Meet the Rising Stars Directors

Audition Specialist

 lla Dreessen  (she/they) is a local film and theater performer and also runs a  thriving voice studio in Poulsbo. She specializes in teaching musical  theater and contemporary styles of singing and acting for stage and  film. She is a producer at Kitsap Forest Theater and for Cosmic Coyote  Films. She is passionate about promoting foundational arts education in  Kitsap County, where we are so blessed to have a thriving performing  arts community. She wants anyone passionate about theater and performing  to have the tools they need to succeed in auditions and on stage! You  may have seen her on stage at Port Gamble Theater, Bainbridge Performing  Arts, or Kitsap Forest Theater, or singing with her band Sidde Folk.  

Voice Specialist

 Nina Polachek,  founder of Bainbridge Vocal Studio, is a classically trained soprano and  experienced vocal instructor with over 20 years of professional  performance and teaching. After an early international debut and  extensive study in music and philosophy at institutions including Boston  University and GCAS College Dublin, she returned this year to the  Pacific Northwest to share her expertise with Kitsap County. Her  teaching method blends imagination with technique to help students of  all ages strengthen and express their unique voices.  After debuting  this spring as Phoebe D’Ysquith in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Nina is thrilled to collaborate with Port Gamble Theater for this summer’s innovative educational program in the musical arts. 

Voice Specialist

 
Amanda Fish is a vocalist,  music educator and director who has a passion for helping students  unlock their vocal potential. She studied at Elon University under the  tutelage of Dr. Polly Butler-Cornelius. After graduating with her  Bachelors in Music, Amanda attended George Mason University as a Master  of Music student of the renowned Mezzo Soprano Patricia Miller.  After  receiving her Masters Degree in Vocal Performance, Amanda went on to  Shannandoah University’s Vocal Pedagogy Instutute, where she received  her certificate in Contemporary and Commercial Music. Amanda is  currently a member of the National Association of Teacher of Singing. 

Amanda  has been teaching private voice lessons for the past twelve years to  all ages and skill levels. During that time she also music directed 15  junior musicals for elementary, middle and high school students. 

Dance/Movement Specialist
Kylie Cordero is a local music educator and theatre performer, Kylie is excited to bring her talents to Port Gamble Theatre with the Rising Stars program. A versatile performer, Kylie has showcased her vocal talents with the University Chorale at Pacific Lutheran University as well as in her teachings at her own voice studio. She also demonstrates her instrumental skills as a cellist and teacher with local nonprofit, Kids in Concert (KIC). She got her start in choreography at KIC’s annual musical theatre camp in 2015, where she then choreographed their next five musicals. She holds a BA in Communications with a minor in Music from Pacific Lutheran University and is thrilled to continue sharing her passion for the performing arts with the community 

Acting Specialist

 Alix Black holds a  BFA in Acting from The University of Montevallo. She has taught various  workshops to youth in improv, audition technique, and acting technique.  She has a particular love for Shakespeare and is currently working on  BPA's summer production of Macbeth. She has been seen onstage at PGT as Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie and Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Most recently, she portrayed Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Ernest at JBT.