The People of Creative Stage

Madeline Bender

Madeline Bender (Founder and Director of Creative Stage) has had a rich career as international opera singer, arts educator, and producer.  She has worked with some of the top stage directors, conductors and singers in the classical music profession, and has worked for over a decade in performing arts education.

Madeline has developed an array of innovative, multidisciplinary, child-focused performing arts curricula such as the Creative Stage Musical Theater Builders program, Filmmakers Workshop, Dancing Designers (with Clare Wasserman) and Puppet Theater Workshop (with Tiffany Iris).

Madeline is also the Founder and Director of Creative Stage Collective (CSC), a not for profit organization with a mission to bring the imaginative ideas of children to life through multi-generational collaboration. As writer, director and producer, Madeline has created numerous devised performances, including: Instrumental Storytellers at Symphony Space in Manhattan in collaboration with Concert Artists Guild (2020); the annual Creative Stage Spectacular! performances at Symphony Space (2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023); Creative Stage Uptown at the Alvin Ailey Room at the Harry Belafonte Branch of the NYPL; and Dancing Storytellers for Carnegie Hall Fall Family Day (2018), and Musical Madlibs in Auckland, New Zealand with the renown NZTrio (2021). She is also the directer and producer of the annual CSC Summer Shebang!performances (2021, 2022, 2023). Madeline specializes in devising original work with multi-generational, multidisciplinary groups.

A passionate supporter for children's education, Madeline was the Founder and General Director of Voices of Hope.  Voices of Hope, an opera gala event in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, raised over a quarter of a million dollars to provide life changing education to severely underprivileged children around the globe.

As a performer, Madeline has been praised by the New York Times, for her "dramatic stage presence",  "voluptuous soprano" and "theatrical flair”.  Her extensive performing career has spanned nearly 15 years, and saw her in leading roles on many of the world's most important operatic stages. She has worked with notable opera directors such as Sir Colin Graham, Sir Peter Hall, Robert Wilson, David McVicar, Paul Curran, John Copley, and the late Sir Jonathan Miller, to name just a few. Career highlights include performances as Euridice in Orphee’ e Euridice at the Le Theatre du Chatelet in Paris with Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducting; Helene in A Midsummer Night's Dream at La Monnaie, the Royal Opera House in Brussels, as well as with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera; Konstanza in Mozart's Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail with the Baden Baden and Aix en Provence festivals; Violetta in La Traviata with Santa Fe Opera, as well as performances as soprano soloist for Beethoven's  Symphony No. 9 with the  New York Philharmonic, and Handel's Messiah with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Sir  Andrew Davis. 

Madeline received her Masters degree from the Manhattan School of Music.  She lives in NYC with her husband, operatic bass Paul Whelan, and their fifteen-year-old son.

Born and raised in the Twin Cities, Ella moved to NYC to study drama at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Ella Smith studied at the Stella Adler Studio and, in her junior year, was selected to attend the Shakespeare program at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. In addition to her classical training, Ella studied improv and sketch at the Upright Citizens Brigade where she fell in love with comedy.

Ella wrote, starred in, and produced a short comedic film titled “Period.” and wrote an 8 part mockumentary web series about non-union-regional-summer-stock-low-budget theater called “This is B.S.” which she also acted in and produced. The series is currently in post-production.

Her production company ‘Funny Girl Productions’ is currently in its second year and launching a children’s branch titled ‘Funny Kid Productions’. Ella is also an active member of the sketch comedy group Stupid Hot and when not acting, finds great joy teaching acting classes at Rikers Island Correctional Facility.

Ella can be a local hire in NYC, Minneapolis, and Toronto and has dual American and Canadian citizenship.

TIFFANY IRIS

Tiffany Iris received training from Alan Langdon at Circle in the Square Theatre School, with theatrical projects ranging from straight plays to short films. Also a singer, Tiffany played the role of Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors for which she was nominated for an Irene Ryan acting scholarship. She recently performed in Riddles of the Trilobites at the New Victory Theater, and is currently part of the Halloween The Wildlife Witches Super Scary Halloween Show at the Bronx Zoo. Tiffany is also a regular performer with the Creative Stage Collective.

As a proud Latina, proving to the world that you can create beautiful, meaningful and fun content without having to be stereotyped, drives Tiffany to continue in this unpredictable yet rewarding career path. Read more about Tiffany HERE.

Katherine McClintic

Katherine McClintic (Dancing Designers, Lead Teacher) is a New York City based Choreographer, and Dancer. She has been teaching dance to 3-12 year olds for 13 years. Katherine first began teaching kids dance classes at Artistic Dance Academy in California, at Turning Pointe School of Dance in Holland, MI and has continued offering workshops, and events for children throughout New York City ever since. Katherine also teaches beginning partner dancing and tap class for adults. She most recently choreographed “Medea” for Columbia University’s MFA Directors program(Dir. Miriam Grill). She also choreographed and developed “Spy in the House of Love” a full-length play based on the novel of the same name written by Anais Nin. Katherine’s choreography has been featured in the short film “Spies?”, the music video “Under the Sky of Your Tough Love”, and a concept film adapted from her work in “Medea”. Katherine has trained in Ballet, Contemporary, Musical Theater, Tap, Swing and Hip Hop since age 5. Katherine dances back-up for the stunning drag queen Pattaya Hart(Plu Sayampol) most recently at The Vic Theater in Chicago, IL and The Borgata in Atlantic City, NJ.  Favorite dance credits include “ASL: Rocky Horror Picture Show”(DeafTheaterofNY) “Singin’ in the Rain”(NCT) and “Grease”(TheLoveShow) She is thrilled to be a part of Dancing Designers with Creative Stage and to take the philosophies of devised theater into a young classroom. www.katherinemcclintic.com

