Conservatory Staff and Teaching Artists

Kim Cozort Kay

(Director of Education) A multi-award-winning actress, (Metrolina Theatre Best Actress, Curtain Up and 3 Carbonell awards,) Kim is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and Screen Actors’ Guild. Kim has bachelor and master degrees in music education with a concentration in vocal performance. She has shared the boards with Broadway veterans Charles Nelson Reilly, Hal Holbrook, Rachel Bay Jones, Alison Fraser and Richard Kind. As Education Director at the award-winning Blowing Rock Stage Company, Kim produced productions of High School Musical, High School Musical 2 and the tours of Sleepwalk and Bang, Bang, You're Dead. Credits also include music direction: Bak Middle School of the Arts, Kravis' Disney in Schools Program as well as directing STAGE AWAKENINGS at the Kravis Center. Kim resides in Jupiter with her husband, actor/director/teacher Kenneth Kay. Together, they formed their own production company (Kay-Squared Productions) in anticipation of the world premiere of Kim’s one-woman show, Silver Shadows; Dark Side of the Mountain, which garnered her the 2022 North Carolina Society of Historians Award of Excellence for a Theatre Performance.

For inquiries about student placement, curriculum, and homeschool education.
Email: kcozort@jupitertheatre.org
Phone: (561) 972-6106

Kim Capozzoli

(Conservatory Business Manager) After a successful career as an advertising executive, Kim pivoted and became involved in all aspects of education and the arts in her community. She served as PTO President and liaison to the District Superintendent, Board Member of the Social Emotional Learning Committee, Board Member of the Music Parents Association, Drama Program Director of Development/Fundraising, Production Photographer, and Costume Designer/Wardrobe Manager for choral productions, plays and musicals. Kim played an integral role in guiding her daughter’s development in the performing arts and looks forward to sharing her knowledge and experience with the Goldner Conservatory students and their families. Kim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Design, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. A graduate of the Yoga Alliance 200 Hour Training and 25 Hour Yin Programs, she enjoys taking the practice of yoga off the mat and into everyday life interactions. Kim became involved with the Maltz Jupiter Theatre as a volunteer working with young actors, the production team, costume shop and front of house. She is beyond thrilled to join the Maltz in a more formal capacity and is delighted to welcome students to the new Goldner Conservatory.

For general administrative assistance, registration and scholarship inquiries.
Email: kcapozzoli@jupitertheatre.org
Phone: (561) 781-3026

Aaliyah Amoin

Aaliyah Amoin is a South Florida-based theater professional who has done both performance and backstage tech work over the years. She began her career in performance arts through classical concert piano and choir, and later in life discovered her love for musical theatre. Aaliyah received her B.A. in Musical Theatre Arts at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where she received training in classical piano and voice, improv, Meisner and Chekov acting methods, and backstage work. When she is not at the Maltz, Aaliyah is a music director for several theaters in South Florida and has music directed shows such as Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Entr’acte Theatrix), The Wizard of Oz (Rosarian Academy), Jesus Christ Superstar (Entr’acte Theatrix), and Shrek the Musical Jr. (Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre). She is beyond excited to be working with the Maltz Jupiter Theatre to help cultivate young minds and give them the creative tools needed to excel in the professional world.

Susan Emley

Anne-Marie Gerard Galle

Anne-Marie Gerard Galler has been dancing professional since the age of 16, and a proud member of Actors Equity Association and SAG for 40 years. The youngest person ever hired (at the age of 17) for Norwegian Caribbean Cruise Lines, Ms. Gerard Galler went on to perform in the Jerome Robbins National Tour of ‘West Side Story’ in the lead dancer role of Graziella. She performed as an original Broadway member of Me and My Girl and Prince of Central Park. She has also performed in numerous National Tours, regional productions and industrial shows for major clients such as Chrysler, IBM, and Subaru, as well as for a former President at The White House. As Choreographer in Residence for Katonah Lewisboro Schoology District, Croton Teen Theatre and both Professional and Community Theatres, Ms. Gerard Galler has choreographed over 40 productions . Anne-Marie prides herself on making Dance a “fun, integral part of life for students, whether they be 2 or 102.” She is also the creative force behind Triple Threat Teen Theater Workshop, a comprehensive program for grades 1-5 and 6-12 devoted to intensive instruction in the arts of dance, voice, acting and auditioning for Musical Theater. Besides her extensive experience teaching all forms of dance, she is also is a certified YRT Yoga instructor. Ms. Gerard Galler has taught dance to literally hundreds of young people (and adults!) for over two decades throughout New York, Connecticut and the Northeast, and is excited to bring her talents to South Florida!

