Staff
Hartford Children's Theatre's team works hard to facilitate the education and celebrate the success of your children’s experience in the theatre. Please call us to find out more on how your child can be part of this family. As an organization, HCT is well aligned, with a common understanding of values, mission, vision and key directions. Effective communications encourages meaningful dialogue, reinforces participatory decision-making, and enhances learning and change. HCT leadership – at the staff and Board level – create coordinated, sustained solutions for complex issues.
KEY PROGRAM STAFF
Michael R. Kintner
Executive Director
Ryan Ratelle
Artistic Director
Ryan comes to HCT directly from NYC where he worked as an ATPAM Press Agent on Broadway for six years. As a Senior Account Executive at Barlow • Hartman PR (now The Hartman Group), Mr. Ratelle represented the Tony Award nominated productions of Gypsy (starring Tony Award winners Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti & Boyd Gaines), Grease (starring NBC reality show winners Max Crumm & Laura Osnes along with “American Idols” Taylor Hicks & Ace Young) and the pre-Broadway engagement of West Side Story at Washington, D.C.’s historic National Theatre. Additional Broadway credits include Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, The Vertical Hour (starring Julianne Moore), The Pillowman (starring Jeff Goldblum), Jerry Springer the Opera at Carnegie Hall (starring Harvey Keitel) and many more. As a freelance publicist, he served as the National Press Representative for the first national tour of Grease and currently handles publicity for the Broadway Dreams Foundation.
Lisa Foss
Education Director
B.F.A, Carnegie Mellon University, Proud Member of Actor’s Equity Association (AEA)
Lisa has extensive credits as a director, music director and choreographer throughout CT. She has directed and run programs at Saint Bernard High School, New London High School, UCONN’s Community School of the Arts, The Spirit of Broadway Theatre, Garde Arts Center/ISAAC School, Lisbon Central School and was also an adjunct professor of theatre at Three Rivers Community College.
Lisa taught classes and directed for the Main Stage at HCT for a number of years prior to becoming Education Director for the organization in January 2009. Lisa additionally has an extensive list of credits as a performer – and continues to appear in productions, readings and cabarets in CT and NYC. She also continues to teach voice and acting at her private studio in her hometown of Lisbon. Lisa greatest role is that of mother to her two little “diva-in-training,” Sophia and Emma.
Nick D’Angelo
Technical Director
Nick D’Angelo comes to HCT with a varied background in technical theatre. Most recently he was production designer and technical director for Miami Stage Company and Miami Children’s Theatre where he designed and constructed sets for such shows as Les Miserables, Cabaret and 42nd Street.
He also was an instructor for Creative Camps theatre camp where he created a technical theatre program for kids interested in the technical aspect of shows. He is very proud to be a part of Hartford Children’s Theatre and is looking forward to new opportunities working with children and introducing them to the wonderful art that is theatre.
Emely Larson
Outreach Coordinator
Emely Larson is one of Hartford Children's Theatre's most sought after Teaching Artists and HCT is so happy she's joined our Staff! She has taught at our "home base" for many years - working successfully with students of all ages while teaching such classes as Let's Act, Comedy Improv and Teens Making Scenes.
Emely is a vital part of our outreach programs - As the coordinator she is responsible for implementing and executing our Outreach programming, where she brings not only her enthusiasm and expertise to the table (and the classroom!), but her true passion for theatre.
Emely is a highly trained professional, having earned her BFA from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, and also works as a professional actress and lead singer for her band "Hardwood." Emely's love of the arts and skill as a teacher, and her true dedication as our Outreach Coordinator, make her a wonderful addition to every program she becomes involved in!