Artistic Board

Tyler Ellis (President)

Tyler Ellis is a member of the School of Dramatic Arts Class of 2020 in which he is earning a Theatre major with a minor in Marketing within the Marshall School of Business. He is thrilled and honored to be a part of this group of artists, and looks forward to the coming years as a part of the MTR family. A Bay Area native, Tyler has acted, designed, directed, marketed, and studied theatre extensively. His favorite roles include Robert in Company (YMTC Bay Area and MTR), Che in Evita (USC), and Mr. Black in The Wild Party (USC). He trained at California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) in 2013 and the Cherubs Program at Northwestern University in 2015. He has worked in New York City for actor Alan Cumming and the New York Musical Festival, and is now at Walt Disney Studios working in Field Marketing. He directed MTR's production of Cabaret last spring, and cannot wait for the season! tylerjosephellis.com

Jamie Salinger (Production Manager)

Jamie Salinger is a member of the USC School of Dramatic Arts' class of 2020, pursuing a BFA in Stage Management. She graduated from Alexander W. Dreyfoos High School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida where she stage managed Thoroughly Modern Millie and Shrek. There, she discovered a passion for both stage and production management that she is thrilled to be realizing as the Production Manager of the Musical Theatre Repertory. Since Jamie’s time with MTR began, she has stage managed Heathers, Edges, and Next to Normal. She has also stage managed collegiate level productions of Eurydice, an MFA New Works Festival, and Mockingbird with USC’s School of Dramatic Arts, as well as professional productions of Sugar and Hallelujah, Baby! with the Musical Theatre Guild. She looks forward to growing alongside the MTR company! More details at jamiesalinger.com.

Jordan Fox (Treasurer)

Jordan Fox is earning a degree in BFA Technical Direction and is excited to be graduating with
the class of 2021. He joined theatre in his second year at Irvine High School and became lead Set
Designer and Master Carpenter as a junior. Jordan also received two Cappies Commendee &
Nominee’s for his work as Set Designer on Brighton Beach Memoirs and Cinderella by Rodgers
and Hammerstein. In his first year, he has worked on the development and execution of over 20
productions at USC but the most rewarding have been Game Night(Set Designer), Stage
Kiss(Master Carpenter), Tongues & Savage/Love(Technical Director), Titus Andronicus(Set
Designer and Technical Director), Cabaret(Assistant Technical Director), and the New Works
Festival Year 2: Family Riots, Tunnels, and Counting(Student Technical Director). He is ecstatic
to be assisting MTR this year and to be a part of such a prestigious group of individuals!
Jordankerrfox.com

Beth Yeo (Public Relations)

Beth Yeo is a member of USC’s Class of 2021 pursuing a double major in Communication and Economics. Though she has lived in Singapore all her life, she was born in LA and is thrilled to be back. Beth’s love for musicals developed following a life-changing trip to Wicked aged 11, after which she went on to play an active role in her school’s Theatre Club during her middle and high school years. Much of her time was also devoted to participating, then coaching in Odyssey of the Mind, an international performance-based problem-solving program. More recently, Beth began a theatre blog, The Stage Narrative, combining her love for writing and theatre through reviewing shows and interviewing Broadway and West End actors. She also took on the role of Contributing Editor at BroadwayWorld during her Freshman year abroad in Switzerland, reviewing European touring productions such as The Rocky Horror Show. You can probably find Beth in a theatre or in her room listening to show tunes in her free time. She was honored to ASM for Avenue Q—and now Spring Awakening—and cannot wait for the remainder of her journey with MTR! www.thestagenarrative.com

Austin Karkowsky (Secretary)

Austin Karkowsky is from Houston, Texas and is beyond thrilled to be a part of the MTR Board. A member of the School of Dramatic Arts Class of ’21 and minor in Songwriting, Austin is passionate for theatre and music alike. He began performing when he was ten, and has been hooked ever since. As an actor, he has performed all over the country, with some of his favorite credits including Fly: A New Musical, and The Sound of Music Live! on NBC. As a composer, he is proud to say that his original musical, Boy Meets Girl, had its world premiere in London in Fall of 2017, and has additionally had music performed on Sesame Street. He has been trained at TUTS’ Humphrey’s School of Musical Theatre and at the Cherubs Program at Northwestern University in the summer of 2016. Austin is loving every second of his time at USC, and cannot wait to get more involved in the future of MTR!

