Ankita Raturi
Playwright & Teaching Artist
Camper: 2008 – 2009
College: Tisch School of the Arts (BFA Drama)
Big News!
Ankita is a member of the New York Shakespeare Exchange’s Diversity Cohort. Her play Our House is Haunted was featured in the 2018 Corkscrew Theater Festival.
“TPE was the first time I took a classical form and made new work, the first time I devised theatre with a group of people, the first time I saw myself as a content creator as much as a performer. And that’s a lot of what I do now: devising and experimenting with form.”
Sophia Hoffacker
Political Organizer
Camper: 2006 – 2008
College: University of Vermont (BS Environmental Studies)
Big News!
“I just finished up a job as a Regional Field Director working to pass I-1631, a ballot initiative that would charge big polluters (like oil companies) for their pollution and invest the money in clean air and clean energy projects. It was written by the largest and most diverse coalition in state history, including tribal nations, environmental groups,
communities of color, low-income advocates, small businesses, and labor. We lost by just a few percentage points, and now we are taking the fight to the state legislature!”
“TPE – and especially “Spiritual Moment” at Madeira – fostered a love for the environment in me that I carry with me to this day. It helped spark the work I do. I am passionate about social justice – it is impossible to do that work without a healthy imagination for what a better world could look like. TPE helped me develop my imagination, and without it I wouldn’t be able to do this work.”
Ethan Carleton
Audio Engineer
Camper: 2005 – 2010
Staff: 2011-2013
College: UNC Chapel Hill (BA in Dramatic Arts/Philosophy)
Big News!
Ethan is head of the audio department at John W. Engeman Theater in Northpoint, NY
“I love to live-mix shows. Besides making sure everyone is heard when they’re supposed to be, I’m also constantly adjusting the audio balance between the actors and the band, which can play a crucial role in telling the story effectively. TPE had an ethos of equally valuing their tech staff as contributors to the production, which helped encourage me to explore technical theatre as a career option.”
Amanda Fox
Educator
Camper: 2007 – 2010
College: Appalachian State University (Psychology)
Big News!
After graduating with a degree in psychology from Appalachian State University, Amanda joined Children’s Hope Alliance as a youth counselor working with teenage trauma survivors. She is now planning to return to school for environmental studies.
“The thing I miss most about TPE is the community of people I worked with. The individuals I met and the interactions I had with them helped me come out of my shell. Before TPE, I was very shy and quiet around strangers, but TPE helped me realize it is okay to be a little dramatic. After a few years in TPE, I was given my favorite role, Cacassena in No Room at the Inn. This role allowed me to exercise my freedom to improvise and play off my fellow troupe members.”
Jenay McNeil
Actor
Camper: 2005
Staff: 2015
College: University of Maryland (BA Acting)
Big News!
Holding a BA in acting from the University of Maryland, Jenay is a New York-based actor, coach, and singer. She appeared recently in a new musical production of Sleepy Hollow at the New York New Works festival, and was a member of the Main Stage cast on board the Disney Fantasy cruise ship.
“My favorite part of being an actor is the stories I get to hear, feel, and share…when my performance affects someone in a way that’s personal, or when someone’s story affects me in a way that makes me want to be a better person. It happens so often, and I feel lucky that it’s my job to share these stories with as many people as I can.”
“TPE was my introduction to acting, the classics, and touring. I only spent one summer at TPE as a camper, but I always knew I would be back. That turned out to be eight-ish years later, when I assistant directed Hamlet with Jeanne. We took Hamlet wherever they would let us, whether it was a Jewish nursing home or a school for children where English wasn’t their first language. That’s when I realized, we are actors without borders. We know no boundaries, so why limit ourselves in any way? TPE taught me this and so much more.”
Below: Jenay performing Circle of Life with Disney Fantasy Cruises
