Julian Arroyo (he, him, his)

Bio to come!

Michael Casey (he, him, his)

Michael, born and raised in Boston, has studied theater for over a decade at Boston Arts Academy, Bunker Hill Community College and Suffolk University. He teaches theater at the Charles River Creative Arts Program in the summers and assistant directs the Newton Freelance Players Troupe. Theater and Education are Michael’s biggest passions in life, and Rehearsal for Life has been a dream job, helping him realize his goals of teaching life skills through the power of theater. Michael is also currently a preschool teacher at the Shattuck Child Daycare Center. In his free time, Michael enjoys writing poetry and is a huge fan of pro wrestling.

Alissa Darsa (she, her, hers)

Alissa, a native of the Boston area, grew up in Freelance Players. She studied theater at Ithaca College before receiving her master’s degree from New York University. She previously taught in the summer program at Creative Arts at Park and assistant directed in both the Brookline and JP troupes before taking over as director of the Brookline Troupe. Alissa also works in film curation and development at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, and podcasts about pop culture.

Cooper Evello (he, him, his)

Cooper studied music production and composition at the Cambridge School of Weston, Hampshire College, and the Berklee School of Music, and joined Rehearsal for Life with a background in music production, performance, arranging and composition. His work with Rehearsal for Life, allows him the opportunity to create music that helps make Boston youth’s time in school a little better and helps them process their feelings and struggles. Outside of work, Cooper can be found composing and recording music in his home studio, and performing around New England in his bands (ADDIE, Bog Berries, Hush Club, and Naomi Westwater).

David Girardin (he, him, his)

David is a Boston based performer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and teaching artist. David studied music composition and theory at Brandeis University (BA 2021, MA 2022) and works across a broad spectrum of musical genres and idioms. David has a passion for musical theater which he is excited to share with the next generation of great up and coming performers through the Rehearsal for Life community! Outside of musical theater David enjoys cooking, hiking, and a good book or film.

Madeline Segall Hurley, (she, her, hers)

Bio coming soon!

Lekei Jacobs

Multi-hyphenated Artist/Creative force, born and raised in Boston, MA. A proud former Freelancer.

Ana Victoria Justine-Isaac, (she, her, hers)

Ana Victoria is a recent Emerson College graduate who spent most of her time out of the classroom inside a dance studio. This is her first year with Rehearsal for Life. She loves to create new and visually exciting choreographies that challenge her previous ones. She has a passion for working with kids and creating content that gets them involved and confident in who they are. Ana Victoria is thrilled to get to work and support the kids as they prepare to hit the stage!

Kelvyn Koning (he, him, they, them)

Kelvyn specializes in composing for choir and theatre and performing as a countertenor and pianist. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Composition from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI and a Master of Music in Composition from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Kelvyn has been commissioned to write pieces for Boston Latin School, Chandler MS, Zeeland HS, Batesville HS, Arlington HS, the Da Camera Singers, Northwest Hills United Methodist Church, First Parish Needham, Calvin University, Lilith, Quorum, Cantilena, and the Oriana Consort. He has written two award-winning musicals, The Glassblower’s Daughter with Columbia Entertainment Co. and The Prince and the Painter with Moonbox Productions, and he recently released his first queer Christian album, The Veil is Torn.

Kelvyn is a founding member of Nightingale Vocal Ensemble and West Michigan Choral Lab, for whom he sings and composes music. Kelvyn has also sung with the Calvin Alumni Choir, Quorum, Lilith, Seraphim Singers, Tutti Music Collective, and the Oriana Consort. He performed as a soloist at the Beaver Island Baroque Festival in his home state of Michigan and has premiered several new vocal and piano works by his friends in Boston. Kelvyn is an active solo pianist and accompanist around Boston, working at the Boston Conservatory, the Freelance Players in Needham, and Watertown Children’s Theatre, as well as freelancing. He is also the Music Minister at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Natick, acting as the pianist, organist, and choir director. Kelvyn’s vision is to foster empathy, healing, and social justice for individuals and communities through music and writing. His philosophy is that different types of music can work together harmoniously to create new and beautiful things, just as different types of people can.

Ian Lao (they, them theirs)

Ian is a Filipino-American pianist, composer, producer and teaching artist currently based in Boston, MA. As a collaborator, Ian is dedicated to nurturing and uplifting the creativity of their fellow artists and storytellers, prioritizing those from Filipino, BIPOC and Queer communities. In addition to serving as a music director and teaching artist for Rehearsal For Life, Ian can often be found creating music in their home studio and riding their bike throughout the Greater Boston area!

Jordan Llanas, (she, her, hers)

Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jordan studied Vocal Performance and Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While completing her degrees, she began fundraising for Wisconsin Public Television and Radio, following her passion for public broadcasting. She relocated to Boston in 2018 to direct a fundraising team for WGBH and grow roots in her community. Jordan went on to become the Donor Relations Specialist for GreenRoots, supporting environmental justice efforts in Chelsea and East Boston to create better public health outcomes through grassroots leadership. She comes to Rehearsal For Life excited to foster opportunities for young people to grow their skills through the performing arts. Beyond her career, Jordan is an artist and singer who enjoys traveling and spending time with her loved ones.

