Our Professional Staff
Lisa Pogofsky Sobelman
Lisa Pogofsky Sobelman has been with us since 2020. She is the director/teacher of Troupe (3rd-5th graders), our graphic designer and also updates our website. Lisa went to The University of Wisconsin - Madison for her undergraduate degree where she double-majored in both Journalism and Theater. She has studied voice privately for more years that she can count. After performing professionally in the Chicagoland area, Lisa went back and got her Masters Degree in Social Work at the University of Chicago. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and is a practicing therapist at Highland Park Psychological Services.
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Ten years ago, Lisa started a freelance graphic design business called Interactive Expressions, allowing her to work from home while raising her children. You can see her portfolio at www.interactiveexpressions.com.
Lisa still loves to perform and has been doing musical theater around the area for years, including performing at venues such as Drury Lane Oakbrook, Deerfield Family Theater, Centerstage Lake Forest, Up and Coming Theater, The Gilson Bowl, Glenview Theater Guild and many more. She has performed the National Anthem for the Chicago White Sox and at the Schaumburg Boomers Stadium.
Dina DiCostanzo
Dina DiCostanzo is an actress/singer/dancer/director/choreographer who performs regularly in and around Chicagoland.Her stage accomplishments include work at Paramount Theatre, Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire, Drury Lanes Oakbrook and Water Tower, Victory Gardens, The Mercury, The Lakeshore, Theatre at the Center, Northlight Theatre, Center Stage Baltimore and Capital Rep in Albany NY. For Performer's School, Dina has choreographed Frozen, Matilda, and A Chorus Line. Other directing and choreography credits include work at Porchlight Theatre, Metropolis Theatre, CPA Theatricals, Highland Park Players, Music on Stage, Fremont Street, and 6 years at St. Juliana's Middle School. She also choreographed the 2019 Jeff Award winning hit, Miracle the Musical, about the Cubs 2016 World Series win that saw a successful run at the Royal George. Dina has appeared in numerous television and print ads for Marshall Fields, The Roomplace, Aurora Health Care, Payless Shoe Source, Cottonelle and more, and had a featured role on Dick Wolf’s NBC show, Chicago Justice. She is the founder and co-lead singer of the world’s first and only female-fronted yacht rock cover band, The Yacht Rock-ettes and spent 17 years flapping and twirling her pearls as Lola at Tommy Guns Garage, Chicago’s longest running dinner theatre review!
Cate Anderson
Stage Manager
Cate Anderson has been stage managing for Performer’s School since the very first production of Joseph... in 2014, and refuses to pick out any favorite kids or productions. Her Chicago credits include: Central Avenue Breakdown, and Code Name: Cynthia (FWD Theatre Company); Tyrant and 9 Circles (Sideshow Theatre Company); and Creditors (Remy Bumppo). Cate also spent eight years stage managing for MadKap Productions at Skokie Theatre, seven years as part of the backstage crew at Chicago Shakespeare, and has called shows regionally for Piccolo Theatre Company (Evanston, IL), Theatre at Monmouth (Monmouth, ME), and Fiddlehead Theatre Company (Boston, MA). She is a graduate of Emerson College in Boston.
Jeffrey Poindexter
Conductor, Accompanist
Jeffrey Poindexter is an active music director and pianist in the Chicagoland area, having worked with numerous theatres including FWD Theatre Project, BoHo Theatre, Griffin Theatre, the Performer’s School and Fox Valley Repertory. Jeffrey is an adjunct faculty accompanist at Roosevelt University and frequent collaborator at Columbia College Chicago. Along with his various theatre work, Jeffrey plays for numerous recitals, concerts and special events throughout the year, as well as teaches piano lessons. Jeffrey earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master’s degree in jazz piano performance from DePaul University.
Casiena Raether
Casiena has been dancing and teaching dance for as long as she can remember. She graduated from UW Stevens Point with a BFA in Acting, and has been performing regionally ever since. Casiena has taught award winning competitive dance teams in Colorado, and choreographed several musicals in the Chicago area. She spent a year performing on a cruise ship throughout the South Pacific as a professional dancer. Recent credits include WHITE CHRISTMAS, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, CABARET (Theatre at the Center), A CHORUS LINE (Metropolis Performing Arts Center), MEMPHIS (Porchlight Music Theatre), SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE PRECARIOUS POSITION, JEEVES AT SEA, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST, JEEVES TAKES A BOW, MAURITIUS (Artists’ Ensemble Theater) She has taught a variety of dance classes here in Chicago and is thrilled to be teaching once again, this time with Troupe. 5,6,7,8!
Mindy McDonald
MINDY MCDONALD (Costume Design and Construction) has been privileged to design and construct costumes for The Performers School since 2017. Since 2017, Mindy has costumed Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Lion King, Annie, Cinderella, Elf, and Frozen.
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With a commitment to service, Mindy has volunteered many hours costuming The Classics Show Choir, Shine Show Choir and the 8th grade plays at St. Michael School in Wheaton. Shows include: Godspell, Honk, Peter Pan, Bye Bye Birdie, Lion King, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Into the Woods. She has also constructed speciality costumes for Suessical, Wizard of Oz, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Frozen, Legally Blonde and Cadence Show Choir.
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Prior to her costuming experience, Mindy received her BA in elementary education with several endorsements in special education. She taught middle school special education for nine years. From her teaching, while also raising her own six children, she has loved working with kids of all ages; building their self esteem and looking for the best in each child. Mindy got her start in costuming from her background with children, whether it was mending clothes or building halloween costumes, costume design and construction has always snuck a way into her life. Mindy has a careful eye and an innovative mind that gives her the ability to create and challenge each show that The Performers School puts on. She has truly loved having the opportunity to design for these performers and is excited to continue to push the boundaries of costume design and construction.
Adria Dawn
ADRIA DAWN teaches on-camera acting at The Performer’s School, Acting Studio Chicago and Tarleton/Dawn Productions. She served on the faculty at Columbia College Chicago, and is a private on-camera acting coach. Adria is a co-founder of Revealing Media Group, which focuses on making contemporary films for social change. Working with young actors, these films have educational distribution and play at film festivals.
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Adria loves working with talent of all ages and levels, and has taught workshops or spoken at SAG-AFTRA Chicago, Franklin Arts Center, University of Michigan, DePaul University, Loyola University, Columbia College Chicago, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, New Trier High School, Chicago High School for the Arts, Chicago Screenwriters Network, Camp Hollywood in Portland, Oregon, Southside School, Champaign, IL, Chicago Acting in Film, The Chicago Artists Coalition, Deerfield High School, Gray Talent Group, The Illinois High School Theatre Festival and The Actor’s Centre in London, England. She serves on the board of the Chicago Acting In Film Meetup Group.
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As an actor, Adria spent many years in LA. One of her career highlights includes Ryan Murphy’s cult hit Popular (18 episodes, April Tuna) for which she was nominated as “Gutsiest Woman on Television,” by Jane Magazine. Currently you can catch Adria on Netflix (Uncle John) and on Amazon (Teenage Ghost Punk). She also starred in the film #nofilter (Cannes Story Corner).