the Award-Winning
Ridge High School Theatre Program
Performing Arts Faculty
Director of Theatre Arts
Tim Lynch
Mr. Tim Lynch is so grateful for our theatre family at Ridge! In his first year at Ridge, he received the Rising Star Award for Outstanding Educator, Outstanding Direction of a Play, and Newsies received Best Musical. Prior to Ridge, Mr. Lynch was the Theatre Arts Director at Watchung Hills, where he received the Best New Theatre Educator Award from Montclair State. Prior to that, he worked in the Summit HS theatre department and forensics team for six wonderful years. He is most proud of his work in special education in the Summit Public Schools. Last school year, his education campaign with the special education dept. at Ridge received the Rising Star for Educational Impact, and Radium Girls was named Best Play. Although the true winning moment for him happens each year, when his students share that the Ridge Theatre Program has changed their lives. Mr. Lynch was a recent featured story in BroadwayWorld, his career is profiled in an article this past January.
Vocal Music Director & Pit Conductor
Madelyn Curtin
Madelyn Curtin graduated from TCNJ in 2018, where she completed her undergraduate studies in music education with a concentration in voice. While there, she had the pleasure of participating in the Lyric Theatre, where her credits include Sunday in the Park with George (Yvonne/Marie), 1776 (Martha/Sherman and Assistant Director), and Company (April). Miss Curtin is the proud director of the Steinert Choirs and The Spartones A Cappella group in Hamilton, NJ. Outside of school, she is a part of Christmas Matters Holiday Carolers and a founder of the community theater group Off Centre Stages at Kelsey Theatre. Most recently, she found herself back onstage as Lady Thiang in The King and I at Music Mountain Theater. She would like to thank all the staff and students involved in making this show come to life.
Scenic Designer
Jason M. Stewart
Mr. Jason M. Stewart is an artist and art educator at Ridge High School, where this is his fifteenth year working with the scenic design and stage crew. He received his MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and has exhibited his artwork throughout the East Coast. Mr. Stewart and his crew have received many awards and nominations for their outstanding scenic design work. Over the past 20 years, Mr. Stewart has worked with local and touring theatre companies in the roles of director, actor, designer, stage manager, painter, and builder. Mr. Stewart is extremely proud of the hard work the Mary Poppins cast and crew have put into this production. He is grateful for the love and support of his wife, Jessi, and children Beatrice, Mabel, and Winston. To see more images of Mr. Stewart’s artwork and past set designs, you can visit www.jasonMstewart.com.
Technical Director & Lighting Designer
Colin Berry
Mr. Colin Berry has experience within the Performing Arts Center industry for the past six years. He is a 2018 graduate of Rowan University, where he served as Director of Technical Services, putting on weekly events and shows. Mr. Berry worked on sold-out comedy events for Marlon Wayans, SNL cast member Michael Che, and Mikey Day. He is a lighting technician for the New Jersey Devils hockey and Seton Hall University men’s basketball games at the Prudential Center. He has worked corporate, theatrical, and arena-size events for the past ten years as a freelance audio-visual engineer. He is very excited to extend the joy of theatre to all students who want to learn!
Costume Designer
Bonnie Grube
Ms. Bonnie Grube is excited to be working again with the talented staff and students at Ridge High School. Teaching students, watching them grow, and learning something new from them is one of the best feelings in the world. Ms. Grube has over 20 years of design and construction credits, including: Newsies, Something Rotten!, Radium Girls, Cinderella, Peter Pan & Wendy (Ridge HS), Something Rotten! and She Kills Monsters (Summit HS), Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 and multiple Dance Concerts (SCVTHS), Guys & Dolls (Brook Arts Center), and Fame (Tropicana Casino). Ms. Grube also designs, alters, and constructs custom-made clothing and historical costumes. She teaches science at Tree of Life Co-op and is a substitute teacher in multiple districts. Ms. Grube wants to thank everyone at Ridge High School for this amazing opportunity and looks forward to more shows at Ridge.
Set Builder
Aaron Willsey
Mr. Aaron Willsey’s first production was Grease in 1986, a show that is dear to his heart. He has lost count of the number of shows he has worked on. Memorable shows of his career are Suesical with Voorhees High School and The Little Mermaid with SKIT, a community theater company in Hunterdon County. Set pieces that he is most proud of are the ship for The Little Mermaid, the special effects for the murderous Sweeney Todd, and a swing set for The Addams Family. Mr. Willsey is grateful for the opportunity to work with the students of Ridge High School and to learn from the staff who make up the production team.
Drama Club Leadership Officers
President
Deeksha Dilip
Deeksha, a senior, is so grateful for the opportunity to be Ridge Drama Club’s President this year. From Curious Incident her freshman year to Cinderella this spring, her love for theater has continued to grow. After finding her footing on RDC’s Production Team, she developed a deeper appreciation for what it takes to put on a show. Ridge Drama Club has given Deeksha a home, a purpose, and a community that feels like family. She is endlessly thankful for every single member of this club for making this club such an integral part of her life. As President, Deeksha hopes to pass on that same warmth, joy, and sense of belonging to the growing RDC family.