Joy Cheever (Member at Large)

Joy Cheever, Class of 2021, is working towards a BFA in Sound Design at the School of Dramatic Arts. She was first a dancer from the age of three, then shifted to theatre in middle school when she found her true passion wasn’t onstage, but behind the curtain. She fell in love with Sound Design at her High School in Keller, TX, and decided to pursue a career in the field. Joy was introduced to MTR by designing for Avenue Q in Fall 2018, and the rest is history! Outside the Artistic Board, Joy serves as the Theatre Students Association Assistant Marketing Chair and has designed the sound for a multitude of other ISP companies including BNT, ATC, Impulse, and One and All. Joy will be designing this year’s production of The Busybody, and looks forward to designing for more SDA Mainstage productions in the future. Beyond the realm of theatre, Joy has worked for the Marshall School of Business for over a year. When outside of a dim theatre or office, Joy loves to go outdoors, travel, and spend time with friends. This is her first semester serving on the MTR Artist Board, and she couldn’t be more excited to work with such a talented group of people! www.joycheever.com

Mallory Gabbard (Member at Large)

Mallory Gabbard is a current BFA in Theatrical Design and Production with a minor in Cinematic Arts Animation in The University of Southern California’s graduating class of 2019. While her passion of the arts grew from music (flute and piccolo in particular), to studio art, and then into theatrical design - Mallory has always enjoyed the collaborative aspects of musical theatre and the challenges each show has brought throughout its creative process. Skipping around from Chicago, IL to Austin, TX and now Princeton, NJ - Mallory is grateful to have always felt at home with the stage alongside the other ambitious and accomplished artists associated with MTR’s board of directors. Emphasizing in both Scenic and Costume Design, some of her favorite projects thus far have included designing for The School of Dramatic Art’s New Works Festival Plays, and of course MTR’s productions of Little Women, Heathers and Company.

Lucy Grebin (Member at Large)

Lucy Grebin is a member of the School of Dramatic Arts Class of 2019 from Short Hills, NJ (40 min outside of Manhattan!). Lucy has been a part of the MTR family since she was a Freshman, and ever since she joined she has loved every minute of it. Aside from devoting her life to MTR's social media, Lucy loves to explore LA, eat good food, and experiencing comedy in any way she can. Her most recent roles have been Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein, Heather Duke in Heathers, and Marge in Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play. She is currently Dolores in SDA's The Wild Party, opening November 16. This past summer, Lucy interned for Working Title Productions, and before that at Jujamcyn Theaters. She also attended French Woods Summer Camp for 7 years. Her favorite thing about MTR is the amazing people she gets to work with, and of course the swag.

Sarah Hahm (Member at Large)

Sarah Hahm is a second year at USC pursuing a BA in Dramatic Arts and is thrilled to be serving as Secretary for MTR this year! Sarah has been involved in performing arts from a very young age, starting with playing classical piano and cello and then studying flute at the Juilliard School of Music Pre-College Division in the 6th grade. She became invested in theatre after moving to Seoul, South Korea in 2010 and has performed in Hong Kong, Manila, Beijing, and Kobe, amongst other cities in Asia. Sarah has pursued her passion for the arts as an actor, director, and designer in over twenty shows and festivals. Her USC credits include: MTR’s Heathers (Assistant Director), Artemis’s The Tempest (Co-Director), SDA’s Mr. Burns, a post-electric play, and is thrilled to be directing and composing Tongues & Savage/Love winter of 2018.

Katie Kivinski (Member at Large)

Katie Kivinski is a junior at USC, pursuing a major in Music Industry. She has a background in classical piano and has completed the California Certificate of Merit program through the highest level, but she developed a love for theatre in high school. President of her school’s International Thespian Society troupe, Katie earned the title of Top 4 Honorable Mention for the Orange County Artist of the Year in Vocal Music. Although she loves to perform and has been featured in lead roles with the Southern Orange Country School of the Arts, she is passionate about music directing and songwriting. Together with her best friend, she founded Varsity Arts Club at her school and created “New Works Night,” an annual event where students can showcase their original work. Her favorite experience as a musician was attending A Cappella Academy, a summer music camp in Los Angeles, and performing with Pentatonix at the Hollywood Bowl. Katie is a proud member of the SoCal VoCals, and she loved performing with them at the 2018 Aca-Open at Carnegie Hall. She was honored to AMD for Cabaret, and she is so excited for the upcoming MTR season!

Tristan McIntyre (Member at Large)

Tristan McIntyre is a Los Angeles native and regional award winning actor, dancer, and comedian. Tristan has been performing for the past fifteen years both professionally and semi-professionally in LA equity theaters, local studios, and at the University of Southern California, where he is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Acting along with a double minor in Musical Theatre, Computer Programming, and an extensive coursework in Songwriting, Dance, and the Entertainment Industry. He made his professional debut as a swing in Celebration Theatre’s Ovation winning production of The Boy From Oz and plays the leading dramatic role in Sunday Morning, an independent film that is currently running the film festival circuit. Tristan stars as Jay in Ensemble: A Comedy Mini-Series and will be starring in the role of Action in USC School of Dramatic Arts’ production of West Side Story. Recent credits include Spamalot (Sir Robin), Wild Party (Jackie), Noises Off (Gary), Fuddy Meets (Millet), and Romeo & Juliet (Benvolio); MTR credits include Heathers (Ram Sweeney), Cabaret (Associate Producer), Company (Asst. Choreographer), & Next to Normal (Choreographer). Tristan is thrilled and honored to be serving on the MTR board and is looking forward to making theatre magic with his insanely talented and artistically driven MTR family. www.tristanmcintyre.com

