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JENNI BARBER (DIRECTOR, HADESTOWN) Jenni has starred on Broadway in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Performers, The Nance, Annie, Sunday In The Park With George, All My Sons, and as Glinda in Wicked.  Television credits include Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Master of None, Elementary, Smash, Law & Order: SVU, The 68th Annual Tony Awards (‘For Good’ – Glinda, Wicked 10th Anniversary Performance), Live from Lincoln Center (The Nance)”, and as Lisa Heffenbacher in over 50 episodes of the Emmy Award-winning, The Electric Company.  Jenni is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Department. She has been a guest lecturer, director, and choreographer for many educational institutions, including NYU TISCH, The University of Michigan, TUTS in Houston, TX, Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC, the National High School Music Theatre Awards aka “The Jimmy’s”, and NFAA/Youngarts (Theatre Panelist). She most recently directed Adam Guettel's Myths & Hymns for the University of Southern California's School of Dramatic Arts, where she is a Part Time Lecturer.

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DANIELLE BENSKY (CHOREOGRAPHER, HADESTOWN) Dani has served as a choreographer, educator, and director of dance for the Upper School at Poly Prep Country Day School, and the Middle and Upper School at Rye Country Day in NY. She has worked with the Walt Disney company for over ten years as both a performer and a teaching artist with Disney Theatricals, Disney Cruise Line,and Disney Creative Events. Dani has worked with Encores! at City Center, and continues to develop professional youth theater with Ohana Arts on the island of Oahu. Dani is the original choreographer for PEACE ON YOUR WINGS; the story of Sadako Sasaki which has been seen Off Broadway in NYC, toured in the West Coast and the Islands of Hawaii, and is headed to Japan this summer. Additionally, Dani has choreographed/staged many full-scale musicals and original concert dance pieces for The New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF), Stagedoor Manor,and York College (CUNY).

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AUDREY CASTANEDA WALKER (ACTING INSTRUCTOR, MTT & YOUNG PERFORMERS ACADEMY;  DIRECTOR, FROZEN KIDS) Audrey Castaneda Walker is a passionate theater artist and educator born and raised in Queens, New York. She began dancing at the age of four, with a background in Ballet (92nd St. Y), Flamenco (under Jo Dee Romano), and Ballroom dance (as a scholarship student at the Pier Dulane Dance Studio), which set the foundation for her artistic journey. Audrey pursued her love for performance at Ohio Wesleyan University, earning a Bachelor's degree in Theatre with a minor in East Asian Studies.  Audrey's acting credits include productions such as Artifice (Anne Flannagan), Blood Wedding (Federico García Lorca), Cabaret, and Actions That a Woman Might Play (Shakespeare mashup). She later received her MFA in Theatre for Young Audiences with a focus on curriculum development, further honing her expertise in both performance and education. She was the Administrative Coordinator for Ohana Arts from 2019 to 2023, where she also served as an acting teacher and director and choreographer for several youth productions, including Shrek Jr., Beetlejuice Jr., Ride the Cyclone, High School Musical, and most recently, the Descendants.

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CAROLYN CHUNG (Ohana Arts Co-Founder, Co-Artistic Director; DIRECTOR, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID)

Cari Taira is Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director and resident stage director for Ohana Arts.   She was born and raised in Mililani, Hawaii, where her passion for theatre began at Kipapa Elementary School with inspirational teacher, Mrs. Yvonne Toma. She attended Mililani High School, and went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama from the University of Portland. Her principle instructors were acting professors Ed Bowen and Mindy Logan, and voice processor Jill Sotero. She has performed in productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sweet Charity, The House of Bernarda Alba, The Crucible, and The Wiz.  Cari has taught students Kindergarten through 12th Grade at Hongwanji Mission School, Pacific Buddhist Academy, and Mililani High School for the past 16 years. Some of her recent directing credits include Peace On Your Wings, Mean Girls, Once On This Island, Miss Saigon, High School Musical, and Clue.  Cari is enjoying her time raising her toddler daughter, Ellie and also continues to direct shows and create family videos for her YouTube channel, Cari Taira.

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NANI MARCOS (DANCE INSTRUCTOR, MTT & YOUNG PERFORMERS ACADEMY)

Nani Marcos is a Filipino-American dance performer, choreographer, and educator local to Oahu, Hawai’i.  With over 20 years of experience, her training includes Contemporary, Jazz, various Street styles, Ballet, and Modern. Nani interweaves these genres to explore the nuances of self-expression and community connectivity. She is a recent graduate from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa with her Master’s of Fine Arts Degree in Dance, where she has taught Ballet and Contemporary as a Graduate Assistant. Nani has also taught at multiple studios and schools, holding choreography awards for her work with students across the island. She is currently on staff at the Punahou Dance School (PDS) and Studio 808 DP (S808DP).

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TIM MCGARRIGAL (CHOREOGRAPHER, CABARET; MTT DANCE INSTRUCTOR)  Tim is currently the Head of the BFA Musical Theatre program at Ohio Northern University, and. has served on the faculty of AMDA College of the Performing Arts in LA in both the Music Theatre and Acting Departments, where he has directed Ordinary Days,Places I Remember, and Coming Home. He was previously on faculty at the AMDA NYC campus as well as Montclair State University. Other directing and choreography credits include: Broadway Bares SF (assistant director/choreographer), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Choreographer) Berkshire Theatre Group, The Maid’s Tragedy (Movement Director/Choreographer) Shakespeare Theatre Co/ACA, Saved by the Veil (Associate Director/Co-Choreographer) AMDA (NYC), High School Musical (Choreographer) Dream Theater. Performing credits include: Across the Universe, Hugh Jackman: In Time, We Will Rock You (Original U.S. Cast), Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular in NYC, and National and International Tours of West Side Story (Action), Fosse, High School Musical, and Joseph. He holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the George Washington University/Shakespeare Theatre Company and a B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Connecticut. 

