiful baby daughter. Ross is currently on leave from R2P to focus on his family. Ross will continue to be a part of the team, and we can’t wait to have him back at the helm of a show. (Although we have no shortage of wonderfully talented musical collaborators to keep us singing until then!) You can drop him a line at here.
Todd Peterson, Resident Choreographer
Todd has been performing and instructing professionally for over 20 years. A former Broadway performer, Todd was trained locally and in New York City. His instructional and choreographic genre include ballet, jazz, tap, modern, lyrical, and acrobatic forms of dance. While training and performing in NYC Todd attended the Henry Le Tang and Broadway Center for performing arts. Among his list of accomplishments, Todd is a previous Dance Educators of America Performing Arts Champion, featured dancer for the Miss Black America Pageant, Showcase performer for the Frank Hatchett, Gregory/Maurice Hines Dance Center in Springfield Massachusetts, director/choreographer for The Peace Child Foundation's production of "City of Peace under the mentorship of Shakespeare in the Park creator Arthur Lithgow. Todd was ranked 5th nationally in men's solo baton twirling at Americas Youth on Parade in South Bend Indiana. While attending America's Youth on Parade he also was ranked #2 in the international Drum Major Contest. Todd is an inductee in the Twirlers Hall of Fame. He also opened for the Bob Hope thanks for the Memories tour in Utica New York. Locally he was the co-founder/director of Ithaca's Thunderbolt Parade and Show Corp, co-founder of the Boynton Theatre Project, Dance instructor for CSMA, and SUNY Cortland. Todd has choreographed for SUNY Cortland, Cornell University, Boynton and Dewitt Middle Schools, and Ithaca High School. Currently, Todd is an Educator with the Ithaca City School District as well as the proud director of the Ithaca Youth Bureau's Stewart Park Day Camp.
Erica Steinhagen, Director of Music
Erica is a voice teacher, actor and singer who earned a Voice Performance degree from Ithaca College. She has been seen in numerous shows at the Kitchen Theatre (including Bed & Sofa, Precious Nonsense, We Won't Pay, Nora, Tony & the Soprano, Bed No Breakfast, The Drunken City) and The Hangar Theatre (including Cats, My Fair Lady, Sound of Music, Beauty & The Beast). She is so proud of the company that R2P has become. As Director of Music during Ross' hiatus, Erica oversees the musical big picture and offers advice and guidance throughout the season.
Joey Steinhagen, Co-Artistic Director
Joey has been teaching, acting in, and directing theatre for young people throughout Tompkins County since 1993. He received his BFA in Acting from Ithaca College. Over the years, he has directed musicals and plays at Ithaca and Dryden High Schools, Dryden, Boynton, and Dewitt Middle Schools, for the Northern Lights Learning Center, and the Hangar Theatre's Kiddstuff series. Joey has taught acting at Ithaca College, Cornell, SUNY Cortland, the Ithaca Youth Bureau, and Hangar Theatre's Next Generation program. He is frequently seen at area elementary schools as an Artist in Residence or leading afterschool enrichment theatre programs. As an actor, Joey is a familiar face on the stage of the Kitchen Theatre, having appeared in many Mainstage and Family Fare shows, often with his wife Erica.
Mike Garrett, Technical Director
Mike Garrett's interest in theatre began at a young age, but it was not until his junior year of high school he was introduced to technical theater by his roommate. He graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Animal Science, but was most seen in the Schwartz Center's scene shop, where he began as Stage Carpenter, rising to Lighting Designer and eventually Technical Director for Leonard Bernstein's "Mass" in 2009. He also worked as the Productions Manager for Cornell Concert Commission, as well as Slope Day. Mike also served as the Set Designer, Technical Director, and Production Manager for the Melodramatics Theatre Company. His love of theatre has also led him to work in concerts, film, and web media. He is also Production Manager at The State Theatre.
Linda Harris, Finance Manager
As an R2P parent she was, and continues to be, extremely inspired by the dedication of the founders of R2P. She has observed their positive influence on our sons and daughters and the enormous amount of personal time they give, all delivered with never ending enthusiasm and a smile. When R2P reached the goal of obtaining their non-profit status (no small feat in itself!) and needed to move forward to prepare to do business “officially” she gladly volunteered her services to help them set up shop. She brings with her, (in addition to her enthusiasm and excitement!), over twenty years of finance and administrative experience. More than ten of those years were in the non-profit sector such as The Chemical Dependencies Clinic of Otsego County and most recently, several years as the Finance Manager at the Cayuga Nature Center. Presently, she is a Grant and Contract Officer for the College of Ag and Life Sciences at Cornell. She is looking forward to working with the rest of the R2P staff “behind the scenes”, (where Gail knows she is happiest!), and supporting their hard work and heartfelt efforts for our local youth.
THE MENTORS
George Belokur, Sound Designer/Engineer
George is happy to be working with the amazing young people of R2P. Our resident sound mentor, George has worked on many shows including favorites Sweet Charity, Damn Yankees, and Once Upon a Mattress. After eighteen years in law enforcement, his recent disability on duty has left him more appreciative than ever of the positive energy and hope that young people such as those performing in R2P provide to our world. He asks everyone to remember the important part Running to Places and the arts can play in young people’s lives and support these programs with your time, energy and resources.
Lisa Boquist, Costume Mentor
Lisa has worked on costumes in NYC and designed locally at the Kitchen Theatre and Cornell University. She thinks Running to Places is a brilliant idea!
Anya Gibian
Anya is a sophomore at Cornell University and a R2P Alum. She assistant directed Once Upon a Mattress and the 2009 Spring Showcase and hopes to be involved much more. Anya has learned a lot from Joey, Todd, Ross (Mikey), Gail, Matt and everyone else involved in the shows. In her spare time, Anya pretends she is a lawyer with the rest of the Cornell Mock Trial team.
Molly Hennighausen, Stage Manager
Molly is excited to return for part of the third season. She previously mentored with R2P on Pirates of Penzance, Fame, and Spring Showcase 2009. Other credits include Bad Dates (SM) and Canterville Ghost (SM) at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA and The Backyardigans Live Tour (PA) as well as many others. She soon will be returning to Shakespeare & Company for her 5th season.