Vice President
Harrison Fischer
Harrison is a senior and really looking forward to being the Vice President of Ridge Drama Club! Harrison has been in RDC for all of his highschool years, participating in the Curious Incident, Newsies, Something Rotten, Radium Girls, and, most recently, Cinderella. Harrison feels that Ridge Drama Club is an incredible way to give back to the Basking Ridge community and beyond, as theater is something that can really lift people up and inspire them to do great things. Ridge Drama Club is also one of the greatest communities of people Harrison has ever been a part of, and he is honored to call so many of his fellow members his close friends. Harrison looks forward to fostering a welcoming environment and can’t wait to see what amazing things we do next year!
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Secretary
Risha Vasanthavada
Risha, a sophmore, is ecstatic to be secretary. Ridge Drama Club has been such a welcoming and friendly environment for her when she was a freshman and she aspires to contribute to the club’s excellence. Her experiences in Ridge’s recent productions of Radium Girls (Dial painter) and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (Small woman) have reinforced the importance of perseverance and teamwork. She can’t wait to promote this message as the Drama Club family takes on another year of great productions!
Co-Community Outreach Chair
Maisy Karins
Maisy, a senior, is so excited to be Ridge Drama Club’s Co-Community Outreach DIrector with her friend, Faye. Maisy has been in Ridge Drama Club for one year as she has recently moved here from Texas. Her recent roles in Ridge Drama Club are Marie (Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella) and Miss Anna Fryer (Radium Girls). Maisy also directed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Ridge High School. She plans on doing the Pathway Program with Mr.Lynch to shadow and learn from the best to help share the love of theatre and help better her craft in the process. Maisy has done 37 mainstage productions overall. Maisy devotes her life to theatre and is so excited to be able to give back to the community that has built her up so much in her life. Maisy plans to create an inviting community for new students just like the one she was blessed with when she came to RIdge High School.
Co-Community Outreach Chair
Faye Fletcher
Faye, a senior, is looking forward to being Community Outreach Chair with Maisy! Last year, Faye had the honor of being the International Thespian Honor Society President, where she championed community service and giving back to the theatre world. Faye has participated in every main stage, her favorite roles being; Madame (Cinderella), Dotty Otley (Noises Off), and Katherine/Irene (Radium Girls). Faye is eternally grateful to her Drama Club teachers and mentors for giving her a space to be herself in without judgement. Outside of Drama Club, Faye can be found competing around the country with Ridge Forensics, where she is a nationally ranked competitor, and the current Captain of Interp, which is competitive acting. Faye is ecstatic for her last year of high school, and dreams to pursue Musical Theatre in college. This year will be the best one yet!
Treasurer
Kayden O'Connor
Kayden, a Seinor, is super happy to be Treasurer of the Drama Club this year. Kayden has been a part of the last 6 shows over his freshman, sophomore, and junior year. He was a part of the stage crew for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and Noises Off, and for Newsies (Morris Delaney), Something Rotten (Horatio), Raduim Girls (Von Sochocky, Edward Markley, etc.), and most recently Cinderella, where he played Sebastian, Kayden has participated in the Cast. He was recently nominated for Best Actor in a Historical Drama at Montclair Theater Night Awards for his performance in Radium Girls. He is looking forward to this next, and final, Drama Club Year. He wants to thank Mr. Lynch for trusting him with an Officer Role in the Drama Club and can't wait to make unforgettable stories with the rest of you!
Anti Garcia
Anti is a junior and is so excited to be Co-Dionysus with her friend, Risha. Anti is proud to say she started performing her freshman year and has been in every show since then. Her favorite roles include Sobsister (Radium Girls) and Charlotte (Rodgers and Hamerstein’s Cinderella).Anti won a Paper Mill Rising Star Award for her role as Charlotte for Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role. As an officer, Anti is determined to continue to make everyone feel wanted and to create the best parties for Ridge Drama Club.
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Margie La Fountaine
Margie, a Junior, is so honored to be Co-Publicist with Sean this year! Her time in Drama Club has been spent making some of her favorite memories with her friends in Something Rotten and Cinderella. Each show she falls more in love with theater and she is thrilled to be part of the amazing team of officers this year! The mentorship she has received from her friends in this club has meant the world to her and she is excited to help carry on the torch. Margie would like to wish everyone a wonderful year in Ridge Drama Club!
Sean Pernaselli
Sean, a senior, is so thrilled to be Co-Publicist along side Margie for the upcoming season of Drama Club. His past roles include Elmer in Newsies, Robin in Something Rotten and most recently Lord Pinkleton in Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. He can’t wait to see what this new year brings and would like to thank Mr. Lynch for encouraging him to follow his passion of performing and helping his performance abilities improve each production. Go Ridge Drama Club!