PRODUCTION STAFF At Waterville High School Drama
OUR 2021 – 22 PRODUCTION STAFF
Gayle (Giguere) Pellegrini – Director Of Drama
About Ms. Pellegrini
Gayle Pellegrini is the director of Drama at WSHS serving over twenty years. She is also a 9-12th grade English teacher and currently serves as the English Department chair. Ms. Pellegrini also teaches an Introduction to Drama class and a Creative Writing class. She is the coach for the newly formed WSHS Speech Team and is the Kennebec Valley Ski Club advisor.
Ms. Pellegrini is a graduate of UMF – English, and Theater. She also has a Masters in Literacy.
Ms. Pellegrini resides in Waterville. She is the mother of four grown children and grandmother to seven. She is an avid mountain biker and downhill skier and, of course, a theater enthusiast.
Technical Director: Ben Gombos
About Ben
Ben Gombos graduated from WSHS in 2020, after 4 years of participation in WSHS Drama. Ben served as a volunteer last year, but this year he has signed a contract to act as a co-technical director with Kurt Hoffman.
As a co-technical director, Ben is able to share his passion for theater and design with students as he teaches them about lights and sound. Ben currently attends the University of Maine at Orono, studying Music Education with a focus on voice and alto saxophone.
Technical Director: Kurt Hoffman
About Kurt
Drama Producer and Thespian Society: Paula Pooler
About Ms. Pooler
Paula Pooler is WSHS Drama’s Producer. She manages all business, box office, banquets, advertisements for drama, and also the Thespian Society.
She has worked alongside Ms. Pellegrini for over twenty years. Paula is lovingly called “the money” by Ms. Pellegrini.
Paula is also Finance Director of Waterville Public Schools.
Costumes: Cassie Julia-Ferris
About Cassie
Cassie Julia-Ferris entered our production staff in 2018-19. Cassie came to us with a degree in Design and a love for theater. She did a great job costuming the musical Grease and worked so effectively with the 50 students she had to costume that each student felt she had hand-picked the color and style of their costume to best flatter them on stage. No wonder they all love her!
Mid-winter she costumed our one-act competition play Blithe Spirit with the help of Cynthia Cloutier. And lastly, she costumed the wacky spring play Sideways Stories from Wayside School.
We love having Cassie on our team not only for the beautiful costumes but also because she makes work fun for both students and staff.
Music Director: Sue Barre
About Ms. Barre
Sue Barre is WSHS Drama’s Music Director. She is both the pit orchestra director and the choral director for our fall musical. Sue has been working with Ms. Pellegrini for many years, and they have a collaborative relationship that makes for a fun musical experience.
Beyond this, Mrs. Barre is also the Band Director in Waterville, Maine, teaching graders 5-12. Mrs.Barre directs the concert, pep, and jazz bands and serves as department head for the music department in Waterville grades K-12.
Mrs. Barre received her Bachelor of Music Education and Horn Performance from UMass in 1989 and her Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern Maine in 1995. Mrs. Barre was named Maine Music Educator of the year in 1996.
Mrs. Barre is currently the Immediate Past President of the Maine Music Educators Association and President-Elect for the National Association for Music Education Eastern Division. Mrs. Barre resides in Waterville with her husband, Greg.
Choreographer: Scott Stevens
About Scott Stevens
Scott Stevens is the choreographer for the fall musical. He has been the choreographer for WSHS Drama for nearly twenty years.
Mr. Scott and Ms. Pellegrini have been friends since the ’80s and have enjoyed working together each fall on the musical.
Scott is also the owner-operator of <em>Studio One For Dancers</em> located in Oakland, Maine. He is a beloved local dance instructor who has been in his successful business for over 25-30 years.