Kayla Grammerstorf

Kayla Grammerstorf is a dance performer, choreographer, and educator originally from the Philadelphia region. She is a recent graduate of Muhlenberg College where she pursued degrees in Dance Performance and Accounting. Kayla has been trained in Classical and Contemporary Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Pointe, Tap, and Hip-Hop. She was involved in a tap company based in Philadelphia called Footwerx and had the opportunity to perform at the Wilma Theater, Arts Bank Theater, and Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. At Muhlenberg College, Kayla had the chance to work with artists Heidi Cruz-Austin, Karen Dearborn, Natalie Gotter, Randall Anthony Smith, guest artist Melanie George, and several student choreographers. Kayla has choreographed five musicals for the Phoenixville Area Middle School and multiple dance pieces for studios in the Philadelphia area. As a choreographer and educator, she strives to create an environment for dancers to grow and find their voice in her movement. Kayla is very excited to be joining the Maltz Jupiter Theatre faculty as they prepare for these upcoming projects.

KENNETH KAY

Kenneth Kay made his professional acting debut in 1978. Since that time, he has gone on to produce, direct or act in over nearly 300 professional stage productions throughout the southeast and on national tour. A Vietnam era-veteran of the US Navy “Seabees,” Mr. Kay received an AA in Arts Education from Lake-Sumter State College, a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of West Florida in 1978 and an MFA in Acting & Directing from Florida Atlantic University. He earned his Equity card after completing a one-year professional internship at The Burt Reynolds’ Institute for Theatre Training. During his internship there he regularly studied with acclaimed teachers/actors Charles Nelson Reilly, Julie Harris, Stuart Vaughan, Jose Quintero, Dom DeLuise, and Martin Sheen. More recently, Mr. Kay served as the Producing Artistic Director of the Blowing Stage Company in North Carolina. During his nine-year tenure he produced and/or directed seventy full-length plays including sixteen regional and world premieres. Many of those plays have since been published and are now available for licensing through Dramatic Publishing. Under his leadership BRSC was named the Best Professional Theatre in North Carolina for 2007. His teaching credentials include adjunct or advisory positions at Palm Beach Atlantic University, Florida Atlantic University, Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Appalachian State College, and Davidson College. Currently, he is a Resident Teaching Artist with the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s Goldner Conservatory.

Keren Lydia

Keren Lydia is a director, choreographer, and educator born and raised in South Florida. She trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she earned an MA in Musical Theatre. She has been teaching Music, Theatre, and Dance for over 10 years, from pre-K to Senior Citizens.  Her directing credits include The Chronicles of Jane, Gypsy, Into the Woods, She Kills Monsters, Peter Pan, and West Side Story. She has choreographed productions such as We Will Rock You, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Jury (before its Off-Broadway transfer), and even West Side Story (again) back in 2017. She loves working with people of all ages in theatre and believes that arts and entertainment encourage confidence, commitment, and self-expression in students. 

Breeze Pollard

Breeze P.S. is Breeze is a dancer, artist, and model working and living in South Florida for over 10 years. She has been in the performing arts for many years, including training in Musical Theatre at Palm Beach Atlantic University. She joined Demetrius Klein Dance Company in 2024 and was delighted to be welcomed into the Maltz Theatre teaching artist cohort in 2025. When not teaching your little ones the joy of theatre, she can usually be found dancing with DKDC, modeling for any number of art schools in South Florida, or in her home studio creating textile art and writing poetry.

Aliya Rajnic

Beginning at Silver Spring Dance Conservatory in Lancaster, PA, Aliya has trained in modern, ballet, and jazz techniques for 20 years. After completing her B.A. in Dance at Palm Beach Atlantic University, Aliya now works as a professional stage manager and choreographer, while pouring back into the WPB arts community through teaching. Through her stage management work, she has had opportunities to work alongside many renowned dance artists, including Branndi Lewis, Amy Jordan, and Buddha Stretch. She consistently manages performances and masterclasses at the Kravis Center, City Place WPB, and the Norton Museum of Art, among others. She has premiered choreographic works as a guest artist at Palm Beach Atlantic University and with Demetrius Klein Dance Company (where she dances as a company artist), as well as at the Trust Dance Festival in PA. Ultimately, Aliya is passionate about building up dancers to have strong technique alongside ever-increasing artistry and is delighted to draw from her musical theatre roots through her work with the Goldner Conservatory.

