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.
Teaching Artist
IJ Chan (she, her, hers)
IJ (陳加恩) is a dance artist and educator born, raised and based in Boston. She has dedicated her life to training and performing in multiple dance genres for international dance masters. In her own choreographic work, IJ is interested in exploring the Asian-American narrative. She is committed to bringing quality arts instruction to low-income and minority youth populations within Boston, and Rehearsal for Life helps her accomplish this mission daily, while encouraging youth to be more empathetic and socially aware. In her free time, IJ also works as a freelance graphic designer, visual artist and seamstress.
Creative Director
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).
Teaching Artist
Ian Lao (he, they)
Bio to come!
Teaching Artist
Abby Lass (she, her, hers)
Abby holds a double degree in Drama and Psychology from Vassar College. During her time as an undergrad, Abby completed research on the psychological benefits of theatre education for adolescents and created a TEDx talk about the intersection of arts education and contemporary research practices. As a theatre artist, Abby has experience directing, acting, designing, choreographing, dramaturging, and intimacy coordinating. She has served as the Director of Education for Newton Theatre Kids, the Artistic & Engagement Intern at New Repertory Theatre, and has worked with students at the Newton Community Development Foundation, the Frances Jacobson Early Childhood Center, Camp Gan Israel, and Poughkeepsie Youth Theatre, among others. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Education at Lesley University. Outside of work, Abby enjoys cooking, cross stitching, and playing DnD.
Lead Teaching Artist
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.
Head of Urban Improv
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.
Creative Director
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.
Executive Director
Jamie Ullrich (she, her, hers)
Jamie has worked for Rehearsal for Life in various roles for over 15 years. Originally from South Dakota, Jamie earned a BA in Communication Studies from Seattle University and an MA in Media Arts from Emerson College. She has worked as a stage manager, and for several radio stations in Boston and Seattle, and is now gratified to be working for an organization that values artistic expression and social justice. The best part of her role at Rehearsal for Life is the look on students’ faces when they see the Teaching Artists enter a room or when the curtain goes down after a performance, demonstrating that the arts are so effortlessly able to create community and self-efficacy in a group of people – young or old! In her spare time, Jamie likes to run. She has completed a half marathon and is currently training for a full marathon.
OUR FOUNDERS
Founder
Narcissa Campion (she, her, hers)
Founder
Kippy Dewey (she, her, hers)
Founder
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.
Founder
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.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
James Benenson III, Chair Skye Morrison Kramer,Vice Chair Levin H. Campbell, Jr., Treasurer Katie Kulikoski, Clerk Lisa Schmid Alvord Lisa Case Yujing Li Kristina Hare Lyons Thalia McMillion Lisa Pierpont Maryam Rahmani
