Summer Faculty Jason is so excited to be returning to YTU this year! He has been teaching middle-school theatre going on 10 years now and it is truly his calling! He has a degree in Theatre Arts Education and has been performing since a young age. Even more than performing, directing and producing is Jason's true passion. Anything that gives young actors an opportunity to shine on stage! Some favorite past projects include directing "All Shook Up", "Peter/Wendy", "Guys and Dolls", "Shrek the Musical", and "The Lion King Jr". Eva Merrill is a incoming senior studying Musical Theatre at the University of Utah. Raised in Bend, Oregon, she has a love for the outdoors and exploring the beauty of Utah. She has been performing her entire life and is so excited to work with Youth Theatre this summer. Zac has been teaching here at Youth Theatre for the past 18 years and started right after he graduated with a degree in the Theatre education from the University of Utah. Zac performs, from time to time, at various local theaters, and currently teach theater and history at Evergreen junior high school. Camden Barrett is an actor, director, movement coordinator from Salt Lake City, Utah, and a recent graduate from Lone Peak High School. Camden is studying to earn her BFA in the Actor Training Program at the U. Camden recently portrayed the Witch in Into The Woods produced by Utah Valley Youth Players raising funds for Direct Relief providing essential medical resources to vulnerable populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. She looks forward to playing and innovating with you this summer! Darin has been teaching for 21 years now and has taught 20 of those 21 years at the University of Utah's Youth Theatre. During the school year he teaches at Judge Memorial Catholic High School. Helena is a Junior in the musical theatre program at the University of Utah. Originally from (very) Northern Minnesota, she loves being outside, traveling, and eating good food. You can see her next in "Secret Garden" at Hale Center Theatre (MWF Cast) opening at the end of August. This is Helena's first summer with YTU and she is thrilled to be back in-person doing what she loves most. She can't wait to meet all of you. It's gonna be a great summer! Megan is a graduate from Southern Utah University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Classical Acting. Her favorite roles include the Duchess of York in “Richard III” and Middle Susanna in “Susanna” with the Online Theatre Festival last fall. She loves to act (obviously), but her true passion lies in teaching and directing. Megan is currently an assistant theatre coach at Jordan High School when she has directed several plays. She is so excited to be a part of YTU and work with such talented kids! She is a theatre teacher and stage manager who loves sharks, peach-flavored things, and dancing alone in her kitchen. She has worked on over ten U Dept. of Theatre productions, her favorite being Floyd Collins. She is also a freelance graphic designer who runs her own raspberry picking business back home in Idaho with her parents, who she pays in milkshakes. The key to her heart is an early 2000's comedy and an iced vanilla chai! Micaela is a senior in the MTP at the University of Utah. This is her first time with Youth Theatre and she is looking forward to teaching and learning more herself. Shauna has been acting since she was a young girl. She has taken her long love of theatre and made it into a career as a theatre teacher. She has taught pre-k through college. She has also been directing for years. Some of the highlights are: Noises Off!, Don't Drink the Water, Pirates of Penzance, Utahoma!, Horse Girls, Legally Blonde, Footloose, Annie, and most recently Beauty and the Beast and the regional debut of TRW's Alice in Wonderland. She is VERY excited to be back teaching at Youth Theatre at the U! Joseph Kyle Rogan has been teaching theatre in Utah public schools since 2004. He is currently the head of the theatre and film program at Skyline High School, in Salt Lake City. He has a wide variety of eclectic theatrical interests and areas of expertise, including improvisational acting, performance poetry, and stage combat. He lives in Draper with his wonderful wife and three awesome children. In his meager spare time, he tries to sucker friends and family into playing as many board games as possible. Hi there! My name is Bryn Swain, and I am super excited to be part of Youth Theatre this summer! I am studying Theatre Teaching at the University of Utah. I love all areas of theatre from production to writing to acting. I love teaching kids and encouraging them to explore, create, and surprise themselves with what they are capable of! I believe theatre is a great place for us to channel the crazy energy we already have and to step outside of ourselves! Kailey is currently a junior in the Theatre Teaching program at the University of Utah. She has loved performing from a young age and is always grateful for the opportunity to share her passion with others. Kailey was involved in Highland High's theatre program and was seen in its productions of Once On This Island and Seussical, the Musical. She was involved in the Center Stage Players children theatre troupe for almost ten years beginning as a performer and later becoming an acting coach and director. Originally from Minnesota, Langley Hayman will be starting her Junior year in the Musical Theatre Program this fall. She is so excited that YTU is back for the summer and can’t wait to explore and have fun!