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JACK ROMANS (MUSIC INSTRUCTOR, MTT & YOUNG PERFORMERS ACADEMY;  MUSIC DIRECTOR, FROZEN KIDS) Jack Romans is in the MFA program for TYA here at UH Mānoa. He is a performer, director, deviser, composer, builder, educator, and administrator. Jack's performance experience includes professional musical theatre and opera since he was 11 as well as devising original interactive puppet shows. Jack has produced work all over the world including Indonesia, Taiwan, and Japan. As an educator, Jack has taught musical theatre, clown, acting, and puppetry to students ages 3-18+ in 10 countries. Jack has performed with the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, The Ordway, and has done world premieres with the MNOpera, the Gulali Festival in Jogjakarta, Usaginingen in Japan, and at Capitol Modern. Jack was recently in the Kennedy Theatre's production of RENT (starring as Mark Cohen). Jack can't wait to share the summer with all the incredible talent and families at Ohana Arts!

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LAURIE RUBIN (Ohana Arts Co-Founder, Co-Artistic & Development Director, VOICE INSTRUCTOR (Private Lessons)

Singer and author Laurie Rubin has concertized internationally at such venues as Carnegie Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the White House. Recent career highlights include duet concerts with world renowned mezzo-soprano Frederica Von Stade at DePauw University in Indiana and the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, a solo appearance with the LA Chamber Orchestra, and a performance at the International Human Rights Conference in Lucerne Switzerland. She has performed numerous operatic roles, including the witch/voice in Lisa Bielawa’s episodic TV opera, Vireo, Elle in Poulenc’s one-woman opera, La Voix Humane, Penelope in Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses, and the title role in Rossini’s La

Cenerentola. After the publication of her memoir, Do You Dream in Color? in 2012, Laurie embarked on a national concert and book tour, weaving stories from her life with relevant musical selections. She served as lyricist and co-bookwriter for the groundbreaking new musical, Peace On Your Wings which has toured Hawaii, Los Angeles, and New York. Laurie also joined with composer Jennifer Taira to form the pop duo, PureLand, writing and performing original music. Laurie is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Yale School of Music.

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JENNY TAIRA (Ohana Arts Co-Founder, Co-Artistic & Executive Director; MTT MUSIC INSTRUCTOR; Music Director, HADESTOWN and DIARY OF A WIMPY KID)

Jenny Taira is a Honolulu-based composer, pianist, and clarinetist. She recently composed, orchestrated, and co-wrote the book for the original musical PEACE ON YOUR WINGS, which premiered in Honolulu and has toured eleven cities, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Fukuoka, and Hiroshima, Japan.  PEACE ON YOUR WINGS has been the subject of two mini-documentaries by NHK, and has been featured on Broadway World, Huffington Post, and Playbill.com, amongst others. An active performer, she has performed extensively throughout the United States as a clarinetist and collaborative pianist. Recent career highlights include international recital tours throughout North America and Europe, and performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Ravinia Festival, the Philharmonic Hall in Brasov Transylvania, Greenwich Music Festival, and the 92nd Street Y in New York City; and a Lucas Artist Residency at Montalvo Arts Center. As a clarinetist, she received top prizes in the Hennings-Fischer Foundation Young Artist Competition and Kingsville International Competition, and has performed with the Burbank Philharmonic, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, New Britain Symphony, Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Hawaiian Band. In 2013, she and Laurie Rubin also branded as a new pop duo under the name, PureLand. Jenny is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Yale School of Music.

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YUKA TAKARA (DIRECTOR, CABARET;  MTT ACTING INSTRUCTOR)  Yuka Takara is from Okinawa, Japan. Broadway: RENT (Alexi), A CHORUS LINE (Connie), PACIFIC OVERTURES (Son, Kanagawa Girl, Servant), FLOWER DRUM SONG (Mei-Li u/s), MAMMA MIA! (Lisa u/s). National/International Tour: RENT-The Broadway Tour (Alexi, Dance Captian), FLOWER DRUM SONG (Mei-Li). Also, MY ONE AND ONLY (Kipper), SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (Renee, Dance Captain), ONCE ON THIS ISLAND (Ti-Moune), THE YELLOW WOOD (Gwen, NYMF Awards for Excellence-Outstanding Individual Performance), FDS Workshop, Radio City Music Hall’s CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR, HAIR (Tribe) & BYE BYE BIRDIE (Sad Girl) at City Center Encores! THE FANTASTICKS (Luisa) at Sacramento Music Circus. Film/TV: THE LAST LAUGH, CLAWS, BAD MOMS, EVERY LITTLE STEP, ED, LAW & ORDER: SVU. Winner of CBGB’s Japanese Talent Night. Original Albums/Singles: PARTY ON A MONDAY, UNIVERSAL U, FREE TO FLY, GOIN’ HOME. Part time Professor at USC School of Dramatic Arts, Musical Theatre. Choreographer: PACIFIC OVERTURES at East West Players(LADCC Nomination), SHE LOVES ME and A Man of No Importance at USC. Producer/Director/Choreographer credits include: THE LAST FIVE YEARS, OKINAWAN DIVAS, Alvin Ing’s BROADWAY IS STILL CALLING, BROADWAY NIGHT IN OKINAWA. Music videos: Stand up, Okinawa!!, To Sing In Harmony With You, Omamori, and more! instagram.com/yukajamz​​​​​

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