Theater

Scott first started in theater as an actor, singer, and production designer for many years with several professional, community and high school theater groups in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota before starting as the Resident Director for 25 years at West Allis Central High School. He also was Resident Director at Mukwonago High School for several years. He is thrilled to serve as the Managing Director of the West Allis/West Milwaukee (WAWM) Youth Theater
Program. His passion for teaching theater, by offering an outlet for young people to show off their acting, singing, and dancing skills, has been a dream come true for the past 30 years. Recently retired as the Senior Buyer/Product Specialist for Global Industrial, Scott hopes to continue to develop this new theater program by
offering more opportunities to the kids in the WAWM communities by expanding the number of productions and introducing new theater-based programs to the elementary schools in the district.

Jordan’s love of theater began when he was in the fifth grade and
his participation with theater in the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District began his freshman year of high school when he performed in Cinderella under the direction of Scott Girmscheid. Through college, Pollard served as the assistant director for several Central High School plays. After graduating from Carroll University with a degree in elementary education, he accepted a teaching position in the WA-WM School District as a fourth- and fifth-grade educator, and also began assistant directing the musicals at Central High School. During the 2016-2017 school year, he began directing the Central musicals, West Milwaukee Intermediate musicals, and started the summer Youth Theater
program through the WAWM RCS Department. Over the years, Pollard has continued performing with various community theater organizations in southeastern Wisconsin. One of the biggest rewards of being a part of the WAWM theater team is getting to see his elementary students develop their love for the stage and having the opportunity to watch them grow as people and performers as they pursue their theater passions throughout intermediate and
high school.

Director: Damn Yankees!

A native of Milwaukee, David chaired the theater program at the Milwaukee High School of the Arts for 15 years before moving to Minnesota to pursue his MFA in Directing. After 29 years of teaching and directing at many theater companies throughout the United States, he returned to Milwaukee to serve as Director of Theater at University Lake School for two years. Milwaukee Magazine also
awarded him “Arts Educator of the Year” in 1998. David is currently working for Milwaukee Public Schools as the facilitator for the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council. He is thrilled to be part of the directing team again this year for the WAWM Youth Theater Program.

Director: Much Ado About Nothing, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Peggy has been working with the WAWM schools for 28 years. Before that, she worked as Production Stage Manager at First Stage Milwaukee and stage managed at a number of theaters in her hometown of Chicago. Her favorite part of the job is watching the kids learn, grow, and mature from first rehearsal to strike, from show to show, and year to year. Along with life lessons, Peggy hopes that some of her passion for theater has rubbed off on the kids.

Director: Mary Poppins, Jr.
Heather is the Director of Bands at West Allis Central High School. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Lawrence University, where she studied in the studio of David Bell. She has been in music theater for the past 16 years, performing in over 50 pit orchestras as a woodwind specialist. Some of her favorite performances include The Wild Party (All-In Productions) and The Drowsy Chaperone (Box Theatre). She has also performed as a clarinetist as a member of the Knightwind Ensemble and Vento Winds, and appeared as a featured vocal soloist with Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Figeac, France. Ms. Gandre has served on the leadership team as a director and music director in numerous musicals in the WAWM School District. She is thrilled to share her love of theater with all her students!

Karl is thrilled to be joining the WAWM Theater team again this year. He has been working in elementary, middle, high schools and colleges for over 33 years as a choreographer, director, consultant and teacher. Having spent 16 years at Homestead High School, 15 years at Greendale High School, 10 years at both Whitnall and Oconomowoc High Schools, 8 years at St Roberts Middle School
and 2 years with Disney Musicals in Schools in Madison to name a few. Karl is a 16 time Jerry Award winning choreographer and was inducted into the Jerry Award Hall of Fame in 2014. Karl looks forward to many adventures here at WAWM!

Ashley, a freelance choreographer, singer, and theater educator in southeastern Wisconsin - holds a B.A. in Theater Arts-Acting with a minor in Dance from the University of Northern Colorado and a M.A.T. in Secondary English Education from Western Governors University. While also teaching full-time, she is the Artistic Director
and Associate Choreographer for Main Street Song and Dance Troupe, teaches with First Stage, and served as the Community Enrichment Director and Tour Director for Kids From Wisconsin for nearly 10 years. Recent choreography credits include GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (Bombshell Theater Co.), MAMMA MIA! and MARY POPPINS (Sunset Playhouse), MATILDA (Waukesha Civic Theater), GREASE and THE ADDAMS FAMILY and GREASE (Marquette University High School), INTO THE WOODS and JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (Nathan
Hale High School), MOANA JR. and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF JR. (Pilgrim Park Middle School), and ALADDIN JR. and WIZARD OF OZ (Lake Denoon Middle School). And if all that wasn't enough, she is also the lead vocalist for the local cover band Smart Mouth, and frequently performs with Sunset Playhouse in their Musical MainStage and SideNotes Cabaret series. She hopes you have a fabulous time, and thanks her mom, family and friends for their continued support of her wild endeavors!