Juan Miguel Posada (Member at Large)

Juan Posada is currently a member of the first graduating class of the brand new Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. He is pursuing a major in dance as well as a minor in music industry. Born in Medellin, Colombia, he discovered his passion for the performing arts at an early age, which lead him to start dancing. After training in latin dance, ballet, hip hop, jazz and contemporary, Juan moved to America, where he attended Idyllwild Arts Academy for his last three years of high school to rigorously continue his ballet training. By being a part of the Glorya Kaufman School of dance, Juan has gotten to perform multiple works by acclaimed choreographers such as George Balanchine, William Forsythe, and Jiri Kylian, and has gotten to perform at multiple trustee conferences including the USC Global conference in Tokyo, Japan. Even though Juan has not been involved with many musical theatre productions, he realized his passion extended well beyond only dance after getting the opportunity to play Bernardo at USC’s production of West Side Story this past spring. Due to this, he is thrilled to join MTR and expand his knowledge on musical theatre as well as serve as a dancer and choreographer for future productions.

Seira Murakami (Member at Large)

Seira Murakami is a member of the USC School of Dramatic Arts class of 2019 pursuing a BFA in Stage Management. She began her career as a dancer, but moved on to theatre and film in high school (Wildwood Secondary School). Seira has stage managed many productions during her time at USC including SDA's Macbeth, Circle Mirror Transformation, New Works Festival Year II, and Side Show, as well as MTR’s Cabaret and Next To Normal. She believes that theatre has the power and ability to transcend vanity and instill hope in the hearts of all people. With this in mind she is looking forward to growing with the MTR family and she is honored to be a part of the board.

Harrison Poe (Member at Large)

Harrison Poe is currently a junior in the USC School of Dramatic Arts pursuing a B.A. degree in Theatre with a Minor in Musical Studies. He has been seen on stage in the USC School of Dramatic Arts' production of Evita (Officer/Aristocrat), Magnolia(William Kerry) , and Andrew Lippa's Wild Party (Sam) as well as MTR's productions of Little Women (Laurie Lawrence), Company (Paul), and Next to Normal (Gabe). Behind the table, Harrison served as the assistant music director for Heathers: The Musical, and co-music director of Edges last spring. He will also be music directing and conducting MTR's Cabaret this spring. His passion for theatre is only rivaled by his passion for music. Harrison plays several instruments including piano, guitar, and mandolin, and is always learning more. He has performed as a musician in MTR's Edges (Electric Guitar) and The USC School of Dramatic Arts production of Uncle Vanya (Mandolin). He has been a board member since November 2016 and is very excited to be a part of MTR's future.

Cole Slater (Member at Large)

Cole Slater is a current member of the School of Dramatic Arts Class of 2022. He is double majoring in Theatre and French and is beyond excited to be a part of the MTR family. Cole is a multidisciplinary artist and studies many mediums including directing, acting, fashion, and film photography. Some of his acting highlights include Moonface Martin in Anything Goes (Flintridge Prep), Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors (Flintridge Prep), Cornelius in Hello, Dolly! (Flintridge Prep), and Ernst in Spring Awakening (MTR). Professionally, he has performed as TJ in Tommy’s Toyshop (The Lounge Theatre), as a guest performer at Back to Bravo (Alex Theatre), and as a series of characters in invisible theatre projects in Los Angeles. Cole has directed many works including the play Machinal. In addition, he has studied musical theatre over past summers at Tisch New Studio on Broadway, University of Michigan, Interlochen Arts Academy, and Broadway Artists Alliance. He is psyched to be challenged by MTR future productions!

Sean Soper (Member at Large)

Sean Soper is a member of the USC Class of 2019 with a B.S. in Business Administration. Born and raised in Southern California, Sean had the privilege of serving as the 2018 MTR President and the 2017 Treasurer. While at USC, he was involved in 11 productions at USC as an actor, director, producer and crew member. He directed MTR’s productions of Next to Normal and Avenue Q, and produced Company, Edges, Something Ever After, Cabaret and Spring Awakening. As an actor, he was featured in SDA’s productions of The Wild Party (Max) and Evita (Ensemble), and MTR's Heathers: the Musical (JD) and Little Women the Musical (John Brooke). During his time at USC, he interned in the marketing departments at Center Theatre Group, Allied Integrated Marketing and Variety. He now is the Strategic Partnerships Coordinator at Variety.