Avery Sommers

Avery Sommers has appeared on Broadway in Ain’t Misbehavin’, Show Boat, Chicago, and Platinum, in addition to national tours of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Ann-Margret, and Chicago with Chita Rivera and Joel Grey, and featured roles in 10 independent films, all shot in South Florida. She continues to perform at south Florida leading live music venues while also serving on the boards of directors for the Carbonell Awards and the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, and on the Honorary Board of Advisors for The Society for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook.

Karen Stephens

Karen Stephens is a long-time member of the South Florida theatre community, with a B.F.A. in Theatre from The University of Florida. She most recently appeared in Zoetic Stages, Potus, Pigs Do Fly’s The Long Weekend  and Thinking Cap Theatre’s Taming Of The Shrew, playing both Kate and Petruchio. Prior to that she appeared in The Cancellation Of Lauren Fein at Palm Beach Dramaworks and Florida Studio Theatre, and Zoetic Stage’s Clyde’s. Other recent roles include Boca Stage’s Time Alone, Theatre Lab’s Dorothy’s Dictionary, Island City Stage’s Armature, and Slow Burn Theatre’s, Matilda. Just prior to lockdown, Karen appeared in Zoetic Stage’s American Son, and portrayed Winnie in Thinking Cap Theatre’s production of Beckett’s Happy Days. Some favorites include, The Southeastern premiere of Bridge & Tunnel, Florida Studio Theatre, Fences, On Golden Pond, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Motherland, Theatre Lab, Building The Wall, City Theatre, Doubt, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, The Mountaintop, Disgraced, GableStage, among others. A multiple Carbonell nominee, Karen was awarded the Best Actress award for Zoetic Stage’s, Fear Up Harsh. She is also the recipient of multiple Silver Palm Awards, as well as being a long-time member of Actor’s Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA. Film and TV includes, iMordecai, That’s Livin’; The Life and Times of Zora Neale Hurston, Bloodline, The Oath, The Glades, and Burn Notice.

RACHAEL LAGASSE

Rachael Lagasse is floored with excitement and appreciation to be a part of teaching young minds the art of creativity. She is a New World School of the Arts Alumni, there she earned her BFA and Conservatory degree in Theatre. Her love for acting has been with her for many, many years, but she has had a new found love of working with children in just the last year. She discovered this during her time of being a teacher assistant at Center For Creative Education where she works alongside children daily in helping them to better understand how to connect the arts to their learning.

Natalie Donahue McMahon

Natalie Donahue McMahon is a professional actor born and raised in Tequesta, Florida. Natalie studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and was a member of their 2015-2016 Company. She has also apprenticed with the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. New York credits include Ismene in Antigone (Random Access Theatre) and sad indie love song (The Arctic Group’s Fridge Fest). Natalie has worked in South Florida from Palm Beach County all the way down to Miami. Notable credits include Palm Beach Dramawork’s One Humanity Tour where Natalie originated two roles in original plays written for middle schoolers , Live to Tell and Hungry Ghosts, and River in Gablestage’s highly praised production of Branden Jacob Jenkins’ Appropriatelast season.

MARY STUCCHI

Mary Stucchi graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2007, where she studied theatre and communication. Since then, her dedication to education, performance, and photography has led her down multiple entrepreneurial paths. Stucchi owns a portrait photography business, and has worked extensively in performance and production roles for companies such as The Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival, MOD27 Improvisation, and StoryMakers. Mary’s most treasured teaching experience involved homeschooling 4 girls in Kilimanjaro, East Africa for one year. She has led many workshops for arts camps and global education programs locally and internationally. Most Saturdays, you can find Mary at the Kravis Center, where she manages De George Academy, a scholarship-based performing arts school for economically disadvantaged students. Mary is thankful for every student she meets, because they inspire her to keep learning with them.