Joel Oramas

Joel Oramas (Comedy Improv and Musical Theater Builders, Lead Teacher) Joel is an enthusiastic performer and teaching artist, with credits including work in Romeo and Juliet (Burning Coal Theater), The Rape of Lucrece (NY Shakespeare Exchange), The Taming of the Shrew (Connecticut Free Shakespeare), to musical theater performances in shows such as Pippin and Man of La Mancha (Jean’s Playhouse), and Avenue Q (Hippodrome Theater). He has also appeared in the London tour of the critically acclaimed work, Prisoner’s Dilemma. As a teacher, Joel has taught young people through the Orlando Shakespeare Festival (Acting/Education Intern), Children’s Stage Adventures (Actor/Educator), and the James Franco Acting and Film School (Voice and Speech Instructor), and during his time as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Florida, where he earned his MFA. Joel continues his work with young people through Curated Care, developing activities that help children develop physically and mentally. Joel is a graduate of Western Connecticut State University, BA and University of Florida, MFA.

Marissa Ryan

Marrisa Ryan (Creator and Lead-teacher, Comedy Improv) is a veteran performer of both stage and screen. Ryan made her screen debut in the 1983 film Without a Trace. From 1989 to 1993, she starred as Elizabeth Cooper-MacGillis in the NBC sitcom Major Dad opposite Gerald McRaney. She later went to star in the Independent films Love Always, Slaves to the Underground, Taylor's Return, and With or Without You. In 1998, Ryan joined the cast of Fox police drama series, New York Undercover as Det. Nell Delaney, during the show's fourth and final season. He guest-star credits include appearances on The Practice, Sex and the City, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Law & Order. Ryan co-starred as Abby Bernstein in the ensemble cast satirical comedy film Wet Hot American Summer. She reprised her role in the Netflix prequel series, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp in 2015. She has also appeared in films Don's Plum (2001), Riding in Cars with Boys (2001), and Brooklyn Lobster (2005). Ryan made her directorial debut with the independent short film Three Women of Pain, which she also co-wrote.

Ty Norris

GERRY VEGA

Gerry Vega (Musical Theater Builders, Lead Teacher) is a NYC based Singer, Actor, Writer who has most recently self-produced two of his own solo-cabarets: Growing Up? and Pennies From Heaven-- performed at The Duplex Cabaret Theater and Feintstein’s/54 Below.

Gerry has recently partaken in some exciting workshops and readings: Steadfast Tin Soldier (dir: J. Quinton Johnson), ‘Twas The Night (dir: Ted O’Gorman), and, most recently, Actor Therapy sings Spring Awakening at Feintstein’s/54 Below (Moritz/Ensemble)-- to name a few.

He joined Actors’ Equity Association in 2014, and is an active participant of Lindsay Mendez and Ryan Scott Oliver’s Actor Therapy community, where he has coached with Lindsay, Ryan, and other industry professionals, like Kirsten Wyatt, Stephen Sposito, Peter Duchan. He proudly writes for the Actor Therapy community blog, we less #basic.

Gerry plans to spend the next few months manifesting magic over his self-created pilot, Life of [a] Manny. Read more about Gerry HERE.

Madeleine Witmer

Madeleine Witmer is a singer, actor, dancer and songwriter from Broadway, Virginia. She graduated with a degree in Musical Theatre and Dance from Christopher Newport University, and then went on to tour multiple productions, including children’s theatre, with Virginia Repertory Theatre. She spent the last two summers at The Ferguson Center for the Arts as part of the company of the “New Musicals Lab,” workshopping multiple productions, as well as the world premiere of Drew Gasparini’s We Aren’t Kids Anymore. Since moving to the city, you may have caught her singing at The Green Room 42, Feinstein’s/54 Below, or as a featured songwriter in Gasparini’s “New Voices” series—which you can find on YouTube along with more of Mads’s original music. 

Madeleine is a regular performer with the Creative Stage Collective.

Caroline StranG

Clare Wasserman (Co-creater and Lead Teacher of Dancing Designers) and has had a rich career as a costume designer with projects ranging from Quentin Tarentino films to Broadway shows.  Career highlights include exciting projects such as; Heidi Klum's Halloween costumes, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, the Marc Jacobs costume ball, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Santa costume, and the creation of a Zac Posen dress for the HBO series, Sex in the City. Clare has also collaborated with award winning designers for the Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Side Show and Tuck Everlasting on Broadway,  as well as working with the prestigious Spoleto Opera Festival in South Carolina.

As an arts educator, Clare has held positions such as lead teacher at the Inner-city Arts Camp in Houston, TX, teaching artist at The New Works Festival at the University of Texas in Austin, and the Children Arts Program Coordinator, at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church.

REGINA YUNG

Regina Yung (Musical Theater Builders Co-Teacher) a Hong Kong native, has performed as a soloist, collaborative pianist, and chamber musician in numerous venues throughout Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and the United States. She obtained her Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin College Conservatory, and her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Manhattan School of Music.  Regina is currently a member of piano faculty at the St. Thomas Choir School and South Shore Conservatory.  She is also a chamber music coach at Duxbury Music Festival Preparatory Summer program as well as a collaborative piano faculty at Duxbury Music Festival.