Kate Benton is an Academic Dean and a director and teacher of Theatre Arts at the Harvard-Westlake Middle School in Los Angeles. Previous to her academic career, Kate worked at the William Morris Agency in the Motion Picture Literary Department and at Columbia Pictures as a development assistant for director, Ridley Scott. She was Vice President of Indian Neck Productions, an independent film company, and a main stage performing member of LA’s premiere Improvisation Troupe, “The Groundlings”. Kate has acted in numerous television shows, films and commercials. She is a graduate of Northwestern University’s theatre program.

Nina Burtchaell is the director of Vocal Music at Harvard-Westlake Middle School in Los Angeles. Prior to her arrival at Harvard-Westlake, Nina taught at the Mirman School for Gifted Children in Los Angeles and at The Perry School in Austin, Texas. Nina is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin where she studied opera with Walter Ducloux and performed as orchestral flautist with Carl St.Clair. Her graduate studies include the University of Illinois study abroad program, where she was a student of William Bennett, London Symphony Orchestra. Nina is in her nineteenth year at Harvard-Westlake, where she has enjoyed building a vibrant choral program and serving as Dean of Faculty and Performing Arts Department Chair.

Gregory Goddu teaches the Rhythm Section Workshop at Harvard-Westlake Middle School. In addition, Greg is the Senior Administrator for the school’s Admission office where he has worked since 2000. Prior to that, Greg lived in New Mexico where he attended the University of New Mexico for his B.A. and taught private music lessons both at the University and at a local music store. Originally from New England, Greg was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and raised in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.

Carrie Green is currently the director of the Dance program at Harvard-Westlake Middle School. Being an alum, Carrie is thrilled to be teaching at the place that first inspired her to become a dancer. Prior to teaching at Harvard-Westlake, Carrie attended Barnard College of Columbia University, where she produced her evening length work, “My Mother is a Fish,” for the Orchesis Dance Company. Carrie has performed in over 50 dance productions, both in Los Angeles and New York. Most recently, Carrie danced for Rei Aoo’s Dance Planet in the US premiere of “Origins,” at the Ford Amphitheater, for which she won a Lester Horton Award for Best Performance in a Small Ensemble. Carrie has trained in many dance techniques from Ballet to Jazz, Hip-Hop to Modern, Lyrical to Tap, Musical Theater and even Yoga, Pilates and Aerial, and she loves teaching, choreographing, and performing them all.

Emily Reola teaches instrumental music and is Head of Performing Arts at Harvard-Westlake Middle School. Previous to her move to Los Angeles in 2004, Emily lived in New York where she freelanced as a violinist, taught strings at the middle school and high school levels, and completed her M.A. in Music Education from New York University. Emily is originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina and also holds a B.S. in Music Education from Duquesne University.

Before coming to HW, Jim taught History, English and Drama at the Westridge School in Pasadena. He has been a mentor for student writers, and a director for the HW Playwright’s Workshop, he has taught at the HW Summer Intensive Actor’s Workshop as well as an improvisation master class at USC Business School and Execuprov in Orange County.   He has been working as a professional actor and writer since 1981 in theatre, film, and television. He was a resident company member of the famed Improvisational Theatre, THE GROUNDLINGS, from 1985 to 1993 and the Dudley Rigg’s Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis from 1981- 1985.  Jim Doughan received his BFA in Theatre from the University of Minnesota- Duluth.

Starr Schaftel Wayne teaches Instrumental Music at the Harvard-Westlake Middle School in Los Angeles. Prior to working at Harvard-Westlake, she maintained a studio and taught the clarinet and the saxophone privately to many students who have won numerous competitions, including The Los Angeles Spotlight Awards, The Young Musicians Foundation Chamber Music Competition, as well as acceptance in the Disney Summer Youth Orchestra. In addition, she freelanced in Los Angeles as a clarinetist. Ms. Wayne is a graduate of The Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland and the USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles, California.

Gere Fennelly
Part-time Accompanist

Gere Fennelly is a pianist, accompanist, and composer, and is fluent in all styles of music from classical, jazz & pop, to rock, punk, and heavy-metal. Currently she is the accompanist for the Middle and Upper School Dance Programs at Harvard Westlake School and the organist at Brentwood Presbyterian Church. Fennelly is also the pianist for the choir at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, several musical theater workshops, synagogues, dance studios, and she is the composer for NBC’s Emmy-winning TV show, “Starting Over.” Originally from San Francisco, Fennelly had a record deal with EMI records by the age of 18 and since has played in Rox, Romeo Void, Anvil Chorus, Specimen, Joe Satriani, and Redd Kross. In 2003, Fennelly released her solo CD, “88 Magic: Gere Played Piano,” to favorable reviews and she is currently working on her new CD of instrumental works, “Walk a Mile in These Shoes.”