Randall Swinton

Randall Swinton is an Actor and Stage Manager here in South Florida. He is happy to be back with Maltz Jupiter Theatre as an instructor in the Goldner COnservatory. Some of his favorite credits as an Assistant Stage Manager are G7:2070 (WJLH Productions), Disenchanted! (MNM Theatre), Oliver! (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), Sweet Charity (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), Jersey Boys (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), The Drowsy Chaperone (Wick Theatre), The Amparo Experience (Broadway Factor) and A Christmas Story (Slow Burn Theatre). He is grateful to his friends and family for all of their love and support.

Jevon White

Jevon White is a purposed actor, writer, and director. With over 90 credits in film and television and more than 200 commercials that airs nationally and locally. Native to south Florida but is well traveled. Jevon is also an Army Vet with 8 years of service. Still continues to serve his community through teaching acting and filmmaking to the youth in his community and incorporated CharActor Development as an NPO, founded Catapult International Film Festival, and even created the Top-Rated app, ImBooked.  Jevon can be seen on almost every streaming platform playing various characters. For updates follow him on social media @jevonwhite

Briley Crisafi

Briley Crisafi is a professional dancer, choreographer, actor, writer, and educator based out of South Florida. A lifelong performer, she is passionate about the arts’ capability to truly change lives and impact culture. In addition to making her home at MJT, Crisafi teaches Spanish, Musical Theatre, and many technical dance styles for several organizations locally and occasionally in Latin America. She is blessed to have begun her training with Ballet Palm Beach at age four, and since studied with Ballet Vero Beach, Konverjdans NYC, and Infinite Flow of Los Angeles. She has also developed a strong background in musical theatre, frequently studying under original Fosse cast members such as Jill Niklaus; with favorite roles to date including “Anita” in West Side Story and “Tzeitel” in Fiddler on the Roof. Crisafi has co-directed 11 full-length productions -- and counting -- for the arts ministry she runs with her family. She is currently a member of the Demetrius Klein Dance Company and has also danced with Amy Jordan’s Victory Dance Project of NYC. Holding a Communications & Media degree from Southeastern University, she also writes and performs content for Andy Andrews’ Wisdom Harbour Studios in the gulf coast. It is Crisafi’s true joy to share her training and passions with those around her, and pour into the next generation of incredible artists.

Kristen Vencel

Kristen is a performer, choreographer, and filmmaker who serves as Artistic Director of Demetrius Klein Dance Company. She earned her BA in dance at Palm Beach Atlantic University and has enjoyed cross-cultural studies in dance internationally in Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Panama. She has appeared in productions across South Florida, USA with the Palm Beach Symphony, the Downtown Development Authority of West Palm Beach, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, the Natural Movers Foundation, Christ Fellowship Church, Future Commerce, and more. In addition to dancing, with experience in many styles of dance including modern, jazz, ballet, hip hop, salsa, and musical theater, Kristen provides support and strategic feedback to students studying dance in local college and studio settings. Dance is part of her expression, her worship, and the depths of who she was made to be. You can connect with her on social media @iamkristenvencel

Adriana Marquez [Backstage Skills Summer Camp]

Adriana Marquez is an artist with experience in multiple creative fields - visual arts, film, music, dance, and digital media. She has assisted in multiple murals, created movie/play posters, and was assistant director in a documentary that won second place in the The Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films in 2020. As film director, she was a finalist in SSOF 2022 for the official music video for Progress Express by The Lubben Brothers. She designs album covers and official merchandise for local bands including Snake Lounge. In the Spring of 2026, she will be graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor’s degree in Commercial Music Technology.

Mayling Pao [Backstage Skills Summer Camp]

Mayling Pao is a local artist known for her expressive, figurative paintings. As an experienced muralist, she has painted walls in downtown West Palm Beach, FL including murals of Jim Morrison and Prince on Clematis Street. Pao has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Kansas City Art Institute with a concentration in graphic design and illustration. She is also an experienced special effects makeup artist, and body painter. Her works also include papier maché sculptures and has had the opportunity to create for clients such as New Balance. When she is not painting or sculpting in her studio, she enjoys teaching art to inspire creativity in children and adults. In 2024, she was selected as one of the recipients of the Downtown Development Authority's "Mini Placemaking Grant for her project - The Fantastical Walk.