Merle Perkins

Merle is a founding member of Urban Improv, with the company since 1992. An Independent Reviewers of New England award winner, she’s played roles at theaters in New England and abroad. Credits include TV shows like HBO’s “Six Feet Under”, films and local commercials. The Governor’s office, the Mayor of Boston, and the Red Sox have requested Merle to sing at events. Merle trained at Boston University and Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts. She loves being able to share her passion for music and theater with everyone who participates in our classes and workshops, and, outside of work, is an avid Boston sports fan.

Micah Jones Rodriguez (she, her, they, them)

Micah joins Rehearsal for Life with over a decade of experience in nonprofit development, operations, and communications. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Rhode Island College, with a self-directed minor that combines politics with studio art, creative writing, and sociology. This line of study led Micah to focus on working with youth arts and humanities organizations serving communities in Rhode Island. They look forward to bringing their enthusiasm and expertise to RFL’s dedicated team of artists and leaders. Micah is also a writer, director, voice actor, and Co-Founder/Director of How it Ends Studio, a Providence-based production studio. How it Ends, the studio’s flagship series, is a multi-award-winning, immersive mystery audio fiction podcast distributed by Fable and Folly podcast network. They have also directed projects for Rusty Quill’s Neon Inkwell anthology series. Among many other things, Micah is a tabletop roleplaying game master and player, amateur archer, and dedicated cat parent. In their free time, you can find them writing down new story ideas, picking up new skills, reading, petting cats, and laughing at clever internet memes.

Grace Lenore Rogers, (she, her, they, them)

Grace Lenore Rogers is a Virgo, theatre artist, actor, and educator currently based in Boston, MA. She holds a BFA in Theatre Education and Performance from Emerson College, and has worked as a teaching artist with Barrington Stage, Wheelock Family Theatre, Brookline High School, and Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center. Favorite acting credits include Romeo & Juliet (Romeo) and POTUS (Stephanie). When not in the theater or classroom, you can find Grace writing, freelancing as a graphic designer, or on the hunt for the perfect iced latte. gracelenore.com

Faith Soloway (they, them, theirs)

Faith is a writer, director, composer, and performer, and has been a Rehearsal for Life employee for almost 30 years– first, as the music director for Urban Improv 1994 through 2016, and, now, as the Interim Artistic Director. They wrote for all four seasons of Amazon’s groundbreaking television show “Transparent,” composed all the songs for “Transparent: Musicale Finale,” and is now seeing a lifelong dream come true in their original musical “A Transparent Musical” coming to life at The Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. With roots in the musical comedy world, Faith was the musical director at Second City in Chicago from 1985-1990. During that time, they were also a founding member of The Annoyance Theater. Faith’s favorite part of working for Rehearsal for Life is connecting with the students, watching their joy and curiosities, and watching their development.

Betsy Soloway-Aizley, (she, her, hers)

Betsy Soloway-Aizley is a writer, actor, and dancer, and is currently choreographing for the Needham Troupe. Betsy grew up in Boston and Los Angeles, always performing and finding various creative outlets to pursue. Betsy was a member of the dance companies ‘Contemporarily Out of Order’, ‘StreetHype’, and ‘ProtoHype’, and has performed in over 25 different plays and musicals. Betsy is currently writing her fourth book, and keeping up with her own dance and vocal training.

Mary Torpey (she, her, hers)

Mary has been a director, teaching artist and creative collaborator in the Boston area for many years. She joined Rehearsal for Life in 2003 as assistant director with Freelance Players and teaching artist with Urban Improv and has been directing Freelance Players troupes since 2011. She is endlessly motivated by the collaborative, inclusive and expressive work she sees in the young artists and her colleagues. Originally from Maine, Mary graduated from Indiana University with a B.A in Theater and Drama and studied movement, voice and acting at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.

Jamie Ullrich (she, her, hers)

Jamie became Executive Director of Rehearsal for Life in June 2025, after nearly 20 years with the organization. She started with the Urban Improv program in 2006 and has worked in various roles throughout her tenure, giving her a deep understanding of RFL’s mission and impact.

Jamie brings a diverse professional background to her leadership role, with a BA in Communication Studies from Seattle University, an MA in Media Arts from Emerson College, and experience as a stage manager and radio professional in both Boston and Seattle. She is a graduate of The Institute for Nonprofit Practice Core Certificate Program and currently serves on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Arts Education Advisory Council.

After nearly two decades, what still draws Jamie to this work? She believes programs like RFL are more vital than ever, and she still gets goosebumps watching students discover what they’re capable of through the arts.

When she’s not at RFL, Jamie enjoys hiking with her dog June Bug.

Narcissa Campion (she, her, hers)

Before officially retiring in 2021, Narcissa was the Program Manager and a music director for Freelance Players. She joined the organization in 1982 and served as its Managing Director from the late 1980’s until 2019. An accomplished composer and arranger, she has won two Massachusetts Arts Lottery grants for composition. Narcissa is a graduate of Wellesley College, where she was awarded the Lamb Prize for composition, and the Barrett Fellowship for the study of musical theater. She has composed over 25 musicals for young people.

Kippy Dewey (she, her, hers)

Before officially retiring in 2021, Kippy served as Founding Director and artistic adviser to all Rehearsal for Life programs and oversaw the Freelance Players. Kippy has taught and directed at the Charles Playhouse and the Next Movie Theatre and held artist residencies in schools throughout the metropolitan Boston area. Kippy is also the founding director of Creative Arts at Park, a multi-arts summer program for young people ages 8-15.